What do you need for a permanent residence permit in Portugal?

Checked on 2026-10-25

Portugal's immigration law grants a permanent residence permit to foreigners who have held a temporary residence permit for at least five years, have not been sentenced in those five years to more than one year in prison, have means of subsistence and housing, and prove basic Portuguese. The permit has no expiry, but the card is renewed every five years.

Key facts

What	The law says	Source
Time on a temporary permit	At least 5 years holding a temporary residence permit	Lei 23/2007, art. 80.1(a)
Criminal record	In the last 5 years of residence, no sentence or sentences totalling more than 1 year of prison	Lei 23/2007, art. 80.1(b)
Money	Means of subsistence, as defined by the ministerial order under art. 52.1(d)	Lei 23/2007, art. 80.1(c)
Housing	You must have accommodation	Lei 23/2007, art. 80.1(d)
Language	Proof of basic Portuguese	Lei 23/2007, art. 80.1(e)
Validity	No expiry; the card is renewed every 5 years, or when your identification details change	Lei 23/2007, art. 76.1–2
Decision deadline	90 days, extendable by 30 days in exceptional, justified cases	Lei 23/2007, art. 82.5
Time abroad	Can be cancelled after 24 consecutive months, or 30 months in total within 3 years, away without good reason	Lei 23/2007, art. 85.2(b)

The five conditions

Portugal has two types of residence permit: temporary and permanent (art. 74). The law says you are entitled to (“beneficiam de”) a permanent residence permit if you meet all of these:

You have held a temporary residence permit for at least five years.
In your last five years of residence in Portugal, you have not been sentenced to a penalty or penalties that, alone or together, exceed one year of prison. For intentional crimes under the immigration law or connected with it, terrorism, and violent, especially violent or highly organised crime, this applies even if the sentence was suspended.
You have means of subsistence, as defined in the ministerial order the law refers to.
You have housing.
You prove basic knowledge of Portuguese.

Residence before Lei 23/2007 entered into force also counts towards the five years (art. 80.2).

Applying and the decision

Residence permit applications go to AIMA (the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum). The applicant, a legal representative or the employer can file, and the application can include minors in the applicant’s care (art. 81.1–2). The law sets a 90-day decision deadline, which AIMA can extend by 30 days in exceptional, justified circumstances, informing the applicant (art. 82.5). A refusal must be notified with the reasons and information on the right to challenge it in court (art. 82.8).

How long it lasts

The law says the permanent residence permit “has no validity limit”. The residence card itself must be renewed every five years, or whenever the identification details on it change (art. 76).

EU long-term resident status is a separate status in the same law (arts. 125–133), with its own conditions.
Absences: a permanent permit can be cancelled after 24 consecutive months, or 30 non-consecutive months within three years, abroad without acceptable reasons, unless you prove professional, business, cultural or social activity while away (art. 85.2 and 85.4).

Sources

Lei n.º 23/2007, de 4 de julho (immigration law), arts. 74, 76, 80, 81, 82 and 85 (consolidated text as amended up to Lei n.º 62/2026, PGDL Lisboa) checked 2026-10-25

Change history

2026-10-25: Page created

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