Chapter VII · Long-term resident status

Article 133 Equal treatment

Artigo 133.º · Igualdade de tratamento

Lei n.º 23/2007, de 4 de julho (Lei de Estrangeiros) · consolidated text, as amended by Law No. 62/2026, checked 26 October 2026

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Holders of long-term resident status enjoy equal treatment with nationals under the Constitution and the law, in particular as regards:

Os beneficiários do estatuto de longa duração beneficiam de igualdade de tratamento perante os nacionais nos termos da Constituição e da lei, designadamente em matéria de:

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a) Access to self-employed or employed professional activity, provided that such activity does not entail, even occasionally, involvement in the exercise of public authority, without prejudice to the application of a special regime to nationals of countries whose official language is Portuguese;

a) Acesso a uma actividade profissional independente ou subordinada, desde que tal actividade não implique, nem mesmo a título ocasional, envolvimento no exercício da autoridade pública, sem prejuízo da aplicação de regime especial aos nacionais de países de língua oficial portuguesa;

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b) Access to employment and working conditions, including conditions regarding dismissal and pay;

b) Acesso às condições de emprego e de trabalho, incluindo as condições de despedimento e de remuneração;

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c) Education and vocational training, including study grants and scholarships in accordance with the applicable legislation;

c) Ensino e formação profissional, incluindo subsídios e bolsas de estudo em conformidade com a legislação aplicável;

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d) Recognition of professional diplomas, certificates and other qualifications, in accordance with the relevant national law and procedures;

d) Reconhecimento de diplomas profissionais, certificados e outros títulos, em conformidade com a lei e os procedimentos nacionais pertinentes;

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e) Social security, social assistance and social protection;

e) Segurança social, assistência social e protecção social;

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f) Tax benefits;

f) Benefícios fiscais;

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g) Healthcare;

g) Cuidados de saúde;

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h) Access to goods and services and the supply of goods and services made available to the public, and to procedures for obtaining housing;

h) Acesso a bens e serviços e ao fornecimento de bens e serviços à disposição do público, bem como aos procedimentos de obtenção de alojamento;

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i) Freedom of association, affiliation and membership of an organisation representing workers or employers or of any organisation whose members are engaged in a specific occupation, including the benefits conferred by such organisations, without prejudice to national provisions on public policy and public security;

i) Liberdade de associação, filiação e adesão a uma organização representativa de trabalhadores ou empregadores ou a qualquer organização cujos membros se dediquem a determinada ocupação, incluindo as vantagens proporcionadas por esse tipo de organizações, sem prejuízo das disposições nacionais em matéria de ordem pública e segurança pública;

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j) Free access to the entire national territory.

j) Livre acesso a todo o território nacional.

What we checked in this article

Check that all ten areas of equal treatment (points (a) to (j)) are carried over, including the public-authority exclusion and the special regime for nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries in point (a) and the public policy and public security reservation in point (i).

Moving to Portugal, or bringing a team or family? Article 133 may decide what you can apply for.

We map the visa and residence route that fits your activity, prepare the company side (contracts, payroll, registrations) and coordinate with immigration lawyers for the application itself. A written answer and a fixed quote within one working day.

Unofficial English translation prepared by BCA Portugal for reference. Only the Portuguese text published in the Diário da República has legal force. Editorial notes are ours and are not part of the statute.

Applying the law

Visas and residence in Portugal, planned together with the company

The permit depends on what you will do here: employment, your own company, remote work for a foreign employer or investment. Tell us the plan, and we will set out which route the Act gives you and what the company needs to have in place.

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