u/AnchorLessEurope

There’s been a lot of noise around Spain “legalizing half a million immigrants,” so here’s the clearer version for anyone already in Spain or planning to move here.

Spain has approved an extraordinary regularization process for certain immigrants who are already in the country.

This does not mean Spain is giving citizenship to 500,000 people.
It also does not mean anyone can now arrive in Spain and automatically get papers.

What it means is this:

Spain is creating a temporary route for some people who were already living in Spain before 1 January 2026 to apply for legal residence and work authorization.

The idea is to bring people who are already here into the formal system, so they can work legally, pay into Social Security, have contracts, and stop living in administrative limbo.

Who may qualify?

Broadly, there are two main groups.

First, people who applied for international protection in Spain before 1 January 2026.

Second, people who are currently in irregular administrative status but were already in Spain before 1 January 2026.

Applicants also need to meet extra conditions, including proof of uninterrupted stay, no relevant criminal record, and not being considered a public security or public health risk.

For people who are not asylum/protection applicants, Spain also asks for additional ties or circumstances, such as work links, intention to work, family responsibilities in Spain, or a recognized vulnerable situation.

What does this status give?

If approved, the person receives a one-year residence and work authorization.

That means they can live and work legally in Spain during that period.

It does not give them the right to work across the EU. It is a Spanish residence/work authorization, not an EU-wide permit.

After the first year, people will likely need to move into one of Spain’s ordinary immigration routes to renew or maintain legal status.

Does this help newcomers?

Directly, no.

If someone arrives in Spain after 1 January 2026, this specific regularization route does not apply to them.

So, for anyone planning to move to Spain now, this should not be seen as a shortcut or backup plan. You still need to look at the normal routes: visa, residence permit, student stay, work authorization, digital nomad visa, non-lucrative visa, family route, or other legal pathways depending on your situation.

That said, Spain has also changed its broader immigration rules recently, including changes to arraigo pathways. In many cases, the standard time requirement for arraigo has been reduced from three years to two years, depending on the type of application and the person’s circumstances.

So newcomers are not covered by this special process, but Spain’s wider immigration framework is also changing.

Why is Spain doing this?

There are a few reasons.

One is practical: many people are already living in Spain, working informally, renting, raising families, and using public services. Keeping them undocumented does not make them disappear. It usually makes them more vulnerable.

Another reason is economic. Spain needs workers in several sectors, and regularization can bring people into formal employment, contracts, tax contributions, and Social Security.

There’s also a demographic angle. Spain, like many European countries, has an ageing population and long-term labour needs.

So the government’s argument is basically: if people are already here, it is better to bring them into the legal and tax system than keep them in the shadows.

What’s the potential impact?

For people who qualify, this could be life-changing. Legal work. Formal contracts. Better protection against exploitation. More stability. More access to ordinary systems.

For employers, it could make hiring easier and more transparent.

For Spain, it could mean more formal workers, more Social Security contributions, and less informal labour.

But there may also be problems. The application window is short, demand will probably be high, and Spanish immigration offices are already slow in many places. Delays and confusion are very likely.

Bottom line

Spain is not opening the door to automatic legalization for new arrivals.

This is mainly for people who were already in Spain before 1 January 2026 and meet specific requirements.

For expats already in Spain, especially those in irregular status or stuck in asylum/protection processes, it may be worth checking eligibility quickly.

For people planning to move to Spain, the message is different: don’t rely on this. Look at the correct visa or residence route before moving, and understand that this special regularization is tied to a past cut-off date.

Alô malta!

For anyone already living in Portugal, waiting on AIMA, planning to move here, or counting down the years until citizenship: Portugal’s new Nationality Law has now been signed off by the President.

This does not  mean Portugal is “closed.”

But it does mean the path from legal residence to Portuguese citizenship just got longer and more demanding.

Here’s the plain English version

Until now, the general rule was that many foreign residents could apply for Portuguese nationality after 5 years of legal residence.

Under the new law, that changes to:

• 7 years for citizens of Portuguese-speaking countries, such as Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, etc.
• 7 years for EU citizens.
• 10 years for most other foreign nationals, including people from the US, UK, Canada, Australia, South Africa, India, and many others.
• 4 years for stateless people.

So if you were planning your life around the old “5 years to citizenship” rule, you need to update that timeline.

There are other changes too

Children born in Portugal to foreign parents will no longer qualify in the same easy way as before. Under the new rule, at least one parent must have been legally resident in Portugal for 5 years at the time of the child’s birth.

