recusa de entrada
Published 8 November 2026, 20:08
recusa de entrada (refusal of entry)
A decision, taken at a border post, not to let a foreign national into the country. The grounds are listed in article 32 of the foreigners law: not all the entry conditions are met, the person is listed in the Schengen database as banned from entry, or they pose a threat to public order, security or public health. The decision is made not by the border officer but by the national director of the PSP or the commander of the GNR.
Where you come across it. Passport control at Lisbon, Porto or Faro airport, when someone is taken aside from the booth for further checks.
The decision is given in writing, in a language the person understands, with the grounds and the deadline for an appeal, and the consulate of their country is informed. An appeal goes to the administrative court, but it does not suspend the decision. The airline pays for the return ticket. Entry cannot be refused to people who were born in Portugal and live here, or to those who care for Portuguese children or for foreign children legally resident here.
Official website: diariodarepublica.pt/dr/legislacao-consolidada/lei/2007-67564445