List of presidents of Portugal

For Portuguese heads of state prior to 1910, see list of Portuguese monarchs.

• Top left: Teófilo Braga President of the Provisional Government of the Republic.
• Top right: Óscar Carmona was the longest serving head of state.
• Bottom left: António Ramalho Eanes was the first president elected in democracy.
• Bottom right: Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa is the incumbent president.

The complete list of presidents of the Portuguese Republic consists of the 20 heads of state in the history of Portugal since the 5 October 1910 revolution that installed a republican regime.

This list includes not only those persons who were sworn into office as President of Portugal but also those who de facto served as head of state since 1910. This is the case of Teófilo Braga who served as President of the Provisional Government after the republican coup d'état . Also Sidónio Pais, Mendes Cabeçadas, Gomes da Costa, as well as Canto e Castro and Óscar Carmona in their early months, were not sworn into office as presidents of the Republic, usually being prime ministers, but de facto accumulated this function, thus combining in practice head of state and head of government in one person.

See the notes for more information.

Election terms

The numbering reflects the uninterrupted terms in office served by a single man. For example, Jorge Sampaio served two consecutive terms and is counted as the 19th president (not the 19th and 20th). Teófilo Braga served as the first and sole president of the Provisional Government, and therefore is not considered to be the first president, although he would serve again as head of state and be the second president after the resignation of Manuel de Arriaga.

However, Bernardino Machado served two non-consecutive terms, and he is counted as both the third and the eighth presidents. Because of this, the list below contains 20 presidencies, but only 19 presidents.

Under the Constitution of Portugal adopted in 1976, in the wake of the 1974 Carnation Revolution, the president is elected to a five-year term with the possibility of running for a second consecutive term; there is no limit to the number of terms a president may serve, but a president who serves two consecutive terms may not serve again in the next five years after the second term finishes.

The official residence of the president of Portugal is the Belém Palace.

The current president of the Portuguese Republic is Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the winner of the 2016 presidential election and re-elected in the 2021 presidential election.

Presidents

The colors indicate the political affiliation of each president.

     Republican
     Democratic
     National Republican/Sidonist
     Evolutionist Party/Republican Liberal
     National Union/Popular National Action
     Democratic Renewal
     Socialist
     Social Democratic
     Nonpartisan

   Interim holder

First Republic (1910–1926)

No.	Portrait	President (Birth–Death)	Elected	Term of office		Political party	Ref.
President of the Provisional Government of the Republic (1910–1911)
-		Teófilo Braga [a] (1843–1924)	—	5 October 1910	24 August 1911	Republican	[1]
Presidents of the Republic (1911–1926)
1		Manuel de Arriaga (1840–1917)	1911	24 August 1911	26 May 1915 [R]	Republican later Democratic [2]	[3] [2]
2		Teófilo Braga (1843–1924)	May 1915	29 May 1915	5 October 1915	Democratic [4]	[3] [4]
3		Bernardino Machado (1851–1944)	August 1915	5 October 1915	5 December 1917 [C]	Democratic [5]	[3] [5]
-		Ministry (Head of State ex officio) President: Sidónio Pais	—	12 December 1917	28 April 1918	–	[3] [6]
4		Sidónio Pais [b] (1872–1918)	April 1918	28 April 1918	14 December 1918 [A]	National Republican [6]	[3] [6]
-		Ministry (Head of State ex officio) President: João do Canto e Castro	—	14 December 1918	16 December 1918	–	[7]
5		João do Canto e Castro [c] (1862–1934)	December 1918	16 December 1918	5 October 1919	National Republican [8]	[3] [8]
6		António José de Almeida (1866–1929)	1919	5 October 1919	5 October 1923	Evolutionist Party later Republican Liberal [9]	[3] [9]
7		Manuel Teixeira Gomes (1860–1941)	1923	5 October 1923	11 December 1925 [R]	Democratic [10]	[3] [10]
8		Bernardino Machado (1851–1944) 2nd time	1925	11 December 1925	31 May 1926 [C]	Democratic [5]	[3] [5]

