Thus, in Portugal, it is now prohibited to hoist any flag other than the national flag, the flag of the European Union, the flag of a municipality, the flag of an autonomous region, or the flag of the Armed Forces on public buildings. International flags may be hoisted on public buildings during acts of a "diplomatic or protocol nature."

The new law prohibits public buildings from hoisting, for example, the LGBT flag, football club flags, political party flags, and similar flags.

The law covers "all buildings, monuments, installations, flagpoles, facades, and interiors for official use, belonging to or assigned to sovereign bodies, services of the direct and indirect administration of the State, autonomous regions, municipalities, and other public entities."

The new legislation does not extend to private spaces, where any flags can be hoisted, even at public events, that “do not involve official representation of the State.”

The decree also provides for fines for those who fail to comply with the new rules. Fines can range from €200 to €2,000 for negligence. The fine increases to between €400 and €4,000 in cases of use in bad faith. According to the decree, to assess the application of the fine, “the seriousness of the infraction, the degree of culpability, and whether the infraction occurred inside or outside the building are considered, as well as whether the flag was hoisted alone or in conjunction with the national flag.”