Published: 24.06.2026
Portugal’s Parliament has preliminarily approved a bill restricting several routes for foreigners to legalise their stay; the bill must still be reviewed by a committee and voted on again. The proposed changes would remove school enrolment as an independent basis for parents’ residence, except for parents of Portuguese-citizen children, and end the route allowing entry on a tourist visa followed by a residence application after a professional course.
If adopted as described, the bill would prevent tourist entry and professional-course enrolment from serving as independent routes to residence, while parents of schoolchildren would need another basis such as work, remote work, passive income, investment or a talent visa. The source also points to a possible increase in the maximum processing period from 90 to 120 days and the removal of automatic approval when authorities miss the deadline. This primarily affects families with children and applicants relying on status being obtained after arrival rather than through a residence visa in advance. People considering these routes should monitor the bill’s progress and avoid basing a relocation plan on a pathway that has not yet been finally enacted.