The law also adds more emphasis on integration. Applicants may need to show knowledge of Portuguese language, culture, history, national symbols, rights and duties, and the political organization of the Portuguese state. There are also stricter checks around serious criminal convictions, security issues, EU/UN sanctions, and financial self-support.

One of the biggest practical questions is the “clock”

Before, there was a rule that could allow some people to count time from when they requested a residence permit, as long as the permit was eventually approved. This mattered a lot because Portugal’s immigration system has been slow, and many people spent months or years waiting through no fault of their own.

The new law appears to move away from that approach and focus more on legal residence after the residence title is actually granted.

That is probably the part people in AIMA limbo should watch most closely.

If you already submitted your nationality application before the new law enters into force, the old rules are expected to apply to your case. The President also specifically said pending processes should not be harmed by the change, and that people should not be penalized because the State was slow.

But if you are living in Portugal and have not applied for citizenship yet, your situation may be different. You should check your own dates, your residence status, and the official entry into force of the law.

What should people do now?

First, don’t panic based on screenshots and Facebook comments.

Second, check your actual status:

• When was your first residence title issued?
• Are you from a CPLP country, the EU, or another country?
• Have you already submitted a nationality application?
• Are you still waiting for AIMA?
• Were you relying on application time counting toward nationality?

Third, if you are close to eligibility under the old rules, talk to a qualified Portuguese lawyer or solicitor as soon as possible. This is one of those cases where timing may matter, and there are movimento trying to advocate for transitional period or any other type of flexibility.

For people thinking about moving to Portugal, the main takeaway is simple: Portugal can still be a good relocation option, but citizenship should now be seen as a longer-term plan. Moving here only because of the 5-year passport timeline is no longer a safe assumption.

For people already here, the situation is more emotional. A lot of residents came to Portugal with one legal expectation, built lives here, paid taxes, enrolled kids in school, waited through delays, and now feel like the goalpost moved.

That reaction is understandable.

At the same time, Portugal’s nationality rules have changed before. The timeline used to be different. The way residence time was counted changed recently too. Immigration law here has not been static, especially as the country tries to deal with backlogs, political pressure, and the reality of having many more foreign residents than it did a decade ago.

So I would not plan my life around rumors that this will be softened later.

But I also would not treat this as the final shape of the law forever.

The safest approach right now is: plan based on the stricter rule, keep your documents clean, keep proof of residence and tax life organized, follow the official publication and regulation, and get proper advice if you are close to applying.

Btw, this is not legal advice! Just a practical update for people trying to understand what changed without the panic.

This is a question that comes up a lot from people moving to Europe in general:

“What’s the best way to transfer money to Europe?”

And honestly, the answer is usually less dramatic than people expect. You do not need to walk into your home bank, ask for an international wire, pay a painful fee, wait forever, and then discover the exchange rate was terrible (unless the banking system in your home country is what we call "uncollaborative").

For most immigrants, the setup is usually something like this:

Use a fintech app to move and convert the money. Use a local bank account for life in Portugal or Spain.

That’s it.

The simple version

If your money is still in USD, GBP, CAD, BRL, or another currency, sending it directly from your home bank to a Portuguese or Spanish bank can be expensive.

The problem is usually not just the visible fee. It is also the exchange rate.

So what many people do is:

1. Send money to an online transfer app
2. Convert it to euros there
3. Send the euros to their Portuguese or Spanish account
4. Use the local account for rent, bills, paperwork, and normal life

Apps like Wise, Revolut, and similar services are popular because they usually show you the fee, the rate, and how much will actually arrive before you send it.

Why not just use your normal bank?

You can. Sometimes it is fine.

But traditional international transfers can be annoying because:

• the fees are higher
• the exchange rate may be worse
• the transfer can take longer
• intermediary banks can take a cut
• large transfers may trigger extra questions

This does not mean banks are bad. It just means they are not always the best tool for converting and moving money across countries.

What you need to understand first

If you are moving to Portugal or Spain, you will hear two words all the time:

IBAN
This is your European bank account number. You use it to receive transfers, pay rent, set up bills, and deal with banks.

SEPA
This is the European system for euro transfers. Once your money is already in euros, moving it between European accounts is usually much easier and cheaper.

So the trick is often: get your money into euros efficiently, then move it through Europe using normal euro transfers.

⚠️ Some Banks outside of EU won't have an IBAN if you need to do it in reverse. They will have a Swift code (each bank has one) and you'll need to provide extra information like branch code or maybe an account route number.

Do you still need a local bank account?

Probably, yes.

