30 de October, 2025
The legislative procedure in Portugal follows a well-defined path, from the initial idea to the promulgation and publication in the Diário da República (Official Gazette). Understanding this process is essential to follow important legal changes — such as the recent amendment to the Foreigners Law, which was sent by the President of the Republic to the Constitutional Court for review before taking effect with modifications.
Below, we explain the stages that make up the Portuguese legislative process and how a proposal becomes law.
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A law starts with an idea, which can be proposed by the government, by deputies, or by citizens, provided they gather 20,000 signatures. In the latter case, the assembly must decide whether to admit it.
When the idea is accepted, a bill (or bill proposal) is drafted and forwarded to the President of the Parliament, who sends it to the Parliamentary Commission.
The process of law consideration in Parliament has two stages:
When a bill is presented, it is voted on in its first phase, called general discussion, and can be voted on together with other bills with the same theme. If the bill is rejected, it is terminated. It can also happen that, at the request of the proposing party, the texts are sent back to committee to seek a new wording.
If it is approved in generality, it is then forwarded to a second phase, the discussion in speciality . In this phase, MPs can propose amendments to the project, and the commission can construct a new substitute text that is approved by the majority. At this stage, committees can also hear contributions from citizens to improve the bill. While this phase is important, it often gets no attention because it does not take place in the plenary. It is common for the process to drag on in this phase and may not even be completed.
After the consideration in the specialty, the bill with the changes approved in the Committee returns to the plenary to be ratified and voted on in its final phase. Only the bills that pass this stage have a chance of becoming law. The approved bills are sent to the President of the Republic for enactment.
It is the bill’s turn to be evaluated by the President, who either enacts or vetoes it. In the latter case, the document returns to Parliament for review. If he has doubts about its constitutionality, he can consult the Constitutional Court to verify the bill’s constitutionality. If it is found to be unconstitutional, the President is obliged to veto it and the document is returned to the origin, the government or the assembly.
If it is promulgated by the President, the text is sent for publication in the Diário da República, and then assumes the status of a law.
Even after a bill is approved, Parliament often establishes a transition period before it takes effect.
This means there is usually a legal grace period between the publication of the law and its entry into force, preventing abrupt changes and allowing citizens and institutions time to adapt.
Another essential point is that laws in Portugal are not retroactive, except in very rare cases expressly provided by law.
This means that a new rule cannot alter legal situations established under a previous law.
A recent example was the proposed amendment to the Nationality Law, regarding the minimum legal residence time required to obtain Portuguese citizenship.
The original draft sought to apply the new rule to processes already underway — which would have violated the principle of non-retroactivity.
For this reason, lawmakers revised the article before final approval, adjusting it to comply with the Constitution and ensure legal certainty for those who had already begun their process.
In Portugal, anyone can follow the progress of legislative initiatives online and check which stage of the process a proposal is in. This consultation can be done directly on the official website of the Portuguese Parliament:
The Portuguese legislative process is structured but can be lengthy — especially when revisions or constitutional reviews are needed.
The recent case of the Foreigners Law illustrates this journey well: a proposal presented by the Government, debated in plenary, amended, and later reviewed by the Constitutional Court before becoming law.
It is precisely through these stages that Portugal safeguards citizens’ rights and institutional stability, ensuring that laws cannot be changed overnight without due legal and public debate.
If you wish to stay informed about new rules and legal changes that may affect your status in Portugal, subscribe to our newsletter or contact our team of experts in citizenship and residence for personalized and reliable guidance.
Author:
Atlantic Bridge