Second Republic (1926–1974)

No.	Portrait	President (Birth–Death)	Elected	Term of office		Political party	Ref.
Ditadura Nacional (National Dictatorship) (1926–1932)
9		José Mendes Cabeçadas [d] (1883–1965)	—	31 May 1926	17 June 1926 [C]	Nonpartisan [11]	[3] [11]
-		Ministry (Head of State ex officio) President: Manuel Gomes da Costa	—	17 June 1926	29 June 1926	–	[12]
10		Manuel Gomes da Costa [d] (1863–1929)	—	29 June 1926	9 July 1926 [C]	Nonpartisan [13]	[3] [13]
-		Ministry (Head of State ex officio) President: Óscar Carmona	—	9 July 1926	16 November 1926	–	[3] [14]
11		Óscar Carmona [d] [e] (1869–1951)	—	16 November 1926	15 April 1928	Nonpartisan	[3] [14]
	Estado Novo (New State) (1932–1974)
		Óscar Carmona (1869–1951)	1928 1935 1942 1949	15 April 1928	18 April 1951 [D]	Nonpartisan from 1932 National Union	[3] [14]
-		António de Oliveira Salazar [f] (1889–1970) (interim)	—	18 April 1951	21 July 1951	National Union	[15]
12		Francisco Craveiro Lopes (1894–1964)	1951	21 July 1951	9 August 1958	National Union	[3] [16]
13		Américo Tomás (1894–1987)	1958 1965 1972	9 August 1958	25 April 1974 [C]	National Union from 1970 People's National Action	[3] [17]

Third Republic (1974–present)

No.	Portrait	President (Birth–Death)	Elected	Term of office		Political party	Ref.
Presidents appointed in the aftermath of the Carnation Revolution (1974–1976)
-	National Salvation Junta [g] President: António de Spínola		—	25 April 1974	15 May 1974	–	[18]
14		António de Spínola (1910–1996)	—	15 May 1974	30 September 1974 [R]	Nonpartisan	[3] [18]
15		Francisco da Costa Gomes (1914–2001)	—	30 September 1974	14 July 1976	Nonpartisan	[3] [19]
Presidents elected under the Constitution of the Republic (1976–present)
16		António Ramalho Eanes (born 1935)	1976 1980	14 July 1976	9 March 1986	Nonpartisan from 1985 Democratic Renewal	[3] [20]
17		Mário Soares (1924–2017)	1986 1991	9 March 1986	9 March 1996	Socialist	[3] [21]
18		Jorge Sampaio (1939–2021)	1996 2001	9 March 1996	9 March 2006	Socialist	[3] [22]
19		Aníbal Cavaco Silva (born 1939)	2006 2011	9 March 2006	9 March 2016	Social Democratic [h]	[3] [24]
20		Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (born 1948)	2016 2021	9 March 2016	Incumbent	Social Democratic [i]	[26]

• Left office early:

^[A] Assassinated.

^[D] Died in office of natural causes.

^[R] Resigned.

^[C] Forced to resign due to a coup d'état.

Timeline

Timeline of Presidents of Portugal (1910–present)

Birthplaces

Pais

Canto e Castro , Gomes da Costa , Carmona , Craveiro Lopes , Thomaz , Soares , Sampaio , Rebelo de Sousa

Almeida

Teixeira Gomes

Mendes Cabeçadas

António de Spínola

Costa Gomes

Ramalho Eanes

Cavaco Silva

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Birthplaces of the presidents of the Portuguese Republic. Not shown are Manuel de Arriaga (born in Horta, Azores, Portugal), Teófilo Braga (born in Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal), and Bernardino Machado (born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil).

