Family Reunification in Portugal – Who Can Apply and Requirements

Family reunification is the right recognised to a foreign national holding a residence permit in Portugal to apply for certain family members to be able to reside with them in national territory. The regime is set out in Articles 98 to 108 of Law No. 23/2007, of 4 July (the Foreigners’ Law), and underwent significant changes through Law No. 61/2025, of 22 October, in force since 23 October 2025. This article falls within the Immigration and Nationality practice area at Araújo & Associados.

Who can be reunited

Under the Foreigners’ Law, the following generally have the right to family reunification with the resident:

• The spouse or duly proven civil partner;
• Minor or dependent children, including adopted children;
• Unmarried adult children, dependent on the couple or one of the spouses, who are studying at an educational establishment in Portugal;
• First-degree direct ascendants of the resident or their spouse, provided they are dependent on them;
• Minor siblings under the resident’s guardianship, under a decision of the competent authority of the country of origin recognised by Portugal.

Changes introduced by Law No. 61/2025

The 2025 reform introduced significant changes to the family reunification regime, notably:

• Prior residence period – as a general rule, the resident must have held a residence permit for at least two years before being able to apply for family reunification, without prejudice to the exceptions provided for by law for certain situations. This rule does not apply to minor children or a spouse who is a parent of minor children. The restrictions introduced do not apply to Golden Visa applicants.
• Extended AIMA decision period – the period for AIMA to assess the application was extended from three to nine months, extendable in exceptional circumstances linked to the complexity of the assessment;
• Strengthened accommodation requirements – accommodation must be demonstrably owned or rented, suitable for a comparable family in the same region of national territory, and meet general safety and health standards;
• Requirements regarding marriage or civil partnership – for reunification of a spouse or equivalent, the relationship must be valid and recognised under the applicable national law, with a minimum age of eighteen required for both members of the couple at the date of the application;
• New grounds for refusal – reasons of public order, security or health now expressly form part of the legal grounds for refusing an application;
• Post-grant integration measures – reunited family members are subject to integration measures after the residence permit is granted, including Portuguese language training, training on Portuguese constitutional principles and values, and attendance of compulsory education in the case of minors, with compliance with these measures also being relevant for renewal of the permit.

Required documentation

The family reunification application generally includes documents proving the family relationship (birth certificates, marriage certificate or proof of civil partnership), a criminal record certificate for the family member to be reunited, proof of the applicant’s means of subsistence and suitable accommodation, and certified copies of the identification and travel documents of the family members to be reunited.

Process – family member outside or already in Portugal

Where the family member to be reunited is outside Portugal, the application is submitted by the resident to AIMA; once a favourable decision is obtained, it is communicated to the competent consular service, which, after the family member submits the application, issues the residence visa within 10 days (Article 65), with the timeframes and procedure for obtaining the visa communicated to the applicant. Where the family member is already in national territory, reunification without the need to return to the country of origin is only possible in specific situations provided for by law, and this possibility should be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Family reunification and other residence routes

Family reunification may be applied for by holders of a residence permit obtained through any of the routes described in this practice area, namely the D7 visa, described in the article D7 Visa for Retirees, the Golden Visa, described in the article Golden Visa in Portugal, and the D8 visa, described in the article D8 Visa for Digital Nomads. The length of time a residence permit obtained through family reunification is held is also relevant for the purposes of any future application for Portuguese nationality.

About Araújo & Associados

In operation since 1980, with offices in Porto and Lisbon, Araújo & Associados handles family reunification proceedings for clients from more than 31 countries, providing legal advice in Portuguese, English, French, German and Spanish.

Frequently asked questions about family reunification