In a decisive move this Friday, Portugal’s Assembly of the Republic approved a law to forbid wearing the burqa in public spaces. The legislative initiative was brought forward by the Chega party and secured backing from three other parties: PSD, IL, and CDS-PP.
The vote was not unanimous. The PS (Socialist Party), Livre, the PCP, and BE opposed the ban while members of JPP and PAN chose to abstain. The parties supporting the measure emphasized reasons of women’s rights, public safety, identification, and social integration as key justifications.
Consequences for Violations
Under the proposed law, fines for violating the face-covering ban would range from 200 to 4,000 euros. The text forbids garments intended to hide or obstruct the view of one’s face in public settings. However, a number of exceptions would be allowed for health, safety, cultural, or religious reasons under specific circumstances.
During the parliamentary debate, Chega’s leadership framed the measure as protecting women from coercion, arguing that a woman forced to wear a burqa loses autonomy and becomes objectified. The leader of Chega also stated that immigrants and others arriving in Portugal must adhere to Portuguese social norms including respecting the requirement that faces be visible in public. Some members from the supporting parties voiced concerns about identification, public order, and holding up the principle that no tradition or imposition should silence a person’s presence in society.
Meanwhile, opposition parties warned of the risks of discrimination, violations of religious freedom, and potential stigmatization of Muslim communities. The PS cautioned that crafting such laws demands care, especially when elements of far-right rhetoric might single out a specific minority group. Livre accused Chega of deliberately supplying a poorly drafted proposal to trap dissenters, and the BE argued that the measure undermines constitutional guarantees of religious freedom, conscience, and individual liberty. The PCP questioned whether the issue being addressed truly represents a social problem and warned against spreading hatred toward Muslim women.
The bill will next proceed to the parliamentary committee on Constitutional Affairs, Rights, Freedoms and Guarantees for further examination and possible amendment.
Burqa and Niqab Bans in Other Parts of Europe
Portugal is joining a growing number of European countries that have, in recent years, enacted bans or restrictions on full face coverings such as the burqa or niqab.
Some notable examples include France introducing its national ban on full-face coverings in 2011, becoming the first European country to do so. Belgium passed similar legislation in 2010, prohibiting clothing that obscures one’s identity. Bulgaria followed in 2016, citing public security concerns, while Austria adopted its own ban in 2017. Denmark’s law took effect in 2018, which forbid face coverings in public spaces. The Netherlands approved a partial ban in 2012 that applies to public institutions such as schools, hospitals, and public transport. Norway’s parliament passed a ban on face coverings in educational institutions the same year. Finally, Switzerland became the most recent European country to adopt such a law, following a 2021 referendum that led to a nationwide ban effective January 2025.
With this new legislation, Portugal now joins several others in Europe that have, over the past decade or more, moved to restrict full-face coverings in public, each with its own legal framework, exceptions, and enforcement measures.
