The validity of the Portuguese passport will double from the first quarter of 2026, increasing from the current five years to 10, a measure integrated into the program to simplify and reduce bureaucracy in public services.

According to the fact-checking portal Polígrafo, this change has already been announced by the government and is part of a set of 15 measures aimed at making document and administrative management more efficient in international travel.

The then Minister of Youth and Modernization, Margarida Balseiro Lopes, justified in 2023 that the reduced term required frequent renewals. According to the same source, the government adopted this argument when defining 2026 as the year to extend the validity of the document. This change will not apply to minors, maintaining the current limit, in line with the widespread practice in the Schengen area.

The publication adds that the decision also involves ensuring that the passport issuance process conforms to international standards, allowing citizens to travel with greater documentary stability throughout the decade of validity foreseen.

What to expect?

The Government maintains the first quarter of 2026 as the key date for the implementation of the measure, after the completion of the necessary technical and operational steps. Polígrafo writes that, until then, the current deadlines will remain in effect, and the shorter ones will remain subject to the five-year limit.

For those planning to travel next year, the scenario remains unchanged until the new model is fully operational, with the expectation that the transition process will be gradual and monitored by the responsible services.