New PSP Entry Rules Attract 4,000 Applicants Amid Portugal’s Police Shortage

Portugal’s national police have just recorded their busiest recruitment drive in half a decade. More than 4,000 hopefuls rushed to sign up for the next agent training course, encouraged by looser age limits, a lower height bar and the promise of a class starting as early as June. While the surge hints at renewed interest in the badge, unions warn that pay, workload and ageing ranks remain unresolved.

Key developments in a nutshell

• 4,027 applications submitted in less than a month — the highest tally since 2020.

• Age ceiling lifted to 35 years (up to 39 for some public-sector and military applicants).

• Minimum height set at 1.60 m for everyone, ending gender differences.

• Next training cohort projected at 800 recruits; classes to open in late June.

Wave of Applications Shatters Five-Year Record

The Police Security Service (PSP) closed its latest recruitment window on 23 December and found its inbox flooded with 3,102 men and 925 women. That is 635 more candidates than one year ago, an upswing officials describe as “unprecedented since 2020.” Such momentum arrives at a time when the force faces a shrinking head-count, with the average patrol officer already past 45 years of age. For residents from Bragança to Faro, the trend could mean shorter response times and, eventually, more police visibility on the beat.

The Rulebook Rewritten

Behind the spike lie rule changes signed off by the Interior Ministry in October. The most visible tweaks — raising the age limit, flattening height criteria and clarifying academic requirements — widened the talent pool overnight. Candidates now need only:

• Portuguese nationality and 12th-grade education.

• To be 18-35 years old (public servants and soldiers enjoy a four-year grace period).

• A clean criminal record and sound physical fitness.

• No more than one prior failure in the agent course.

Recruitment officers also scrapped the higher male height threshold of 1.65 m, a move in step with European neighbours that discarded similar rules in recent years. According to Chief Superintendent Helena Pires, the aim is to “focus on competence, not centimetres.”

Skepticism Inside the Force

Police unions concede the bigger applicant pool is good news but call the measures “cosmetic”. Paulo Jorge Santos of the ASPP-PSP argues that low starting wages, heavy shifts and limited career progression continue to drive talent elsewhere. “Younger generations crunch the numbers and opt for safer, better-paid jobs near home,” he told reporters. Union research shows that in a previous contest with 3,392 aspirants, only 633 cleared every hurdle. As a result, even this year’s bumper crop may not fully offset an estimated gap of 3,500–5,000 officers needed countrywide.

Portugal in the European Landscape

The new criteria place Portugal somewhere in the middle of Europe’s policing spectrum. Spain removed height bars in 2022, while the UK and France did away with them years ago. Germany still enforces state-by-state height floors, and Italy keeps a stricter age ceiling of 26 years for frontline posts. By nudging its own limits upward, Lisbon hopes to cast a wider net without compromising standards — yet must still compete with nations that promise higher salaries and lighter pensions.

Calendar and Next Steps for Applicants

Applications are now under administrative review. The PSP will publish provisional lists of accepted and rejected names in the coming weeks, followed by physical, psychological and academic tests. Officials target mid-June for the opening bell at the Torres Novas academy, where 800 cadets are expected to march in. A separate audition brought in 201 musicians vying for slots in the Civil Police band, a reminder that the force recruits beyond street patrols.

Why the Spike Matters for Residents

For communities already rattled by reports of longer emergency wait times, the prospect of fresh boots on the ground matters. More recruits could ease pressure on over-stretched precincts in Lisbon’s suburbs, reinforce summer policing in the Algarve and help roll out neighbourhood-oriented schemes from Porto to Évora. Still, the ultimate test will be retention: will these 4,027 candidates stay the course once they confront the reality of €1,000-a-month paycheques and overnight shifts? That unanswered question may decide whether today’s record-breaking turnout turns into tomorrow’s safer streets — or yet another hiring cycle spent chasing numbers.