New foreigners law in force since 11 September: what changes if you already live here legally
Law 62/2026 was published in the Diário da República on 10 September and took effect the next day. It adapts Portuguese law to the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, after the Constitutional Court found no unconstitutionality in the contested provisions on 28 August. Most of the tightening concerns people without a right to stay and asylum seekers: mandatory screening at the border, a border return procedure of up to 12 weeks and stricter rules on detention and removal. For people already living here legally, two changes stand out: changing employer or the type of work now only needs a notice to AIMA, without a new residence permit, and AIMA must decide residence permit applications within 90 days, extendable by 30.
Why it matters for your move
If you change jobs, a notice to AIMA is now enough — and your residence permit stays valid. The harder rules fall mainly on people who arrive without a visa.
This is Re-locant.com’s own brief, written to explain what the update means for people moving to or living in Portugal. For the full original report, see the source below.