What is the Dublin Regulation?
Under the Dublin Regulation, your application filed in one European country may need to be examined in another European country, which means that you could be transferred to that country (see below the list of countries applying this regulation) for further processing of your asylum application.
This could happen if you have a family member in another country, or another country issued you with a visa, or if you were present in another country (regularly or irregularly) before applying for international protection in Portugal.
Therefore, it would also be applicable if you have made an international protection claim in another country and that claim has not yet been finalized, or you withdrew your international protection claim in that country.
Can I reunify with my family if they are in another European country?
If you are under 18, you are alone here, and a member of your family (parent, brother/sister, uncle/aunt, grandfather/grandmother) is legally present in another European country applying the Dublin Regulation (see the list of countries below), this country can be responsible for the examination of your application. If this is your case, do not leave the reception centre and inform your case worker that you wish to join your relatives.
If you are an adult and your spouse or minor children are resident in one of the countries where the Dublin Regulation applies (see the list of countries below) as beneficiaries of international protection or as asylum-seekers, that country may examine your application. If you wish to join your family members, inform the Immigration and Borders Service (SEF) immediately.
Which countries apply the Dublin Regulation?
All 27 European Union Member States: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, The Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Hungary AND Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
How does the Dublin Regulation work in practice?
When you apply for asylum in Portugal, the Immigration and Borders Service (SEF) will assess whether your application should be analysed in detail by SEF or whether the authorities of another country should handle your case. SEF will conduct this assessment based on available evidence and on the information you provide during registration and/or your interview. If SEF concludes that another country is responsible for handling your case, it will notify you that your case will not be admitted to the regular procedure and that it will be referred to said country.
If the final decision taken by SEF is to not admit your case for further processing based on the Dublin Regulation, you may file an appeal against that decision within 5 calendar days counting from the notification date. If you do file an appeal, you will be able to remain in Portugal until the end of the appeal procedure.
