Short answer (checked 30 September 2026)
Portugal's new family reunification rules introduce Portuguese language training, civic training and, for minors of compulsory school age, schooling duties after the residence permit is granted. Law 61/2025 applies these amendments to administrative and judicial proceedings initiated after 23 October 2025. The rules can affect permit renewal, but the government has not yet published the regulatory decree that will define how the integration system works in practice. There is currently no Article 101 course list, required number of hours, specified language level or official integration test.
Language training, civic training and compulsory schooling where applicable
Article 101 does not specify A1, A2 or another language level
Integration forms part of the applicable renewal conditions
Important implementation details have not yet been published
What the law requires
Portugal introduced new integration duties for family reunification through Law 61/2025, published on 22 October 2025 and in force from 23 October 2025. The changes amended Article 101 of Law 23/2007, Portugal's Foreigners Law.
Article 101(3) says that, after the family member receives the residence permit, they must attend Portuguese language training and training on Portuguese constitutional principles and values. Minor family members who are of compulsory school age must also comply with Portugal's compulsory schooling requirements.
There is an important transitional rule. Article 8 of Law 61/2025 says that the amendments made by Articles 2 and 3 apply to administrative procedures and judicial proceedings initiated after the law entered into force on 23 October 2025. This means the new Article 101 regime should not simply be described as automatically applying to every family permit regardless of when the underlying procedure began.
There is currently no specific official guidance clarifying how AIMA will treat a future renewal of a family permit that originated from a procedure started before 23 October 2025. Visas.pt therefore does not assume that question has already been settled.
These integration duties are separate from the rules determining whether somebody qualifies for family reunification in the first place. For waiting periods, eligible family members, income and accommodation requirements, see our Portugal Family Reunification Rules 2026. You can also read our Portugal D6 Family Reunification Visa guide for the visa process.
What is not defined yet
The detailed integration rules have not yet been published.
Article 101 provides for the practical details to be established by regulatory decree. As of 30 September 2026, no regulatory decree implementing the new Article 101 integration regime had been published. The existing regulation of the Foreigners Law, Regulatory Decree 84/2007, still records its most recent amendment as dating from 2024.
This means there is currently no official Article 101 list of approved courses, no prescribed number of training hours, no language level specified for family permit holders and no specific integration test established by the law.
In particular, Article 101 does not say that family reunification permit holders must reach A2 Portuguese. It also does not contain a general exemption from these duties for CPLP nationals or for somebody who already speaks Portuguese.
Visas.pt will update this page when the implementing regulation is published and the practical requirements become clearer.
How integration affects your permit renewal
The integration requirements matter because Article 101(4) links renewal to compliance with the criteria and measures in the preceding paragraphs.
For ordinary family reunification cases, this is broader than language and civic integration alone. The applicable conditions can include suitable accommodation, sufficient means of subsistence without reliance on social support, compliance with the integration measures, and knowledge of the Portuguese language and Portuguese constitutional principles and values.
Article 101(2) treats refugee family reunification differently by exempting those cases from the conditions in Article 101(1). The exact conditions relevant at renewal therefore depend on which parts of Article 101 apply to the particular case.
Article 101(4) also protects a family member where a failure to comply is due to a reason that is not attributable to them. However, because the implementing regulation remains pending, the detailed procedure and evidence for applying that safeguard have not yet been defined.
The duration and independence of a family member's permit are governed separately by Article 107. Where the sponsor has a temporary residence permit, the family member's permit generally has the same duration. Where the sponsor has permanent residence, the family member receives a two year permit, renewable for successive periods of three years.
After two years from the first family reunification residence permit, and while the family relationship continues, family members have a right to an autonomous residence permit. The two year waiting period does not apply where the sponsor has minor children residing in Portugal.
