The President of the Portuguese Republic is the Head of State and the highest magistrate of the Nation. Under the terms of the supreme law, together with the Assembly of the Republic, the Government and the Courts, it constitutes a sovereign body.

Its constitutional functions are fundamentally those of representing the Portuguese Republic, guarantor of national independence, of the unity of the Nation and of the State and of the regular functioning of institutions, being also, inherently, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces and Grand Master of Orders Honorifics. The President of Portugal wears a ceremonial sash, badge of the President in his capacity as Grand Master of the Ancient Military Orders (in three colors: purple represents the Military Order of Sant'Iago da Espada, green represents the Military Order of Avis, and the red represents the Military Order of Christ).

The President of the Republic is elected by the citizens, by direct and universal suffrage, for a term of 5 years, and cannot be reelected for a third consecutive term. Candidacies are proposed by citizen voters (a minimum of 7 500 and a maximum of 15 000) and the candidate to be elected must necessarily obtain more than half of the validly cast votes. For this purpose, if necessary, a second ballot is held with the two most voted candidates in the first ballot.

The salary and monthly allowances earned by the President of the Republic are governed by a special law. The salaries of other holders of political offices are defined according to the salary earned by the President of the Republic