The face covering ban came into force in Portugal: Where does it apply, how much are the fines and in which cases are exceptions?

In Portugal, the new regulation banning the use of clothing that prevents the face from being seen in public spaces came into force as of September 23, 2026. While fines ranging from 150 euros to 3,000 euros are foreseen for violations under Lei n.º 58/2026, there are a number of exceptions, including health, occupation, security and weather conditions.

A new legal development occurred on the day the law came into force. Provedoria de Justiça confirmed that it was considering a request to review the constitutionality of the regulation. However, at this stage, no application has been made to the Constitutional Court and the law remains in force.

What exactly does the law prohibit?

Lei n.º 58/2026, published in Diário da República on August 24, prohibits clothing used to hide or prevent the face from being seen in public spaces.

The scope of the law is not limited to the streets. Arrangement;

public roads,

public places,

public service areas,

service points that citizens can generally access,

events,

sports activities,

demonstrations and protests

It covers.

Therefore, the regulation has been created based on the criterion of preventing the face from being seen, rather than banning a particular outfit by naming it.

What situations are prohibited?

The law contains important exceptions.

Covering the face for health reasons is not within the scope of the ban. Professional requirements, arts and entertainment activities, and advertising activities are also among the exceptions.

Additionally, aircraft, diplomatic and consular facilities, places of worship and other sacred sites are excluded from the scope.

Covering the face for safety purposes, clothing used to protect from weather conditions, and situations permitted by another legal regulation are also exempt from the ban.

Therefore, protecting the face, for example due to cold or adverse weather conditions, does not automatically constitute a violation.

Fines can go up to 3,000 euros

Violation of the law is an administrative offense.

If the violation occurs due to negligence, the fine is between 150 and 750 euros.

For intentional violations, the fine can start from 400 euros and go up to 3,000 euros.

The inspection will be carried out by security forces. The report prepared by the police will be sent to the municipality where the incident took place within five business days; Carrying out the administrative process and imposing the fine will be the responsibility of the relevant municipality.

Forcing a person to cover their face is a separate crime

One of the striking parts of the law is about those who force someone else to do so, beyond covering one's own face.

If a person is forced to cover his or her face through threats, violence, pressure, abuse of authority or power, or because of the gender of the victim, a prison sentence of up to two years or a fine of up to 240 days is foreseen.

victim's child If so, the penalty is increased by one third.

When was the law passed?

The regulation was adopted in the Assembleia da República on July 17, 2026.

President António José Seguro promulgated the law on August 18; The edit was published in Diário da República on August 24.

Due to the provision in the law that "enters into force 30 days after its publication", the official effective date was September 23, 2026.

This chronology is important: the regulation was not adopted in Parliament today or approved by the President today; A law that has already completed its legal process has actually come into force today.

Constitutionality is on the agenda again

The legal debate has not ended with the law coming into force.

In its statement to RTP on September 23, Provedoria de Justiça confirmed that it had received a request to review the constitutionality of the law and was evaluating the issue.

This does not mean that the Constitutional Court has started to review the law. Provedoria is currently evaluating the request made to it.

Therefore, in the current situation, the law is in force and enforceable.

What has changed for those living in Portugal?

As of September 23, the use of clothing that prevents the face from being seen in public areas covered by the law may lead to administrative sanctions unless one of the exceptions specified in the law is present.

However, the regulation categorically prohibits any kind of facial covering. It does not prohibit it in any way. Exceptions such as health, work, security, weather conditions, art and worship are directly included in the text of the law.

For this reason, it is necessary to look not only at the general news headlines but also at the exception provisions of Lei n.º 58/2026 in terms of how to interpret the application in practice.

Resources

Diário da República — Lei n.º 58/2026, 24 August 2026

https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/detalhe/lei/58-2026-1161149391

RTP — “Lei das Burcas”. Provedoria de Justiça analisa pedido de fiscalização da constitucionalidade do diploma, 23 September 2026

https://www.rtp.pt/noticias/pais/lei-das-burcas-provedoria-de-justica-analisa-pedido-de-fiscalizacao-da-constitucionalidade-do-diploma_n1767189

Renascença — “Lei das burcas” entra em vigor. Quais são as regras?, 23 September 2026

https://rr.pt/artigo/explicador-renascenca/2026/09/23/lei-das-burcas-entra-em-vigor-quais-sao-as-regras/486468/