Fintech apps are useful, but a local Portuguese or Spanish account can still make life easier for:

• rent
• utilities
• phone contracts
• visa or residency paperwork
• proof of funds
• tax payments
• property deposits
• situations where someone insists on a local IBAN (like MBway in Portugal)

Some people manage with only fintech for a while. But if you are actually settling in Portugal or Spain, a local bank account usually saves headaches.

What about sending money to family?

Different situation.

If you are sending money from Portugal or Spain to someone who does not have a bank account, services like Western Union, Ria, or similar remittance platforms can be useful.

They usually let you send money online and choose between:

• bank deposit
• card payment
• cash pickup
• mobile wallet, depending on the country

This can be useful if you are supporting family back home or sending money somewhere where cash pickup is easier. Also, keep in mind, sometimes you may not be able to do it online, you may need to go DIRECTLY to your local western union/ria provider, and you'll have to google it to check where it is.

Be careful with big transfers

Small monthly transfers for living expenses are one thing.

Large transfers are another.

If you are moving a big amount for a home deposit, property purchase, savings transfer, inheritance, crypto, business income, or money from selling a house, keep your documents organized.

Banks may ask where the money came from. This is normal.

Keep things like:

• bank statements
• payslips
• tax returns
• sale contracts
• pension documents
• invoices
• proof of inheritance
• proof the account is in your name

Also, try to avoid sending large amounts from someone else’s account unless you have a clear explanation and paperwork. It can create unnecessary questions.

Always do a test transfer first

Before sending a large amount, send a small amount.

Seriously.

Send €10 or €20 first and check:

• the name is correct
• the IBAN is correct
• the money arrives
• the fee is what you expected
• the rate makes sense
• the bank does not block anything

It is boring advice, but it can save you a very expensive mistake.

The main thing people forget

Do not compare only the transfer fee.

Compare how many euros actually arrive.

One provider might say “low fee” but give you a worse exchange rate. Another might charge a fee but give you a better rate.

The only number that really matters is:

How much leaves your account vs. how much arrives in euros.

Basic setup we’d recommend for most newcomers

If you are moving to Portugal or Spain, a practical setup could be:

One transfer app for currency conversion and sending money to Europe
One local bank account for rent, bills, residency, taxes, and paperwork
One remittance option if you need to send money to family without a bank account
An accountant if you have foreign income, investments, crypto, inheritance, or large transfers

You do not need to overcomplicate this.

Just avoid doing the most expensive thing by default, keep records, test before sending big amounts, and remember that moving money is not the same thing as understanding your tax situation.

For that part, especially once you become tax resident in Portugal or Spain, ask someone qualified.

If you are moving soon, sort this before you arrive. The first weeks are already full of paperwork, housing stress, and appointments. Having a clean way to move money into Europe makes everything else easier.

Alô malta,

If you are an EU citizen living in Portugal, there is one document that can be easy to forget about until it becomes urgent: the CRUE.

The CRUE, or Certificado de Registo de Cidadão da União Europeia, is the paper certificate many EU citizens get from their local Câmara Municipal after moving to Portugal.

It is not a visa.
It is not the same as a residence permit for non-EU citizens.
And it is not the final document if you plan to stay in Portugal long term.

The CRUE is usually the document for EU citizens living in Portugal for more than 3 months and up to 5 years. After 5 years of legal residence, EU citizens can request the Cartão de Residência Permanente para Nacionais da União Europeia, also known as the permanent residence card for EU citizens.

What should you do when your CRUE reaches 5 years?

You should start preparing to request the permanent residence card through AIMA.

This is where many people get confused, because the first CRUE is handled by the Câmara Municipal, but the permanent residence document after 5 years is handled by AIMA (and we know how AIMA is working atm).

So if your CRUE is close to expiring, has already expired, or has reached the 5-year mark, do not treat it like a non-EU residence permit renewal. The process and wording are different - but to reach AIMA, the struggle may be quite similar to the non-EU residents path.

You are not asking for a visa.
You are not renewing a standard residence permit.
You are asking about the permanent residence document for EU citizens.

Documents to prepare

Before contacting AIMA, it is a good idea to organize your file. You may need:

• your valid EU passport or national ID card
• your current or expired CRUE (AIMA says valid, therefore try to schedule an appointment early enough, but we know how things are right now, and there are reports fo expired CRUEs being accepted)
• AIMA form for permanent residence as an EU citizen filled out
• proof of address in Portugal

Examples of proof of address can include a rental contract, property deed, utility bill, or an atestado de residência from your Junta de Freguesia.

