Bringing your family to Portugal: What international clients need to know about family reunification

For a growing number of our international clients, the decision to move to Portugal is rarely made alone. It is a family decision, and it is almost always followed by the same question: how, and how quickly, can my spouse, my children or my parents join me?

This blogpost sets out the current rules on family reunification in Portugal, explains what has changed in recent years, and flags the points that matter most when advising an internationally mobile family.

1. The legal framework at a glance

Family reunification in Portugal is governed by Articles 98 to 108 of the Immigration Act (Law No. 23/2007, of 4 July), as amended, and is administered by the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA, I.P.), which took over the functions previously performed by SEF. The regime gives a foreign national lawfully resident in Portugal (the sponsor) the right to be joined by defined categories of family members, provided certain conditions of residence, housing, income and, in most cases, integration are met.

The right arises once the sponsor has held a valid residence permit for at least two years, although several categories of family members are exempt from this waiting period altogether, a point we return to below. It is a right, not a discretionary concession, which means that once the statutory conditions are satisfied, AIMA does not have the general power to refuse an application on grounds of expediency.

2. Who can be reunited

 Portuguese law takes a broader view of the family than some other European jurisdictions, which is good news for many of our clients. The categories entitled to reunification include:

     The sponsor's spouse, and equally a partner in a duly evidenced de facto (unmarried) union, whether the relationship was formed before or after the sponsor's arrival in Portugal;

     Minor or incapacitated children of the couple or of either partner, including adopted children whose adoption is recognised under Portuguese law;

     Unmarried adult children who remain dependent and are enrolled in education in Portugal;

     First-degree ascendants of the sponsor or of the sponsor's spouse who are dependent on them;

     Minor siblings under a sponsor's guardianship duly recognised under Portuguese law.

Refugees benefit from a materially more flexible regime, reflecting Portugal's obligations under international protection law: family members may be reunited wherever they are located, the housing and income requirements do not apply, and where official documentation of the family relationship cannot reasonably be obtained, other credible evidence will be considered.

3. What has changed in 2025 reform

 For clients used to the predictability of immigration systems in London, Dublin or Singapore, the changes set forth by Law No. 61/2025, of 22 October, bring Portugal's regime a step closer to that model, whilst introducing new compliance points that advisers need to flag early. 

At a glance:

     Integration measures are now an express condition of renewal: family members must evidence engagement with Portuguese language training and civic education, and school-age children must be enrolled in compulsory education.

     AIMA has been given an explicit mandate to organise, and to publish, its scheduling methodology for interviews and case appraisal, with the stated aim of improving predictability for applicants.

     The nine-month statutory decision period, extendable by a further period in exceptional and duly justified cases, remains the benchmark against which timelines should be managed.

     Humanitarian dispensations from the integration requirements remain available, at the discretion of the government member responsible for migration, on grounds of proportionality.

The reunification remains a right, but it is increasingly conditional on demonstrable integration effort once the family is in Portugal, particularly at the renewal stage, being the beginning of a compliance journey, not simply a one-off application.

4. The financial threshold

 Save for refugees, sponsors must demonstrate stable and regular means of subsistence sufficient to support the whole household, without recourse to State social support, together with accommodation that meets normal standards of safety and hygiene for a comparable family in the same region. 

The income threshold is calculated by reference to the Portuguese minimum wage (the guaranteed minimum monthly remuneration), which stood at €920 for 2026, as follows:

This threshold should be calculated and documented carefully at the outset, since the same figures resurface, together with evidence of integration measures, at renewal.

5. The process

 In practical terms, the sponsor (not the family member) submits the reunification request to AIMA for relatives still abroad. The application must be accompanied by documentary evidence of the family relationship or the de facto union, evidence that the conditions of exercise (housing, and income) are met, and certified copies of the family members' travel documents.

A decision is due within nine months, save for the shorter or exceptionally extended periods applicable in specific categories, and any refusal must be reasoned and is open to judicial challenge, with suspensive effect where the family is already in Portugal and the refusal rests solely on the housing requirement.

Once granted, the duration of the family member's residence permit generally mirrors that of the sponsor, save for family members of permanent residents, who receive an initial two-year permit, renewable for successive three-year periods, with a right to an autonomous permit once family ties persist for two years or the family includes children resident in Portugal, or sooner, in defined circumstances such as divorce, bereavement or domestic violence.

However, there are some special situations worth knowing about:

     De facto partners, including same-sex partners, are treated on the same footing as spouses, provided the union is duly evidenced, a point of real practical value for many international families.

     Spouses who have been in a union with the sponsor for more than five years receive an autonomous permit from the outset, rather than one tied to the sponsor's status.

     Adult children remain eligible for reunification while they are enrolled in education in Portugal, which is a useful route for families sending children to Portuguese universities.

     AIMA retains the power to cancel a reunification permit where the marriage, union or adoption is found to have had the sole purpose of securing entry or residence. A reminder that the regime is not immune from anti-abuse scrutiny, and that genuine relationships should be properly documented from the outset.

6. Practical considerations for international families

 In our experience advising relocating families, three points consistently make the difference between a smooth process and a frustrating one:

     Sequence the applications correctly. Reunification depends on the sponsor already holding a qualifying residence status, coordinating the timing of the main applicant's permit and the family application avoids unnecessary delay.

     Document the relationship early. For unmarried couples in particular, assembling evidence of cohabitation, shared finances and any formal registration well in advance materially strengthens the file.

     Treat renewal as seriously as the initial grant. With integration measures now an express statutory condition, families should engage with Portuguese language and civic education requirements from the outset, rather than leaving this until renewal is imminent.

The Portuguese family reunification regime continues to provide meaningful safeguards for family unity and enables foreign nationals lawfully resident in Portugal to establish a stable family life in the country. The changes introduced in 2025 have nevertheless made the regime more demanding, both through the general introduction of a minimum residence period and through the increased emphasis placed on the integration of family members following their arrival.

Each case should be assessed on its own facts, taking into account the sponsor’s residence status, the category of family member concerned, the family member’s current location, the composition of the household, the financial resources available and the evidence capable of establishing the relevant family relationships.

Obtaining legal advice and planning the procedure before the family relocates can materially reduce the risk of delays, requests for further information or an adverse administrative decision.

Disclaimer: This article is intended for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Specific legal advice should be obtained in relation to individual circumstances.