- Homosexuality
- ⚢✔ Legal
- Gay Marriage
- ⚭✔ Legal
- Censorship
- ✔ No censorship
- Changing Gender
- ✔ Legal, no restrictions
- Gender-Affirming Care
- ✔ Legal
- Non-Binary Gender Recognition
- ✖ Not legally recognized
- Discrimination
- ✔ Illegal
- Employment Discrimination
- ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
- Housing Discrimination
- ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
- Adoption
- ✔ Legal
- Intersex Infant Surgery
- ✔ Full ban
- Military
- ✔ Legal
- Donating Blood
- ✔ Legal
- Conversion Therapy
- ✔ Banned
- Age of Consent
- ✔ Equal
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Public Opinion
Surveys in Portugal have shown mixed views towards LGBTQ+ rights and issues.
OPPOSE
SUPPORT
Perception of LGBTQ+ People
Survey results from 14 LGBTQ+ Equaldex users who lived in or visited Portugal.
Overall
Perceived Safety**Survey results represent personal perceptions of safety and may not be indicative of current actual conditions.
Equal Treatment
Visibility & Representation
Culture
Services
History
Homosexual activity in Portugal is legal.
Illegal (imprisonment as punishment)
With the adoption of a new penal code in 1886, Portugal criminalised same-sex conduct. For some of this period, there was varying formality in the criminalisation but throughout LGB people were persecuted and imprisoned.
Censorship of LGBT issues in Portugal is no censorship.
Current status
No censorship
In Portugal, there are no laws restricting the discussion or promotion of LGBTQ+ topics.
Right to change legal gender in Portugal is legal, no restrictions.
Current status
Since Aug 8, 2018
Legal, no restrictions
The law allows adults to change their legal gender based on self-detirmination without any requirements. Minors aged 16 and 17 must have parental consent and a professional psychological opinion.
Legal, but requires surgery federal law
Individuals in Portugal can legally change their gender and name on their birth certificate.
Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Portugal is not legally recognized.
Current status
Not legally recognized
Even though gender self-identification is possible in Portugal, non-binary identities are not yet legally recognized here.
LGBT employment discrimination in Portugal is sexual orientation and gender identity.
Current status
Since Jan 16, 2015
Sexual orientation and gender identity
Gender identity is now an explicit protected ground in the labour code.
LGBT housing discrimination in Portugal is sexual orientation and gender identity.
Current status
Since Feb 12, 2019
Sexual orientation and gender identity federal law
In February 2019, Portugal passed a law prohibiting discrimination in housing against LGBTIQ+ people. The law lists sexual orientation as a protected characteristic and while gender identity isn’t explicitly listed, it is a protected characteristic constitutionally meaning that it could still be protected from such discrimination.
Same-sex adoption in Portugal is legal.
Current status
Since Mar 1, 2016
Legal
Now same sex adoption is possible for not only individuals but same sex couples.
Serving openly in military in Portugal is legal.
Current status
Since Jan 8, 2024
Legal
Transgender and non-binary people are now allowed to serve after executive order 318/202. Executive order 318/202, stipulates that “other endocrine dysfunctions, namely dysfunctions of the gonadal hormonal system, congenital or acquired and requiring permanent chronic hormone replacement therapy” are no longer grounds for excluding candidates.
Lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned
Portugal is not one of the 22 countries that allows trans military service.
Trans people aren't explicitly banned from joining the army, but due to discrimination and regulations that also apply to cis people, but more commonly affect trans people, they are unable to join.
Trans people aren't explicitly banned from joining the army, but due to discrimination and regulations that also apply to cis people, but more commonly affect trans people, they are unable to join.
Blood donations by MSMs in Portugal is legal.
Current status
Since Apr 7, 2010
Legal
In Portugal, blood donations have rules regarding sexual behaviour but they are the same for homosexual and heterosexual people. While discrimination is illegal according to the Portuguese Constitution, discrimination is widely reported amongst the LGBTQ+ community and new legislation was discussed in 2021 to address this.
Conversion therapy in Portugal is banned.
Current status
Since Jan 11, 2019
Banned
In 2019, after an open letter by 250 psychologists to the regulatory Ordem dos Psicólogos, the body affirmed that conversion therapy is malpractice and has no basis in science and is not justifiable. All psychologists wishing to practice in Portugal must be licensed with the Ordem dos Psicólogos.
Additionally, a bill that bans conversion therapy was passed by the parliament on December 21st, 2023. It was signed by the President a few weeks later and took effect on March 1st, 2024.
Additionally, a bill that bans conversion therapy was passed by the parliament on December 21st, 2023. It was signed by the President a few weeks later and took effect on March 1st, 2024.
Until Jan 10, 2019
Not banned
There is no legislation prohibiting conversion therapy in Portugal.
Equal age of consent in Portugal is equal.
LGBT Rights by District
View the LGBT laws in each individual district of Portugal.
- Viana do Castelo
- Vila Real
- Viseu
- Évora
- Região Autónoma da Madeira (Autonomous Region)
- Região Autónoma dos Açores (Autonomous Region)
Equality Rank
#69
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