Also, there are reports (in fb groups) of some AIMA officers requesting some kind of proof of the five-year residency period. So, if you want to be extra prepared you can bring:

• IRS declarations
• Social security records (declaration or history)
• A work contract(s)

And it's important to highlight two things: 1) the CRUE IS ESSENTIAL. We know that as a simple paper it may be easy to lose it, so you can always get a duplicate at the town hall you registered. 2) A2 Portuguese IS NOT NEEDED. This can be a source of confusion due to nationality requirements or permanent residency for non-EU citizens, either way, EU/EEA/Swiss nationals don't need to have an A2 level of Portuguese.

How to try to reach AIMA

Start with AIMA’s official channels, because the correct route can depend on your document type and situation.

For EU citizens whose CRUE has reached the 5-year mark, the important thing is to contact AIMA using the correct terms.

You can try:

• AIMA’s official website
• AIMA’s contact form
• the section for Nacionais UE e Familiares
• the AIMA Contact Center: (+351) 217 115 000
• checking the nearest Loja AIMA information when relevant

When contacting AIMA, keep the message simple and specific. For example:

This wording matters because asking about a “visa renewal” or “residence permit renewal” may send you toward the wrong process, and things can get longer.

Also there are reports of people being successful when insisting. So if things are not moving forward you can consider sending daily emails or calling over and over again.

Keep proof of everything

With AIMA, it is important to document every attempt.

Keep:

• screenshots of contact form submissions
• emails sent and received
• dates and times of phone calls
• any reference numbers
• appointment confirmations
• copies of your documents

This can be useful later if you need to show that you tried to contact the right authority and started the process.

It can also be useful if your card (because this time it will be a card) takes a bit longer to arrive. Keep proof of your contact attempts and of your AIMA appointment.

Important reminder

If your CRUE has expired, do not panic, but do not ignore it either.

The safest approach is:

Start before the CRUE expires.
Have your documents ready fro the appointment.
Use the correct wording with AIMA.
Ask about the permanent residence document for EU citizens.
Keep proof of every contact attempt.

Portugal’s bureaucracy can be slow, and AIMA can be difficult to reach, but using the right terms and having your file organized can make the process less confusing and a bit more straightforward.

Alô malta! If you are an immigrant in Portugal and you are wondering why today feels so big, here is the quick context.

TL;DR: April 25 is Freedom Day. It marks the Carnation Revolution of 1974, when the dictatorship fell and people flooded the streets. Red carnations became the symbol because they were placed in soldiers’ rifles during the uprising. It is one of the most meaningful public holidays in Portugal.

What April 25 actually changed

Portugal went through a deep political and social transformation starting on April 25, 1974, followed by an intense period of popular participation in 1974 and 1975. People often describe it as a time when ordinary citizens demanded a real voice in workplaces, neighborhoods, and daily life, not just in elections.

It is not remembered only as “a coup.” It is remembered as a broader shift toward freedom, civic rights, and democracy.

The colonies and why they matter in this story

A major background factor was the colonial war. Portugal was fighting long, costly wars in Africa (for example in Angola, Mozambique, and Guinea Bissau). That conflict shaped the political crisis inside Portugal and the pressures that led to April 25.

After the revolution, decolonization accelerated quickly. Several Portuguese colonies gained independence in the mid 1970s, and Portugal experienced huge social changes, including the return and resettlement of many people from the former colonies. For immigrants from Portuguese speaking African countries, this day can carry multiple layers of meaning, including freedom, loss, and complicated history.

How it’s celebrated today and what to expect

April 25 is a public holiday. Many things slow down.

What you will usually see:

• Red carnations everywhere, on jackets, in hands, in windows
• People saying “Feliz 25 de Abril” or “Viva a Liberdade”
• Public ceremonies and speeches (often broadcast on TV)
• Street gatherings, cultural events, concerts, and community celebrations
• In bigger cities, large crowds in central areas

Practical tips:

• Expect more people out, some transit changes, and occasional road closures near central events
• If you go to a big gathering, arrive earlier than you think and keep your phone charged
• It is a great day to ask locals what it means to them, you will get real stories, not textbook answers

If you’re new here, the respectful move

You do not need to know every detail to participate. The easiest way to show respect is simple:

• Learn the basic meaning of the day
• Notice the carnation symbol
• Listen to how locals talk about freedom, rights, and democracy
• Remember that the colonial dimension makes this history complex for many families

If Portuguese taxes still feel more confusing than they should, this may help.

On April 22, AnchorLess is hosting a free webinar on IRS and taxes in Portugal with Liliana Teixeira Rosa, a Portuguese accountant registered with the Ordem dos Contabilistas Certificados and experienced in more complex expat tax situations.