Presidents by time in office

Rank	President	Time in office	Terms	Party
1	Óscar Carmona	24 years, 286 days	5	Nonpartisan →   National Union
2	Américo Tomás	15 years, 259 days	3	National Union
3	Mário Soares	10 years, 0 days	2	Socialist
	Jorge Sampaio	10 years, 0 days	2	Socialist
	Aníbal Cavaco Silva	10 years, 0 days	2	Social Democratic
4	António Ramalho Eanes	9 years, 238 days	2	Nonpartisan →   Democratic Renewal
5	Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa	9 years, 189 days (Incumbent)	2	Social Democratic
6	Francisco Craveiro Lopes	7 years, 0 days	1	National Union
7	António José de Almeida	4 years, 0 days	1	Evolutionist →   Republican Liberal
8	Manuel de Arriaga	3 years, 278 days	1	Republican →   Democratic
9	Bernardino Machado	2 years, 239 days	2	Democratic
10	Manuel Teixeira Gomes	2 year, 67 days	1	Democratic
11	Francisco da Costa Gomes	1 year, 288 days	1	Nonpartisan
12	Teófilo Braga	1 year, 87 days	1	Republican →   Democratic
13	Sidónio Pais	1 year, 2 days	1	National Republican
14	João do Canto e Castro	295 days	1	National Republican
15	António de Spínola	158 days	1	Nonpartisan
16	António de Oliveira Salazar	93 days	1	National Union
17	Manuel Gomes da Costa	22 days	1	Nonpartisan
18	José Mendes Cabeçadas	17 days	1	Nonpartisan

See also

• Portugal portal

• President of Portugal
• First Lady of Portugal
• List of heads of state of Portugal
• List of prime ministers of Portugal
• List of Portuguese monarchs
• Prime Minister of Portugal
• Politics of Portugal
• History of Portugal
  • History of Portugal (1910–1926)
  • History of Portugal (1926–1932)
  • History of Portugal (1932–1974)
  • History of Portugal (1974–1986)
  • History of Portugal (1986–2000)
  • History of Portugal (2000–present)
• Timeline of Portuguese history

Notes

1. Teófilo Braga served as President of the Provisional Government, the de facto head of government and head of state, from the republican revolution of 1910 to the election of Manuel de Arriaga, the 1st President of Portugal.
2. After leading a coup d'état, Sidónio Pais became President of the Revolutionary Junta and later Prime Minister (President of the Ministry). He then abolished the post of Prime Minister, assuming himself as the head of government as President of the Republic. He was assassinated in 1918.
3. Canto e Castro was head of the Council of Ministers that served as the head of state of Portugal after the assassination of Sidónio Pais in 1918, from December 14 to December 16. He then became interim president until the election of António José de Almeida.
4. Mendes Cabeçadas, Gomes da Costa and Óscar Carmona were the heads of the revolutionary provisional governments during the year of 1926. Although not called Presidents, they were de facto heads of state.
5. Óscar Carmona served initially as head of the revolutionary government after a counter-coup deposed Gomes da Costa. He was de facto head of state between July 9 and November 16, 1926. However he officially took office as President of the Republic on November 16, 1926. Six years later, in 1932, the Estado Novo was proclaimed and the National Union, the only legal party, was formed by António de Oliveira Salazar. Carmona joined the party and was the party's candidate for every presidential election (that were considered fraudulent) until 1951, when he died.
6. António de Oliveira Salazar, the dictatorial President of the Council of Ministers (a position roughly equivalent to the modern post of Prime Minister) occupied the post of president interim between the death of Óscar Carmona and the election of Francisco Craveiro Lopes.
7. Between the Carnation Revolution on April 25, 1974 and May 15 of the same year, António de Spínola was the head of the National Salvation Junta, being the de facto head of state and government. After May 15 Adelino da Palma Carlos became the Prime Minister, and Spínola continued as de jure head of state as President of the Republic.
8. Party member that suspended his membership during his term in office. ^[23]
9. Party member that suspended his membership during his term in office. ^[25]

