Portugal Spouse of a resident

For the spouse or de facto partner of a foreign resident of Portugal. It gives a residence authorization of the same length as the resident sponsor permit. ^{1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9}

What you must show and pay

• Income of at least EUR 920 a month (≈ $1,030) · First adult in the household needs 100% of the 2026 guaranteed monthly minimum wage (RMMG) of EUR920 (≈ $1,030). ^{6 7}
• Income of at least EUR 460 a month (≈ $510) · Each further adult needs 50% of the RMMG, so the spouse adds EUR460 (≈ $510) per month. ^{6 7}
• A fee of EUR 133 (≈ $150) · Application review fee for the residence permit; EUR 99.80 (≈ $110) when the application is filed digitally. ⁸
• A fee of EUR 114.3 (≈ $130) · Fee for granting or renewing the temporary residence permit; EUR 85.80 (≈ $96) when applied for digitally. ⁸
• A fee of EUR 110 (≈ $120) · National visa processing fee. Only the spouse and parents pay; children of residence-permit holders are exempt. ⁹

Requirements

• The sponsor holds a residence authorization that has been valid for at least two years (Art. 98(1)). ³
• The two-year wait does not apply to a spouse who is the parent of a minor child of the sponsor. ³
• The two-year wait does not apply to the spouse of a holder of an Art. 90, 90-A or 121-A permit. ³
• The wait is 15 months for a spouse who lived with the sponsor for 18 months before the sponsor entered Portugal. ³
• The two-year wait can be waived or shortened in exceptional, duly reasoned cases by ministerial order (Art. 98(4)). ⁴
• Marriage or de facto union must be valid and recognised under Portuguese law. ³
• Both spouses are at least 18 years old on the date of the request. ³
• A de facto partner qualifies with proof of a union of more than 2 years. ¹
• The sponsor household has accommodation considered normal for a comparable family in the region. ³
• A spouse or de facto partner must be at least 18 on the application date. ⁴
• The sponsor shows means of subsistence of 100% of the minimum wage, 50% for each further adult and 30% per child. ²
• Residence authorization of the sponsor, valid passport and proof of legal entry into Portugal. ¹
• Authenticated marriage certificate, or proof of a union of more than 2 years. ¹
• Declaration of the home address with proof of ownership or tenancy. ¹
• Criminal record from the country of nationality or the country of residence before Portugal. ¹
• The sponsor first asks AIMA to approve the reunification, then the spouse applies for a residence visa at the consulate. ^{5 10}
• The visa application is filed within 90 days of AIMA's approval; after that the approval lapses. ¹⁰
• For the visa: AIMA's approval notice and identification of the family members; a travel authorisation for minors. ¹⁰
• Spouses already in Portugal apply at an AIMA store by appointment, with biometrics taken in person. ¹
• The spouse completes Portuguese language and constitutional values training after the permit is granted. ³
• Renewal depends on meeting the subsistence and integration measures. ³

Stay

• The family permit lasts as long as the sponsor's permit; where the sponsor is a permanent resident it is valid 2 years and renewable in 3-year periods. After two years, if the family ties continue, an autonomous permit of the same length as the sponsor's can be granted; in exceptional cases such as divorce, widowhood or domestic-violence charges an autonomous permit valid 2 years can be granted earlier (Art. 107).

Nationality

Family of a legally resident third-country national. Not open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia.

Family

Minor or dependent children, dependent adult children who study in Portugal, dependent parents and minor siblings under guardianship can be reunited under Articles 99-100.

Checked 2026-10-12

Official sources

1. AIMA family reunification, Article 98(2) in Portugal · AIMA · checked 2026-10-10
2. AIMA means of subsistence and family-reunification percentages · AIMA · checked 2026-10-10
3. Lei n.º 61/2025 of 22 October (amends Law 23/2007, Arts. 98-105) · Diário da República · checked 2026-10-10
4. Lei n.º 23/2007 (Foreigners Law, REPSAE), consolidated text current to Lei n.º 62/2026 of 10 September 2026 · Procuradoria-Geral Distrital de Lisboa (consolidated legislation) · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2026-09-10
5. Family reunification: national visas · Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Portugal · checked 2026-10-12
6. Means of subsistence for long-stay visas (2026 RMMG EUR920) · Ministry of Foreign Affairs (vistos.mne.gov.pt) · checked 2026-10-12
7. 2026 guaranteed minimum monthly wage (RMMG) EUR920, Decreto-Lei 139/2025 · DGERT · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2026-05-26
8. AIMA table of fees for residence and stay procedures (Portaria 307/2023 as consolidated, in force from 1 March 2026) · Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) · checked 2026-10-11 · published 2026-03-01
9. National visa fees · Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Portuguese visa portal · checked 2026-10-12
10. Residence visa documentation by purpose · Ministry of Foreign Affairs (vistos.mne.gov.pt) · checked 2026-10-12
11. Lei Orgânica n.º 1/2026 of 18 May (amends the Nationality Law, Law 37/81) · Diário da República / Assembleia da República · checked 2026-10-11