Portugal’s Diário da República published Despacho n.º 15169/2025 on 22 December, conferring the Estatuto de Igualdade de Direitos e Deveres (Equality of Rights and Duties) on 30 additional Brazilian nationals. Issued by the Secretary of State for Integration, Migration and Asylum, the order relies on Articles 12 and 15 of the 2000 Brazil-Portugal Friendship Treaty and affords recipients the same civil and social-security rights as Portuguese citizens—with the exception of political offices that require nationality.
The status eliminates the need for a separate residence permit and significantly streamlines access to Portugal’s job market, public health system and social benefits. Holders may also apply for a Portuguese identity card and, after three years of residence, request naturalisation without renouncing Brazilian citizenship.
![Portugal grants equality-of-rights status to new list of Brazilian residents]()
Companies and private applicants looking to capitalise on these treaty advantages can simplify the process by using VisaHQ’s online platform, which guides Brazilian nationals through Portuguese visa and document requirements and offers step-by-step support for related services: https://www.visahq.com/brazil/.
For Brazilian multinationals rotating staff into Portugal, the despacho eases compliance burdens: transferees covered by the treaty can bypass standard foreign-worker quotas and obtain local work contracts immediately. Employers should, however, monitor local-hire payroll obligations, as equality status subjects assignees to Portuguese social-contribution rates.
The latest cohort illustrates Portugal’s continuing appeal to Brazilian professionals—over 97,000 have secured equality status since 2020. Immigration advisers expect demand to rise further once Portugal’s new Aliens Act, approved in September, tightens initial visa channels but preserves treaty-based privileges for Brazilians.
The status eliminates the need for a separate residence permit and significantly streamlines access to Portugal’s job market, public health system and social benefits. Holders may also apply for a Portuguese identity card and, after three years of residence, request naturalisation without renouncing Brazilian citizenship.
Companies and private applicants looking to capitalise on these treaty advantages can simplify the process by using VisaHQ’s online platform, which guides Brazilian nationals through Portuguese visa and document requirements and offers step-by-step support for related services: https://www.visahq.com/brazil/.
For Brazilian multinationals rotating staff into Portugal, the despacho eases compliance burdens: transferees covered by the treaty can bypass standard foreign-worker quotas and obtain local work contracts immediately. Employers should, however, monitor local-hire payroll obligations, as equality status subjects assignees to Portuguese social-contribution rates.
The latest cohort illustrates Portugal’s continuing appeal to Brazilian professionals—over 97,000 have secured equality status since 2020. Immigration advisers expect demand to rise further once Portugal’s new Aliens Act, approved in September, tightens initial visa channels but preserves treaty-based privileges for Brazilians.