References

1. "MRP - Teófilo Braga". www.museu.presidencia.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-08-28.
2. "Manuel de Arriaga - PREVIOUS PRESIDENTS: - PRESIDENCIA.PT". www.presidencia.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-09-03.
3. Braga, Paulo Drumond 1965- (2010). "Os Presidentes da República Portuguesa : sociologia de uma função".
4. "Teófilo Braga". PRESIDENCY OF THE PORTUGUESE REPUBLIC. Retrieved 2016-08-17.
5. "Bernardino Machado - PREVIOUS PRESIDENTS: - PRESIDENCIA.PT". www.presidencia.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-09-03.
6. "Sidónio Pais - PREVIOUS PRESIDENTS: - PRESIDENCIA.PT". www.presidencia.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-09-03.
7. "Lei Nº 833, de 16 de Dezembro de 1918" (PDF). www.parlamento.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-08-28.
8. "Canto e Castro - PREVIOUS PRESIDENTS: - PRESIDENCIA.PT". www.presidencia.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-09-03.
9. "António José de Almeida - PREVIOUS PRESIDENTS: - PRESIDENCIA.PT". www.presidencia.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-09-03.
10. "Teixeira Gomes - PREVIOUS PRESIDENTS: - PRESIDENCIA.PT". www.presidencia.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-09-03.
11. "Mendes Cabeçadas - PREVIOUS PRESIDENTS: - PRESIDENCIA.PT". www.presidencia.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-09-04.
12. "MRP - Manuel Gomes da Costa". www.museu.presidencia.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-08-28.
13. "Gomes da Costa - PREVIOUS PRESIDENTS: - PRESIDENCIA.PT". www.presidencia.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-09-04.
14. "Óscar Carmona - PREVIOUS PRESIDENTS: - PRESIDENCIA.PT". www.presidencia.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-09-04.
15. Alves, Maria Teixeira (2016-12-28). "Site da Presidência exclui Salazar da lista de Presidentes da República". www.jornaleconomico.pt (in Portuguese). Jornal Económico. Retrieved 2022-08-28.
16. "Craveiro Lopes - PREVIOUS PRESIDENTS: - PRESIDENCIA.PT". www.presidencia.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-09-04.
17. "Américo Tomás - PREVIOUS PRESIDENTS: - PRESIDENCIA.PT". www.presidencia.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-09-04.
18. "António de Spínola - PREVIOUS PRESIDENTS: - PRESIDENCIA.PT". www.presidencia.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-10-05.
19. "Costa Gomes - PREVIOUS PRESIDENTS: - PRESIDENCIA.PT". www.presidencia.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-10-05.
20. "Ramalho Eanes - PREVIOUS PRESIDENTS: - PRESIDENCIA.PT". www.presidencia.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-10-05.
21. "Mário Soares - PREVIOUS PRESIDENTS: - PRESIDENCIA.PT". www.presidencia.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-10-05.
22. "Jorge Sampaio - PREVIOUS PRESIDENTS: - PRESIDENCIA.PT". www.presidencia.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-10-05.
23. "PSD ratifica hoje apoio a candidatura de Cavaco Silva a Belém". Público (in Portuguese). 2005-10-29. Retrieved 2025-09-14.
24. "Aníbal Cavaco Silva - PREVIOUS PRESIDENTS: - PRESIDENCIA.PT". www.presidencia.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-10-05.
25. "Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa suspendeu a militância no PSD". Observador (in Portuguese). 2016-04-01. Retrieved 2025-09-14.
26. "Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa". www.presidencia.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-10-05.

External links

• Jornal de Notícias (January–May 2006). Museu da Presidência da República/Jornal de Notícias (ed.). Presidents de Portugal - Fotobiografias (1st ed.). Porto.
• "Portal da História". Biografias dos Presidentes. Retrieved February 8, 2006.