PSD and CDS-PP on Wednesday enabled a budget amendment proposal from Chega that revises the rules for issuing residency certificates (so-called Junta or Atestado de Residência) to foreign citizens, limiting the number of certificates per household.
On the last day of voting on the specifics of the 2026 State Budget, the Chega party's proposal was approved with the support of the PSD and CDS-PP, votes against from the PS, PCP, BE, Livre and PAN, and abstention from the IL. The proposal stipulates that the Government, in coordination with Anafre, must review the rules for issuing residency certificates for foreign citizens, defining in this review a maximum limit on the number of residency certificates to be issued per property and a reinforcement of the "duties to prove effective residence". "When the application of the rules referred to in the previous paragraph demonstrably results in a considerable decrease in the own revenue of the respective Parish Council, the Government must provide for compensation for this loss," the same initiative foresees. In the explanatory memorandum accompanying the bill, Chega argues that, with the "deregulated immigration policy," "overcrowding of properties has become a worrying reality, particularly in territories where the immigrant population, due to economic difficulties and lack of housing alternatives, concentrates in cramped and inadequate spaces to guarantee minimum conditions of dignity and security." The party considers that "Portugal is lagging behind in an area that is now essential to the coherence of its housing and migration policies" and believes it is "essential that the conditions for granting residency certificates by the Parish Councils be reviewed." "This is a measure that defends residents, protects urban heritage, combats illegal immigration, prevents document fraud, and ensures that public resources are available for those who comply," it reads.