Who are the Punjabis in Portugal?

Over the last 30 years, more and more people from Punjab and Haryana have moved to Portugal, joining older Indian communities from Goa, Daman & Diu and Gujarat. Many are Sikhs, but there are also Hindus and others. Official Indian estimates say there are around 100,000 people of Indian origin in Portugal, and within that, the Punjabi and Sikh share has grown very fast since the 1990s.​

Punjabis are now present not only in Lisbon and Porto, but also in the Algarve (places like Albufeira and Lagos) and smaller towns where there is construction, agriculture or tourism work.​

When did Punjabis start coming?

The Punjabi story in Portugal is quite recent compared to Goan or Gujarati migration. Serious numbers only started arriving in the early 1990s. At that time, Portugal had a construction boom and labour shortages, and immigration rules were relatively open.bagichablog+2​

Many early arrivals were young Sikh men who came to work on building sites or in agriculture. Some came directly from Punjab, others moved from other EU countries where their situation was unstable, and then chose Portugal because the cost of living was lower and there were clearer paths to legal status and, later, citizenship.​

How many Punjabis and Sikhs are there?

Exact numbers are difficult because some people are still regularising their status, but several sources give a useful picture:

• The Indian Embassy has estimated around 10,5000 people of Indian origin in Portugal.​

• Overall, Indians (including Goans, Gujaratis, and Punjabis) are roughly 1% of Portugal’s population.​

• For Sikhs specifically, estimates suggest growth from about 5,000 in 2007 to 10,000 in 2010, and around 35,000 by 2024.​

Most of these recent Sikhs are from Punjab and Haryana, and many are working‑age adults with young families.​

Where do Punjabis live and work?

Punjabis live across the country, but there are clear clusters:

• Lisbon region – many work in construction, cleaning, restaurants and shops.​

• Porto – strong Sikh presence, visible in events like the Vaisakhi Nagar Kirtan.​

• Algarve (Albufeira, Lagos, etc.) – tourism, hotels and restaurants, plus some agriculture.​

• Smaller towns – agriculture, factories and seasonal work in districts like Beja, Santarém and Leiria.​

Over time, many Punjabis have moved from heavy labour in construction and agriculture into hospitality, retail and small business. You can now see Punjabi‑run Indian restaurants, minimarkets, barber shops and taxi services in several Portuguese cities.​

Work, documents and everyday reality

For many Punjabis, the first years in Portugal are tough. People often start with long hours, low pay and shared accommodation, sometimes without full legal documents. Several reports and personal accounts describe:

• 10–12 hour work days in construction, cleaning or farm work.

• Living with multiple workers in small flats to save on rent.

• Depending on agents or middlemen to find jobs and navigate the system.​

However, Portugal has also offered something important: chances for regularisation and legal residence. Over the past decades, amnesties and new rules have allowed many workers to move from “no papers” to residency, then later to permanent residence or even citizenship. Embassy and blog reports note that Portugal’s relatively open policies and EU citizenship route were major reasons Punjabis chose this country.​

Religion, gurdwaras and community life

Punjabi Sikhs have built an active religious and cultural life in Portugal:

• There are gurdwaras in Lisbon and other cities which host weekly sangat, kirtan and langar.lisbongurudwara.​

• Community centres and gurdwaras also act as informal support hubs: people share information about jobs, housing, documents and language classes.​

• Public celebrations like Vaisakhi and Nagar Kirtan are now visible in streets of cities such as Porto, sometimes attracting thousands of participants.These institutions help Punjabis keep their language, faith and family traditions alive, while also introducing Sikh culture to Portuguese neighbours.

Challenges: language, integration and identity

Integration is not automatic. Punjabis in Portugal face several challenges:

• Language barrier – many first‑generation adults speak only basic Portuguese and struggle with bureaucracy, health services and schools, while their children grow up fluent and often act as translators.​

• Precarious work – concentration in low‑wage sectors means exposure to exploitation, unsafe conditions and economic insecurity when work slows down.

• Identity for the second generation – young people can feel caught between Punjabi and Portuguese worlds, balancing family expectations with their own ambitions.Despite these difficulties, many Punjabis say their overall quality of life – safety, schooling for children, access to health care – is better in Portugal than what they had before, whether in Punjab or in other EU countries.​

Contribution to Portugal

Punjabis are not just “workers”; they are helping shape modern Portugal in several ways:

• Economic contribution – they fill labour gaps in construction, agriculture, hospitality and services, supporting Portugal’s growth, especially in tourism and exports.aman-alliance+2​

• Demographic support – in an ageing country with low birth rates, young migrant families help keep schools open and local economies alive.home-affairs.​

• Cultural diversity – Punjabi food, music, festivals and visible Sikh identity (turban, beard, langar) add new layers to Portuguese urban culture, especially in Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve.​

As the community stabilises, more Punjabis are opening businesses, entering skilled jobs and raising children who may become future professionals, entrepreneurs and possibly even elected representatives.

The Punjabi story in Portugal is still young. In the 1990s there were only a few thousand Sikhs; by the mid‑2020s the estimate is around 35,000 Sikhs and many more Punjabis overall.The next chapters will depend on:

• How immigration and nationality rules evolve.​

• How strongly the community invests in language learning and education for the second generation.​

• How Portuguese society responds – with openness and fair work conditions, or with more barriers.​

For now, one thing is clear: Punjabis are no longer just passing through Portugal. They are building lives, families and futures here – and becoming part of the country’s social and economic backbone.