Article 107 also provides for earlier autonomy in specified circumstances, including judicial separation, divorce, widowhood, the death of an ascendant or descendant, an accusation by the Public Prosecutor for domestic violence, and reaching the age of majority. In addition, where a marriage or de facto union with the resident has already lasted for more than five years, the first residence permit issued to the spouse or partner is autonomous.
Children and school
Article 101(3) refers to compulsory schooling for minor family members. This should be read together with Portugal's education law rather than as a rule requiring every person under 18 to be enrolled in school regardless of age.
Compulsory schooling in Portugal generally applies from age 6 to age 18 and can cease earlier when secondary education has been successfully completed. Children who are below compulsory school age are therefore not required to attend school merely because Article 101 refers to minors.
The family reunification law does not currently create a separate integration test for children or specify a special school programme for family permit holders. The detailed way in which compliance will be demonstrated at renewal has not yet been established by the implementing regulation.
Exceptions and waivers
Article 101(5) allows family members to be exceptionally exempted from the integration requirements for humanitarian reasons by decision of the government member responsible for migration, taking the principle of proportionality into account.
This is an individual administrative decision. It should not be confused with a general exemption or with a Portaria.
The law does not provide a general CPLP exemption from the Portuguese language or civic integration duties. It also does not create a general exemption simply because somebody already speaks Portuguese.
The separate safeguard in Article 101(4), where non-compliance is due to a reason not attributable to the family member, may also be relevant in individual cases. The detailed administrative process remains undefined while the implementing regulation is pending.
Why the rules are vague
The history of the legislation helps explain why Article 101 now separates the statutory duties from the detailed implementing rules.
In Constitutional Court Ruling 785/2025, announced on 8 August 2025, the Court found the proposed version of Article 101(3) unconstitutional because it violated the constitutional reservation of legislative competence under Article 165(1)(b) of the Portuguese Constitution.
Two issues were particularly important. The proposal did not clearly determine whether the integration obligations had to be met before the family reunification application, before AIMA decided the case, or only after the permit was granted. It also used the word "designadamente", meaning in particular, which made the stated integration measures non-exhaustive and left room for the administration to add further requirements.
The Court did not rule that Portuguese language training or civic integration requirements were themselves unconstitutional. Parliament subsequently rewrote Article 101(3) so that the duties arise after the residence permit is granted and the main categories of obligation are identified in the law itself.
Law 62/2026 later made further amendments to the Foreigners Law, including changes elsewhere in the family reunification chapter, but it did not amend Article 101.
What to do now
Visas.pt's recommendation: if the new Article 101 regime applies to your case, take the integration duties seriously even while the implementing regulation is pending.
Keep records of Portuguese language or civic training you attend and, where a child is subject to compulsory schooling, records relating to school enrolment and attendance. These documents may be useful once the practical renewal process is defined.
Português Língua de Acolhimento, commonly known as PLA, courses are already available to migrants through public schools via DGEstE, the IEFP training centre network and Centros Qualifica. Current PLA programmes can certify A1 + A2 and B1 + B2 levels, subject to course availability.
PLA can therefore be a practical way to learn Portuguese while the new family permit regulation is pending. However, no published Article 101 implementing rule currently says that PLA, or any particular PLA course or level, automatically satisfies the family reunification integration requirement.
Visas.pt also offers a Portuguese language course. As with other existing courses, it should not currently be described as an officially approved Article 101 course because the government has not yet established such an approval system.
Integration for the family permit vs citizenship
The Article 101 family permit rules should not be confused with the separate integration requirements that apply to Portuguese citizenship, permanent residence and EU long-term resident status.