She’ll break down the areas that usually create the most doubt, especially for people dealing with:

• foreign income
• crypto assets
• income from more than one country
• or just trying to understand how IRS filing actually works in practice

Webinar details

• Date: April 22
• Time: 17h GMT+1 | 9 AM PDT | 11 AM CDT | 12 PM EDT

Guilherme, our Operations Manager at AnchorLess, will be moderating the session, bringing in the main questions and concerns we keep hearing from expats, so the conversation stays practical and based on real-life situations.

There will also be a live Q&A at the end.

This is especially useful if:

• you became a tax resident in Portugal and still feel unsure about IRS
• you have income from abroad
• you hold crypto
• you work across borders
• or you just want to understand your situation better before making tax decisions this year

The session is free, but registration is required and spots are limited.

To register, you’ll need to be logged into an AnchorLess account. That does not mean you need to be an existing client. Non-clients can create an account and register too.

Registration link: https://l.anchorless.io/IpHpbBd

If Portuguese taxes have been sitting in your “I need to understand this properly” list for a while, this should be a useful place to start.

Note for AnchorLess clients from before 2025: if you are not yet registered in the dashboard (as it is in place since 2024), please create your account first and then register for the webinar.

A lot of headlines are making this sound broader than it is, so here’s the simple version for anyone in Spain or planning a move there:

This week, Spain approved an extraordinary regularization measure for certain immigrants who are already living in the country without regular status.

A few important things up front:

It is not a free pass for everyone.

It is not aimed at people who plan to arrive now.

It is not a sign that “Spain is opening regularization for anyone who comes irregularly.”

From what has been reported so far, this is mainly for people who were already in Spain before January 1, 2026 and who can prove they had been there for at least 5 continuous months when they apply.

Other key points being reported:

• You need to show you were already in Spain before the cutoff date
• You must not have criminal records
• You must not be considered a risk to public order, public safety, or public health
• People who had already applied for international protection/asylum in Spain before January 1, 2026 are also included
• For many applicants, simply being undocumented is not enough on its own. You may also need to fit a specific category, such as having worked in Spain, having close family ties, or being in a documented vulnerable situation

The application window is also important:

• Applications reportedly open April 16, 2026
• In-person appointments start April 20, 2026
• The deadline is June 30, 2026

If approved, the person would reportedly receive a 1-year residence and work authorization.

What this means in practice:

If you are already in Spain in an irregular situation and you think you might qualify, this is something to look at seriously and quickly.

If you are outside Spain and thinking this means you can now move there irregularly and be legalized later, that is not what this measure is saying.

So the real takeaway is:

This is a targeted regularization for people already inside Spain before the cutoff date, not a general invitation for future arrivals.

If you’re currently in Spain and may be affected (the government estimates 500K immigrants will benefit from it), now is the moment to start gathering proof of presence, ID documents, criminal record certificates, and anything that supports work history, family links, or vulnerability.

A lot will depend on the fine print and how immigration offices actually handle applications, so I would not rely on TikToks or viral summaries alone for this one.

In the past few weeks there's some posts saying Spain now has a job seeker visa in 2026, so here’s the clearer version for anyone planning a move:

Yes, there is a real legal change.

No, it is not a broad open visa for everyone. 

Spain’s current immigration framework allows job-search visas, but in a much narrower way than a lot of TikToks / reels / WhatsApp forwards are making it sound.

Under the current rules, this can be aimed at children or grandchildren of Spaniards of origin or at specific occupations / territories under the annual GECCO system, not as a general “come to Spain first and look for anything later” route. The reform also extended this kind of visa to up to 12 months.

So for most immigrants abroad, the answer is still basically: you usually need the route first, not just the hope first.

The part that confuses people even more is that Spain also has a real job-search residence authorization for students already in Spain.

That one lets eligible graduates stay for 24 months to look for work or start a business after finishing qualifying studies in Spain. But during that period, they are not automatically allowed to work yet. They still have to switch into the proper residence/work permit once they get the job or launch the project.

So when people say “Spain now has a job seeker visa,” what they usually leave out is who it applies to.

For most people outside Spain right now, the realistic routes are still things like:

• a job offer first and then a work visa process
• a student route, then later switching if eligible
• a self-employment path
• a highly qualified professional route if your profile fits

What Spain did not do was create a fully open, easy-access visa where any non-EU person can just arrive and spend a year casually looking for work.

Also worth noting: Spain’s own consular network has already warned that false information about this “job search visa” has been circulating online. So if someone is selling the idea that this is already a simple public route for everyone, that’s a red flag.

