Portugal Approves Legislation Banning Face Coverings in Public

Portuguese President António José Seguro has signed a measure that largely forbids individuals from covering their faces in public, a move widely seen as targeting Muslim women, according to AFP.

The legislation includes exemptions for health, professional, artistic, or weather-related reasons, as well as for individuals inside places of worship, diplomatic missions, or aboard aircraft.

Violators may face fines ranging from 150 to 3,000 euros (approximately $175 to $3,500), the outlet reported.

Afghan burqa-clad women stand in a queue as they wait to receive food aid from a non-governmental organisation (NGO) at a gymnasium in Kabul on Jan. 17, 2023. (WAKIL KOHSAR/AFP via Getty Images)

Lawmakers approved the final version of the measure, which local media have dubbed the “burqa law” because it concerns the full-body and face covering worn by some Muslim women, AFP said.

The law prohibits garments intended to conceal a person’s face or hinder identification in public spaces, and it bars compelling someone to cover their face on the basis of gender, religion, age, or national origin.

Portrait of President of the Portuguese Republic Antonio Jose Seguro welcomed by France s President for a working lunch ahead of their bilateral meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France on July 1, 2026. (Amaury Cornu / Hans Lucas / AFP via Getty Images)

“For the President of the Republic, an uncovered face is a foundational element of social trust, a hallmark of Portuguese society,” reads an English translation of a Portuguese‑language press release.

“Social integration, gender‑based non‑discrimination, and the security affirmed by comparable rulings of the European Court of Human Rights underlie this decision. The President shares the Court’s view that the face is central to human identity and communication, providing a basic means for mutual recognition among citizens,” the release notes.

“To require that only women conceal their entire faces creates an imbalance that conflicts with the principles of parity and equal dignity that underpin European democracies,” the statement adds.

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