Portugal has introduced a significant new immigration law, but applicants following established legal residence routes should distinguish carefully between the changes receiving headlines and the pathways that remain in place.
Law No. 62/2026, published on 10 September 2026, amends Portugal’s immigration, asylum and removal framework and implements a number of EU migration and asylum measures.
The law has already generated discussion about Portugal adopting “stricter immigration rules”.
That description is not entirely wrong, but it can be misleading if read too broadly.
The changes are principally directed at areas such as:
- irregular migration;
- asylum procedures;
- border procedures;
- return and removal;
- detention in certain immigration cases; and
- exceptional situations where individuals seek to regularise their status from within Portugal.
For applicants using the standard D7 or D8 residence visa route, the important point is different.
Law No. 62/2026 does not abolish or fundamentally replace the ordinary residence-visa pathway.
What Has Actually Changed?
The new law amends several important pieces of Portugal’s immigration legislation.
Its scope includes:
- the legal regime governing the entry, stay, exit and removal of foreign nationals;
- asylum and subsidiary protection procedures;
- reception and detention arrangements;
- border procedures;
- return and removal mechanisms; and
- implementation of recent EU migration and asylum legislation.
This means the reform is broad.
However, much of the most significant change concerns people who are:
- in Portugal without the appropriate legal authorisation;
- subject to return or removal procedures;
- seeking international protection;
- affected by border procedures; or
- attempting to obtain status through exceptional in-country mechanisms.
That is different from somebody who applies through a Portuguese consulate for the correct residence visa before moving.
Does Law No. 62/2026 Abolish the D7 Visa?
No.
The D7 remains an established residence visa route for qualifying applicants with appropriate income or financial means.
The ordinary structure remains based on obtaining the appropriate residence visa before entry and then completing the residence-permit process in Portugal.
The new law should therefore not be interpreted as eliminating the D7 pathway.
Applicants should, however, continue to satisfy the requirements applicable to their specific visa category and monitor any procedural changes issued by Portuguese consulates or AIMA.
What About the D8 Digital Nomad Visa?
The same general position applies to the D8 route.
Law No. 62/2026 does not abolish Portugal’s standard residence pathway for qualifying remote workers and digital professionals.
Applicants using the D8 route should continue to follow the applicable legal visa process.
This distinction matters because public discussion about “tightened immigration rules” can create the impression that Portugal has stopped accepting lawful residence applications altogether.
It has not.
The Standard Residence Pathway Remains Important
For many legal residence applicants, the process continues to follow the familiar structure:
Residence Visa → Entry into Portugal → Residence Permit Process
AIMA remains the authority responsible for residence-permit procedures, and Portugal continues to modernise the administrative process around residence applications. AIMA has separately announced reforms allowing greater use of digital services and broader mechanisms for submitting residence-permit applications.
That is important because changes to administrative procedure should not be confused with the abolition of the underlying immigration category.
The visa route and the way the application is processed are related, but they are not the same thing.
Why the New Law Is Being Described as “Stricter”
The new legislation strengthens several aspects of Portugal’s immigration-control framework.
The reform includes changes affecting:
- coercive removal procedures;
- asylum processing;
- border procedures;
- detention and temporary installation in certain cases;
- appeals and procedural deadlines; and
- the treatment of irregular stay.
It also narrows the scope for certain exceptional situations in which residence could previously be regularised from within Portugal without first following the ordinary visa route.
That is the area where the term “stricter” has most relevance.
The policy direction is clear: Portugal is placing greater emphasis on people using the correct legal immigration channel from the outset.
Regular Migration and Exceptional Regularisation Are Not the Same
This is probably the most important distinction for prospective residents.
There is a major difference between:
applying lawfully for the correct visa before entering Portugal
and
entering or remaining without the required status and later trying to regularise the position from inside the country.
The new legislation is particularly significant for the second category.
Applicants pursuing D7 or D8 residence should therefore not assume that restrictions on exceptional in-country regularisation automatically affect them in the same way.
In fact, the reforms reinforce the practical importance of choosing the correct residence route before relocation.
What If You Already Hold a Portuguese Residence Permit?
Law No. 62/2026 does not simply cancel existing valid residence permits.
A person already holding a lawful residence permit remains subject to the rules governing that specific residence status.
Existing residents should, however, continue to comply with:
- renewal requirements;
- residence conditions;
- documentation obligations;
- applicable absence limits; and
- any category-specific requirements.
The fact that immigration law has changed does not mean existing lawful residents suddenly lose their status.
What If You Already Have a D7 or D8 Visa?
Applicants who have already obtained a valid residence visa should generally continue with the process for which that visa was granted.
Likewise, applicants who are preparing a D7 or D8 application should not abandon the process simply because Portugal has announced stricter rules in other areas of immigration law.
The more relevant question is whether the individual continues to satisfy the requirements of the chosen residence category.
For most applicants using the standard legal route, that remains the central issue.
AIMA Procedures May Still Evolve
One area applicants should continue to monitor is implementation.
Immigration legislation and immigration administration are not identical.
A law can leave a visa category intact while AIMA or consular authorities change:
- document requirements;
- application procedures;
- online systems;
- appointment mechanisms;
- processing workflows; or
- evidential expectations.
AIMA has already been moving towards greater digitalisation and simplification in some residence-permit procedures.
Applicants should therefore distinguish between:
a legal change to eligibility
and
an administrative change to how an application is processed.
Both matter, but they have different consequences.
What Should D7 and D8 Applicants Do Now?
For most applicants, there is no reason to panic.
The sensible approach is to:
- continue preparing the correct visa application;
- ensure all eligibility requirements are properly documented;
- apply through the appropriate consular route;
- retain evidence supporting income, accommodation and other requirements;
- monitor AIMA and consular procedural updates; and
- avoid relying on exceptional in-country regularisation as a substitute for the correct visa process.
Applicants already in Portugal should also ensure that their current immigration position remains lawful and that any renewal or residence-permit steps are completed through the correct channels.
Why the Distinction Matters
Portugal’s latest reforms reflect a broader trend seen across Europe.
Governments are increasingly distinguishing between:
- legal migration through structured visa and residence routes; and
- irregular migration or attempts to regularise status after entry.
Law No. 62/2026 strengthens that distinction.
For genuine D7 and D8 applicants, this can actually make the importance of proper planning clearer.
The safest route remains the same:
choose the correct immigration category, satisfy the legal requirements and follow the formal process from the outset.
Conclusion
Portugal’s Law No. 62/2026 represents a significant reform of the country’s immigration, asylum and removal framework.
It introduces important changes affecting irregular migration, asylum procedures, border enforcement and return mechanisms.
But the law should not be misunderstood as abolishing Portugal’s established legal residence routes.
For D7 and D8 applicants, the ordinary residence-visa pathway remains available.
The practical lesson is straightforward:
Portugal is tightening parts of its immigration-control system, but lawful applicants using established residence routes should continue to follow the correct visa process rather than assume those pathways have disappeared.
Al Kabban & Associates
For businesses seeking guidance, Al Kabban & Associates, with over 30 years of experience in UAE law and recognition by Legal 500, stands ready to help corporations build resilience against legal risks while ensuring compliance with local and international standards. For more information or to schedule a consultation, contact us at +971 4 453 9090 or visit www.alkabban.com. You can also follow us on social media for more updates on everything law related in the UAE: @Alkabban_Law
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