🇵🇹 Law 9/2025 Published: Standardized CPLP Authorizations and Preparation for the EU EES

Portugal has today enacted Law no. 9/2025, of February 13, which amends the Foreigners Law. This legislation brings two crucial changes: the standardization of residence permits for CPLP citizens and the legal framework for the EU Entry/Exit System (EES).

• Adjustments for CPLP Citizens:
  • End of the Special 1-Year Card: New residence authorizations issued to CPLP citizens will now be the same standard EU biometric plastic card, aligning their status with other third-country nationals and ensuring broader Schengen recognition.
  • Standard Terms: The cards will follow standard validity periods: initially 2 years, renewable for 3-year periods.
  • Mandatory Biometrics: Biometric data collection becomes mandatory for all CPLP residence applicants.
• EU Preparation: The law explicitly implements the EU Regulation establishing the Entry/Exit System (EES). Although the EES system itself does not come into effect today (expected later in 2025), the law creates the legal basis for border authorities to begin electronically registering the entry and exit of every traveler.

CPLP residents with old documents should expect to be notified by AIMA to provide biometric data and swap their document for the new standard card, which will grant them full Schengen mobility.