Portugal news for people moving here
Immigration, AIMA, visas, residency, tax and housing — the updates that actually affect your move, explained in our own words.
Stay ahead of the changes that affect your move to Portugal. We track official and press sources for news on AIMA appointments and renewals, immigration and residency rules, visa updates (D7, D8, Golden Visa), citizenship, taxes (NHR/IFICI, IRS, IMT) and the housing market — then rewrite each story in plain language with a clear “why it matters” for expats and newcomers. No jargon, no copy-paste: our own honest brief on every update, with a link to the original source if you want to dig deeper.
Bank valuations hit €2,240 per m² — up 15.2% in a year
The median bank valuation for housing reached €2,240 per square metre in July, €12 more than in June, according to INE. Year on year the rise was 15.2%, slightly below the 16.6% recorded the previous month. The figure is based on about 34,100 valuations, 1.4% more than in June.
Why it matters: This is the number your lender works from, not the asking price. A valuation below the price you agreed means the bank lends against the lower figure and you cover the gap in cash — which is exactly how a 20% deposit quietly becomes 30%.
Read our brief →Finance ministry backs the tax office’s narrow reading of the capital-gains exemption
The Ministry of Finance has backed the tax authority (AT) in how it applies limits to the IRS exemption on property capital gains, saying its readings were within the administration’s legal powers. Two disputed cases were a derelict property and one partly used for professional activity.
Why it matters: If you plan to sell and reinvest to avoid capital-gains tax, the edge cases are being read narrowly — a ruin or a home partly used for work may not qualify the way you expect.
Read our brief →117,000 young buyers have now used the IMT Jovem exemption
Portugal’s youth minister said 117,000 people have benefited from the IMT and stamp duty exemption on a first home since the measure began. Around 40,000 of them bought since February alone — a 50% rise over six months. The relief applies to first-time buyers under 35 purchasing their own permanent …
Why it matters: If you are under 35 and buying your first home here, this is the largest single saving available to you — and it stays conditional for six years after the purchase.
Read our brief →IRS: if your return left tax to pay, today is the deadline
Taxpayers who owe money after the settlement of their 2025 income — declared this year — must pay the Portuguese tax authority by today. The amount and the payment reference are on the settlement note (nota de liquidação) in Portal das Finanças.
Why it matters: This catches new residents most often: the first Portuguese return frequently produces a balance to pay, because foreign income was not withheld at source during the year. Paying late adds interest and can block the tax-compliance certificate you need for residency renewals and some contracts.
Read our brief →The tax office is warning about fake phone calls — it does not call you about your return
Portugal’s tax authority (AT) has warned of fraudulent calls in which someone claims to be the tax office and asks you to press a key to "correct a discrepancy" in your income declaration. AT states plainly that it does not make phone calls for this purpose, and that the same operation also runs thr…
Why it matters: Newcomers are the easiest target here: you do not yet know what the tax office does and does not do. The rule is simple — AT contacts you through the Portal das Finanças, not by pressing 1 on the phone.
Read our brief →Hundreds of kilometres for a two-minute AIMA appointment
Portuguese media report that immigrants are travelling hundreds of kilometres and spending significant sums to attend AIMA appointments, with some consultations lasting only a few minutes. Slots are assigned where they are available rather than where the applicant lives.
Why it matters: Plan an AIMA slot as a full day and a real travel cost, not an hour — and take a complete file, because a missing document means making the whole trip again.
Read our brief →One year of the “mini-SEF”: border unit still hitting problems at airports
The PSP’s National Immigration and Borders Unit (UNEF), which took over border control after SEF was dissolved, completed its first year of operation on 21 August. Portuguese media report that over that year the unit has run into repeated constraints at airports, most visibly in Lisbon.
Why it matters: Allow extra time at the border on arrival — particularly on a first entry with a residence visa, where the entry date is what starts the clock on your AIMA steps.
Read our brief →Mortgage rates edge up again: average rate reaches 3.135% in July
The implicit interest rate across all outstanding mortgage contracts in Portugal rose to 3.135% in July, up 3.4 basis points on June, according to INE. The average monthly instalment settled at €414 — €3 more than in June and €20 more than in July 2025 — and interest now accounts for 49.5% of it. Fo…
Why it matters: If you are budgeting a purchase, the number to watch is the instalment on new contracts (€731), not the average across all loans (€414) — new borrowers are paying far more.
Read our brief →IMT Jovem exemption survives a new baby — under two conditions
In a binding ruling issued in July 2026, the tax authority (AT) confirmed that a couple who bought a first permanent home under the under-35 IMT Jovem exemption does not automatically lose it if the household changes — for instance when a child is born — within the first six years. Two conditions ha…
Why it matters: This matters if your family grows soon after buying: the exemption is not lost by definition, but the paperwork on the first property has to be exactly right.
Read our brief →Been with the same mortgage bank for years? You are probably overpaying
Portuguese consumer press is pushing a simple check this month: a mortgage left untouched for years often sits above current market rates. One couple cited in the coverage cut €317.74 off their monthly payment — €3,812.88 a year — after moving to a mixed rate. Transferring a mortgage to another bank…
Why it matters: Worth a check if your loan has run for years without review, your payment feels high, or current rates are below what you signed. The reports do not quantify the switching costs, so ask both banks for the full figure before you decide — the saving above is one household's case, not a promise.