Practical takeaway:

If you want to move to Spain for work, don’t build your whole plan around the phrase “job seeker visa” until you check which category you actually fit into.

Because right now, the real question is not: “Does Spain have something called that?”

It’s:
“Does Spain have that option for my exact profile?”

That distinction can save people a lot of wasted time, bad advice, and expensive mistakes.

If you live in Portugal, work remotely, freelance, get a pension, earn from abroad, or moved here during 2025, this is the moment to pay attention.

Portugal’s IRS filing window is now open from April 1 to June 30, 2026 for 2025 income. And every year, a lot of expats leave this too late because they assume one of these things:

• “I only earn abroad, so I don’t file here”
• “I just moved, so this probably doesn’t apply yet”
• “The automatic return showed up, so I guess I’m fine”
• “I already pay tax somewhere else, so Portugal doesn’t matter”

That’s where people get into trouble.

If you’re a tax resident in Portugal, you generally have to declare your income here, including foreign income. If 2025 was your move year, it can get even more confusing, because Portugal may treat part of the year one way and the other part another way depending on when you became resident.

Who usually needs to look at this carefully?

Basically, expats in Portugal who had income in 2025, especially if that income came from more than one place or more than one country. That includes people with:

• Portuguese salary
• foreign salary
• freelance income
• recibos verdes
• pension income
• dividends or investments
• rental income
• mixed-country situations

If your financial life is very simple, this may be manageable on your own.

If your life in 2025 involved a move, remote work, foreign income, self-employment, or multiple countries, this is usually where “I’ll just figure it out myself” starts becoming risky.

A few dates to keep in mind:

• April 1, 2026: IRS filing opened
• June 30, 2026: normal deadline to submit
• July 31, 2026: deadline for the tax authority to issue the assessment in the usual timeline
• August 31, 2026: usual deadline to pay tax due or receive refund, if assessed on time

Best practices expats keep repeating every year:

1. Don’t trust automatic IRS blindly
Just because the pre-filled return appears doesn’t mean it reflects your real situation properly. This is especially true if you have foreign income, moved during the year, or have anything more complex than one straightforward Portuguese income stream.

2. Don’t forget foreign income
This is probably one of the biggest expat mistakes. A lot of people think that if the money was earned outside Portugal, it stays outside the Portuguese return. That is often not how it works once you’re tax resident here.

3. Don’t leave this for the last week of June
A lot of expats only realize late that they’re missing foreign tax statements, income breakdowns, annexes, or documents from another country. And once you add two tax systems into the same problem, things get messy fast.

4. Run simulations before submitting if you file with a spouse or partner
Sometimes the better option is not the one people assume. It’s worth checking both ways before locking anything in.

5. If you’re on recibos verdes, don’t treat this like a basic employee return
This comes up constantly in expat groups. People hear “simplified regime” and think it means simple in real life. It often isn’t.

6. If your case crosses borders, get help early
This is the main lesson from expat communities every tax season. The more international your life is, the less this behaves like a normal local tax return.

The most common expat mindset that causes problems:
“I’ll deal with it later once I understand how Portugal works.”

The issue is that IRS season is usually the moment when people discover Portugal already expects them to understand it.

So if this is your first tax season here, or your first one with foreign income, now is the time to check your situation properly, not in late June when everyone is stressed and hunting for accountants.

A lot of expats in Portugal are about to spend April and May figuring out whether they need to file, what counts as foreign income, and whether they did their setup right last year.

Better to be early than surprised.

If you’re new to Portugal or Spain, or planning to move soon, Easter is one of those moments where you really feel the local rhythm change.

Not in a dramatic “everything stops forever” way, but definitely in a “this is culturally a big deal and your daily life may not run normally” way.

Portugal

In Portugal, Easter usually feels more family-centered and home-centered.

You’ll notice Good Friday and Easter Sunday matter a lot, both religiously and in practice. It is a period when many families gather, people go back to their hometowns, and long lunches become a thing. In some places, especially smaller towns and parts of the North, Easter is still very tied to church traditions, processions, and the Compasso Pascal, where the priest or parish group visits homes with a cross to bless them.

Food-wise, the big symbol is folar da Páscoa. Depending on the region, it can be sweet, or it can be savory and filled with meats. You’ll also see a lot of almonds, sweets, roast lamb, and other family-style Easter food around this time.

Resident-side, the main thing to know is this:
Easter in Portugal is not just “buy chocolate eggs and move on.”
It is a family weekend, a religious moment for many people, and in some towns it still has a very local, traditional feel, with parades and local festivals, especially in smaller villages.

