Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for providing a virtual federation of remote portals. According to one embodiment, providing a virtual federation of remote portals can comprise defining, by a portal system, a configuration of a virtual federation of a plurality of nodes. For example, each node can comprise an application server executing a different enterprise application and maintaining application content for the enterprise application in a separate database. The portal system can also define access control information for a user of the portal system. Each node of the virtual federation can similarly define access control information for the user. The system can then provide access to the application content of the nodes at runtime based on the configuration of the virtual federation and the access control information for the user defined by the portal system and the access control information for the user defined by the nodes.