| Requirement | Family reunification permit | Portuguese citizenship |
|---|---|---|
| Portuguese language | Language training and knowledge are required where the new Article 101 regime applies, but Article 101 specifies no CEFR level | Sufficient knowledge of Portuguese is required. A2 or higher PLA certification is currently accepted by AIMA as proof of the language requirement, but other forms of proof are permitted |
| Other integration knowledge | Training and knowledge concerning Portuguese constitutional principles and values are required | Ordinary naturalisation also requires knowledge concerning Portuguese culture, history, national symbols, fundamental rights and duties, and the political organisation of the Portuguese State |
| Formal declaration | No equivalent citizenship declaration is specified in Article 101 | A solemn declaration of adherence to the fundamental principles of the democratic rule of law is required |
| When it matters | After grant of the family permit and when the applicable renewal conditions are assessed | When applying for naturalisation |
Under Organic Law 1/2026, ordinary naturalisation now generally requires seven years of legal residence for nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries and EU Member States, and 10 years for nationals of other countries. Procedures already pending on 19 May 2026 remain governed by the previous law.
The citizenship rules therefore go beyond proving Portuguese language ability alone. See our guide to residency vs citizenship in Portugal for the differences.
Common questions
Is A2 Portuguese required to renew a family reunification permit?
No. Article 101 does not specify A2 or any other CEFR level for a family reunification permit. For Portuguese citizenship, A2 or higher PLA certification is currently one accepted form of evidence for the language requirement, but citizenship also has additional knowledge requirements.
Do family members have to take Portuguese classes?
For cases to which the new Article 101 regime applies, yes. Article 101(3) requires Portuguese language training after the residence permit is granted, but the regulation defining qualifying courses, hours and proof of attendance has not yet been published.
Is there a civic integration test for Portugal family permits?
No specific Article 101 integration test has been established as of 30 September 2026. The law requires training and knowledge of Portuguese constitutional principles and values, but it does not currently prescribe a test, assessment method or number of training hours.
Can the integration requirements affect my residence permit renewal?
Yes. Article 101(4) links renewal to compliance with the applicable criteria and measures in the preceding paragraphs, which for ordinary cases can include accommodation, sufficient means, integration measures and the required knowledge. Refugee family reunification is exempt from the Article 101(1) conditions, and the law also protects a family member where non-compliance is due to a reason not attributable to them.
What if I cannot comply with the requirements for reasons outside my control?
Article 101(4) contains a safeguard where failure to comply is due to a reason that is not attributable to the family member. Article 101(5) also allows an exceptional humanitarian exemption by decision of the government member responsible for migration, taking the principle of proportionality into account.
Do children have integration requirements?
Minor family members who are of compulsory school age must comply with Portugal's compulsory schooling requirements. Compulsory schooling generally applies from age 6 to age 18 and can cease earlier when secondary education has been successfully completed.
Are CPLP citizens exempt from the family permit language requirement?
No general CPLP exemption appears in Article 101. Family members should not assume that nationality from a Portuguese-speaking country, or already speaking Portuguese, automatically removes the integration duties where the new regime applies.
Can I take a PLA Portuguese course while the regulation is pending?
Yes. PLA courses are available through public schools via DGEstE, the IEFP training centre network and Centros Qualifica, subject to current availability. However, no published Article 101 rule currently says that a particular PLA course or level automatically satisfies the family reunification integration requirement.
How Visas.pt can help
Visas.pt assists individuals and families with Portuguese immigration and residence matters, including family reunification and residence permit renewals. If you need advice about whether the new integration provisions apply to your case or how they could affect a future renewal, you can book an immigration consultation.
We will also update this guide when Portugal publishes the regulatory decree setting out the detailed language, civic training and renewal requirements.
Sources
- Law 23/2007, consolidated version, including Articles 101 and 107.
- Law 61/2025, published 22 October 2025 and in force from 23 October 2025, including Articles 8 and 9.
- Law 62/2026, including Article 9.
- Constitutional Court Ruling 785/2025 and the Constitutional Court announcement of 8 August 2025.
- Regulatory Decree 84/2007, regulation of the Foreigners Law.
- Law 85/2009 on compulsory schooling.
- Organic Law 1/2026 on Portuguese nationality.
- AIMA information on Portuguese language knowledge and Português Língua de Acolhimento courses.
- IEFP information on current Português Língua de Acolhimento courses.