So if you live there or are arriving soon, expect some closures, holiday schedules, packed roads on family travel days, and a general sense that people are with family more than usual.

Spain

In Spain, Easter usually feels much more public and street-level because of Semana Santa.

Even if you are not religious, you will absolutely notice it in many cities. The processions, the brotherhoods, the drums, the incense, the music, the crowds, the robes, the religious floats, all of that can become a huge part of the week depending on where you are.

And this is important for newcomers:
Spain is very regional during Easter.

In some places it is intense and central to city life. In others it is more low-key. Also, the holiday setup changes by region. Good Friday is nationwide, but Holy Thursday is a holiday in most regions, not all, and Easter Monday is only a holiday in some autonomous communities.

Food-wise, you’ll see torrijas everywhere around Easter, plus things like mona de Pascua in some parts of the country, especially on the eastern side. In many places, Easter also means family meals, outings, and packed town centers.

Resident-side, the main thing to know is this:
In Spain, Easter is often less about “the Sunday itself” and more about the full week (they've been on the streets for the whole week now).

So if you’re living there or moving there soon, check local calendars carefully, do not assume every region follows the same days off, and expect city centers to be very busy, loud, emotional, and very tradition-heavy if you’re in a place with strong Semana Santa culture.

Bottom line for expats

If you’re in Portugal or Spain during Easter, treat it as a real cultural week, not just a calendar note.

Check shop hours.
Check transport.
Check local holidays where you live.
And if you hear people talking about processions, family lunch, folar, torrijas, mona, or Semana Santa plans, that is not niche stuff. That is the season, go out there and soak in the tradition to familiarize with the culture.

It’s one of those times of year when you understand a country a little better just by paying attention.

Feliz Páscoa! ¡Feliz Pascua! 

A lot of headlines this week are mixing two different things, so here’s the simple version for anyone already in Portugal or planning a move.

1) Nationality
Portugal’s Parliament approved a tougher nationality law.

The practical headline is this: the path to Portuguese citizenship is getting harder. The approved text raises the minimum legal residence period to 7 years for CPLP and EU citizens and 10 years for other nationalities. It also adds tougher integration requirements. On top of that, the rules affecting children born in Portugal to foreign parents are stricter too.

What that means in real life:

• If you already live in Portugal legally, this does not suddenly cancel your right to stay.
• If your plan was basically “I’ll do 5 years and then apply for nationality,” that timeline may no longer be realistic.
• If you’re moving with a future passport in mind, build your plans with more margin.
• This still needs to go through Constitutional court, however, this time it has chances to pass.

2) Immigration / the so-called “return law”
This is a separate issue.

The Government approved a proposal meant to speed up the return or removal of people found in irregular status. That proposal talks about faster enforcement, gives preference to voluntary return first, and keeps detention as a last option.

But the important part is this:
this is not the same thing as Parliament having already fully passed a new immigration law that changes everything overnight.

What that means in real life:

• If you are legal, stay calm, but keep your paperwork organized.
• If you are in a pending admin situation, keep proof that you are in process.
• If you are in Portugal without a legal route, or overstaying and hoping to “fix it later,” this is a bad time to be casual about it. The direction is clearly stricter.

Bottom line
Portugal is sending two signals at the same time:

• citizenship will be rewarded to those with strong and solid ties with Portugal
• there's a shift to close on irregular stay, which may face faster enforcement

So if you’re moving to Portugal, the safest plan is the boring one:
come through a real legal route, keep every document, and don’t build your life around “I’ll sort it out later.”

Not legal advice, just a heads-up because the headlines are getting messy.

We keep seeing people talk about Portugal like it still works like this:

“Just get here first. You can sort the papers out later.”

That mindset is getting people into trouble.

We also saw a recent report going around was about an immigrant resident in Portugal being approached by GNR and asked for documents, including their child’s. The child only had a passport because they were still waiting on the residence process. The big takeaway was simple:

if you are in the middle of legalization, carry proof of that with you.
Not just your passport. Not just “I’m waiting for AIMA.”
Actual proof.

Because right now there are basically two completely different realities:

1) You’re already in process with AIMA

This is still stressful, but it’s the safer side of the problem.

You may have:

• an appointment booked
• a submission receipt
• payment proof
• an approval declaration
• a renewal in progress
• a card that’s approved but still hasn’t shown up

In that case, your problem is usually not “they’re deporting me on the spot.”

Your problem is limbo.

