An amendment to Portugal’s Foreigners Law (Law 61/2025) entered full force on 16 June and eliminates the possibility for non-EU nationals—including Brazilians—to arrive as tourists and later regularise their stay by enrolling in vocational courses.
![Portugal closes ‘tourist-to-student’ loophole, putting thousands of Brazilians at risk of removal]()
If you need help navigating the new requirement to obtain a residence visa before departure, VisaHQ can streamline the process by guiding Brazilian nationals through the paperwork, appointment scheduling, and document checks with Portuguese consulates. Their Brazil portal (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) offers up-to-date forms, step-by-step instructions, and customer support that can reduce wait times and minimise costly mistakes.
The change means Brazilian students must now obtain a residence visa from a Portuguese consulate before departure; failure to do so can trigger removal proceedings. The measure has immediate impact on the 33 000 Brazilians enrolled in private polytechnic and language institutes, many of whom entered visa-free under CPLP provisions. Education agents warn that hundreds may face expulsion orders if they overstay or lack proper documentation when contacted by AIMA (Portugal’s migration agency). For employers running graduate schemes or secondments in Portugal, the new rules tighten timelines: appointments with VFS Global in São Paulo, Rio or Brasília must be secured months in advance, and proof of means of subsistence is now pegged to 12 minimum salaries instead of eight. Family reunification rules were also stiffened, requiring holders to show at least two years of residence before sponsoring relatives (with limited exceptions). Mobility professionals should audit all active assignments, ensure that trainees possess the correct D-type visas and update posted-worker notifications. Failure to comply can lead to fines up to €10,000 and bar re-entry to the Schengen area for five years.
If you need help navigating the new requirement to obtain a residence visa before departure, VisaHQ can streamline the process by guiding Brazilian nationals through the paperwork, appointment scheduling, and document checks with Portuguese consulates. Their Brazil portal (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) offers up-to-date forms, step-by-step instructions, and customer support that can reduce wait times and minimise costly mistakes.
The change means Brazilian students must now obtain a residence visa from a Portuguese consulate before departure; failure to do so can trigger removal proceedings. The measure has immediate impact on the 33 000 Brazilians enrolled in private polytechnic and language institutes, many of whom entered visa-free under CPLP provisions. Education agents warn that hundreds may face expulsion orders if they overstay or lack proper documentation when contacted by AIMA (Portugal’s migration agency). For employers running graduate schemes or secondments in Portugal, the new rules tighten timelines: appointments with VFS Global in São Paulo, Rio or Brasília must be secured months in advance, and proof of means of subsistence is now pegged to 12 minimum salaries instead of eight. Family reunification rules were also stiffened, requiring holders to show at least two years of residence before sponsoring relatives (with limited exceptions). Mobility professionals should audit all active assignments, ensure that trainees possess the correct D-type visas and update posted-worker notifications. Failure to comply can lead to fines up to €10,000 and bar re-entry to the Schengen area for five years.