Read our brief →The August IMI instalment is due by 31 August — but only for some owners
The second instalment of the municipal property tax falls due on 31 August 2026. Which instalments you get depends on the annual amount: up to €100 it is a single payment in May; between €100 and €500 it splits in two (May and November); above €500 it splits in three (May, August and November). So t…
Why it matters: Check the amount on your own notice rather than assuming: if your annual bill is under €500 there is no August instalment for you, and if it is above, missing 31 August adds interest and collection consequences.
Read our brief →Companies letting homes now pay tax on only half the rent
A new incentive lets companies and sole traders with organised accounting leave half of their residential rental income out of the tax base. It applies to income earned between 1 January 2026 and 31 December 2029, and only where the rent stays inside the moderate-rent ceiling — €2,300 a month in 202…
Why it matters: If you hold Portuguese rental property through a company, this halves the taxable base for four years. Two conditions decide whether you qualify: the letting must be residential, and the rent must stay under the ceiling.
Read our brief →Paper EU residence cards: the leading zero that blocks the renewal portal
AIMA has published a specific instruction for EU nationals and their non-EU family members who still hold residence cards issued on paper. When entering the card number in the renewal portal, the leading zero must be dropped — a card printed as 011641 has to be typed as 11641. The rule applies only …
Why it matters: A small formatting quirk that reads as a system failure: people conclude their card is invalid or the portal is broken, and stop. If you hold a paper card, try it without the leading zero before assuming anything is wrong.
Read our brief →Approved by AIMA, still without a card — a family reunification case makes the gap visible
Público reports the case of a Brazilian family who waited years for family reunification. Their five-year-old daughter, who has cerebral palsy, was finally seen by AIMA in early 2026 — and the residence card never arrived. The father says the child remains in Portugal without documentation.
Why it matters: Approval is not the end of the process. The law sets 90 days for the decision, but nothing at all for producing and posting the card — so a person can be legally recognised and still blocked in practice. This is exactly the gap we wrote about in our guide to waiting for the card after approval.
Read our brief →Legal residents can get the European Health Insurance Card too
The European Commission confirms that immigrants legally resident in Portugal are also entitled to the European Health Insurance Card, which covers necessary state healthcare on trips to other EU countries. A lawyer quoted in the report points to the mistakes that most often block the application.
Why it matters: A card many residents assume is only for EU nationals. If you travel within Europe and hold a Portuguese residence permit, this is worth requesting before the trip, not during a hospital visit.
Read our brief →President sends the asylum and returns decree to the Constitutional Court
On 7 August the President asked the Constitutional Court for preventive review of parliament's decree on granting asylum, detention and the return of foreigners — Decree 105/XVII, approved with votes from PSD, IL and CDS-PP. Eleven provisions were referred. The President pointed to doubts over wheth…
Why it matters: Immigration rules are being rewritten from several directions this year, and none of it is settled. Before acting on anything you read about the new rules — including ours — check its date and confirm the current text in the Diário da República.
Read our brief →A court gave AIMA seven days — after a two-year wait ended in deportation
Kauê Matos, 19, waited two years for AIMA to schedule the handover of his residence document under family reunification. Returning from an Erasmus term, he was held four days at Lisbon airport and deported to Brazil. A Lisbon court then accepted an action compelling AIMA to schedule the appointment …
Why it matters: This is what the silence costs when nobody forces the file to move. It also shows the remedy works: a court can order AIMA to act, and did. If your own case has passed the legal deadline, that route exists before things reach an airport.
Read our brief →Foreign capital drives €1.42 billion into Portuguese real estate in the first half
A JLL report says investment in Portuguese real estate reached €1,420 million in the first half of 2026, keeping the market on a growth path. Foreign capital accounted for the majority of transactions, with hotels and retail standing out as the main drivers.
Why it matters: Useful background if you are weighing whether prices are likely to cool on their own: commercial money is still coming in, and most of it from abroad.
Read our brief →The second IMI instalment falls due this month
Owners whose annual property tax exceeds €500 pay it in three instalments — May, August and November. The August instalment is due by the end of the month. Bills between €100 and €500 are split in two, May and November, so those owners have nothing to pay now.
Why it matters: The collection note is issued, but a lost letter is still your problem: check Portal das Finanças rather than the postbox, and set up direct debit if you have not. Missing the date adds interest to a bill you already owed.
Read our brief →Arbitration court rules again that a rental deposit is not taxable income
For the second time, the administrative arbitration centre CAAD has ruled against the tax authority on whether a rental deposit counts as income. The decision holds that a caução is not actual income, because it is not received as payment for anything — it secures obligations and is meant to be retu…
Why it matters: If a deposit was taxed as rental income on your return, this line of decisions is worth showing your accountant. It also matters to tenants: money held as security stays yours, and that is now being confirmed from the tax side too.
Read our brief →What we cover
AIMA news and appointment changes · Portugal immigration and residency updates · visa and Golden Visa news · citizenship law changes · tax news (NHR, IFICI, IRS, IMT) · rent and house-price trends across Porto, Lisbon and beyond. Looking for background instead of breaking news? Our Knowledge Base and visa guides explain each topic in depth.
Each brief is Re-locant.com’s own summary, written in our words to explain what an update means for relocation; the original source is linked on each item. We do not reproduce or endorse source content, and briefs are informational, not legal advice.
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