You’re legal enough to be in process, but not enough for real life because someone wants to see the actual card.
Police. Employers. Banks. Schools. Airports. Public services. Anyone.

So please, seriously, stop walking around with only a passport and vibes (or not even a passport).

Keep this with you:

• passport
• expired residence card if it’s a renewal
• AIMA booking confirmation
• submission receipt
• DUC/payment proof
• approval proof if you have it
• for kids, passport + proof linking them to the parent’s case

Have it on your phone.
Have screenshots.
Have PDFs.
Have printed copies too.

Because if someone asks, “I’m waiting” may not be enough.
You need to show where your process actually stands.

2) You are not in process with AIMA, have no residence visa, and no real legalization route underway

This is where people need a reality check.

Portugal is not in its old “figure it out later” phase anymore.

If you’re in the country with no residence visa, no active AIMA process, no renewal, no family reunification case, no proper route moving forward, then you are in a much more exposed position than a lot of old Facebook advice makes it sound.

And that old advice is exactly what keeps trapping people:

• “come first, fix it later”
• “everyone regularizes eventually”
• “Portugal always opens a path”
• “just wait it out”

That is not something I would bet my future on in 2026.

The environment is getting tighter, not looser.

So if you are not in any process at all, do not confuse “I’ve been here for a while” with “I’m protected.”
Those are not the same thing.

For families: do not overlook your kids’ documents

This part matters a lot.

Do not assume your child is automatically “fine” just because the adults are sorting things out.
If your child is also waiting on paperwork, carry their documents too and carry proof of the family connection and the parent’s process.

A child having “just a passport” can turn into a stressful situation very fast if someone asks questions and you have nothing else to show.

What I’d do right now if I were in this situation

If you’re already in process:

• carry proof every time you leave home
• keep copies offline on your phone
• keep printed copies in your bag
• make sure your address is correct if you’re waiting for card delivery
• build a paper trail for everything

If you’re not in process:

• stop relying on outdated Reddit/Facebook comments and focus on official guidelines from the Portuguese government
• stop assuming Portugal will eventually regularize it
• urgently check whether you actually qualify for any legal path that still exists

Because the difference between “waiting” and “not in the system at all” is huge.

And a lot of people are acting like those are the same thing.
They’re not.

Waiting on AIMA is tiresome.
Being outside AIMA is terrible.

If you’re in process, prove it.
If you’re not, don’t sleep on it.

If anyone here has been stopped by GNR/PSP while waiting for AIMA, or is stuck between approval and card delivery, share what happened and what documents you had with you.

If you’re seeing people say “AIMA is on strike on March 30,” the more accurate version is this:

It’s not a full AIMA shutdown announced for all staff. The strike reported for March 30 is by AIMA’s sociocultural mediators.

From what was reported this week, there are around 200 mediators, and they’re striking to demand integration into AIMA’s official staff, saying they’ve been doing permanent work for years while kept in precarious contracts through partner organizations.

Why this matters for immigrants and expats:
these mediators are not a minor side team. Reports say they handle a lot of the frontline contact with users, problem-solving, and support work. One union source even said that without them, AIMA does not function normally.

So what should you expect on March 30?

• Not necessarily every AIMA service closed
• Possible delays, confusion, slower service, and disruption in migrant-facing support
• A protest/concentration at 15:00 outside the Government headquarters at Campus XXI, Lisbon

The practical takeaway is:
if you have something with AIMA on March 30, I would still show up unless you were directly told otherwise (by AIMA), but I would go in expecting delays or disruption, especially in services that depend on mediation/support staff.

Main issue behind the strike:
this is mostly about precarious work conditions, not a random one-day protest. The mediators are demanding stable public employment links, recognition of the work they already do, and fairer pay/conditions.

So no, the most accurate summary is not “all of AIMA is closed.”
It’s more like: a key part of AIMA is striking, and that can seriously affect how smoothly things run on March 30.

Just a quick heads-up: summer time starts in Portugal this Sunday.

Most people already know the drill. The bigger issue is usually not understanding the change, it’s forgetting the small stuff around it.

A few things that tend to catch people out:

• manual clocks like car clocks, ovens, older watches, and some alarms
• early transport if you have a flight, train, or bus
• work shifts, school runs, or appointments first thing Sunday
• coordination with people in other countries, especially if you already have calls or plans lined up

It’s one of those tiny admin-life things that feels obvious until it suddenly isn’t.

So yes, this is your reminder to double-check the boring stuff on Saturday night, not just your phone clock.

Every year there’s always someone who says “wait, was it this weekend?” and honestly... fair.