The bill was approved by parliamentarians from the governing Socialist Party and its centre-left allies in spite of serious opposition from the country’s conservative president, who had vetoed earlier versions four times in three years.

It will allow people over the age of 18 who are suffering “lasting” and “unbearable” pain to request medical assistance in dying.

It permits euthanasia where “medically assisted suicide is impossible due to a physical disability of the patient”.

The law will only apply to citizens and legal residents of Portugal, and will not extend to people coming to Portugal to take advantage of the law.