Background information

Law 59/2017, amending Law 23/2007 which establishes the legal regime for the entry, stay, exit and removal of foreigners from national territory, allowed, through an expression of interest, the regularisation of the stay on national territory, through the exercise of a subordinate or independent professional activity, without a valid visa for this purpose.

This possibility was revoked by Decree-Law 37-A/2024, of 3 June, that entered into force on 4 June 2024.

Content of measure

Decree-Law 37-A/2024 amends Law 59/2017, of 31 July, which amended Law 23/2007, of 4 July, revoking residence permit procedures based on expressions of interest, safeguarding, however, the situation of foreign citizens who have already started residence authorisation procedures under those instruments.

According to the government in office at the time, recent legislative changes had contributed to setting up a system for obtaining residence permits, with the registration of an expression of interest and the promise of a work contract being sufficient for this purpose. Furthermore, presumptions of legal entry based on dependent or self-employed work on national territory had come into force, on the condition that the applicant had social security contributions for at least twelve months.

In the government's view, these changes clearly allowed any foreign national to remain in Portugal, even if they had entered the country illegally.

The impact of these changes will have been felt immediately, since there has been an exponential growth in requests for legalisation by this means, which is an instrument used by criminal networks linked to human trafficking and aiding illegal immigration.

The government has therefore decided that it was urgent to reverse this situation, combat illegal immigration routes and improve legal immigration channels, so that foreign citizens are protected during the regularisation and documentation process in Portugal and the country once again becomes an example of good practice in welcoming and integrating foreign citizens.

Use of measure

According to the interim report released by AIMA, on 8 April 2025:

With regard to the impact of the end of the expression of interest on 3 June 2024 under Decree-Law 37-A/2024, it was found that the flow of foreign citizens entering the country seeking a residence permit went from 156,951 in the 1st half of 2024 to 64,848 in the 2nd half of 2024, reflecting a 59% decrease.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Does not apply to workers	Does not apply to businesses	Migrants or refugees

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government	No special funding required

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	No involvement	No involvement
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• No involvement
• Main level of involvement: N/A

Involvement

Social partners were not involved.

Views and reactions

Social partners did not express their views on this measure.

Sources

• 03 June 2024: Decreto-Lei n.º 37-A/202 (files.diariodarepublica.pt)
• 08 April 2025: Relatório intercalar - Recuperação de processos pendentes. População Estrangeira em Portugal na AIMA População Estrangeira em Portugal Recuperação de processos pendentes na AIMA População Estrangeira em Portugal (aima.gov.pt)