Portugal's New Citizenship Law Has Been Approved. Here's What Changes.

Last updated: May 5, 2026

Status as of May 5, 2026: Approved by the President, not yet in force. The law starts the day after publication in the Diário da República.

Portugal's President has approved the new law amending Portugal's Nationality Law, moving the country one step closer to longer citizenship timelines for many foreign residents.

The important point for clients is this: the law has been promulgated by the President, but it is not yet in force until it is published in the Diário da República. The approved text says it enters into force on the day after publication.

That creates a short but important window for anyone who is already eligible, close to applying, or waiting on a nationality application.

Quick answer

On May 3, 2026, the President of Portugal promulgated the decree amending Law No. 37/81, Portugal's Nationality Law. The approved text increases the residence period for naturalisation to 7 years for EU citizens and nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries and 10 years for most other foreign nationals.

However, as of the latest Diário da República check on May 5, 2026, the law has not yet appeared in the official publication. It is therefore approved, but not yet in force.

If you already have a nationality application pending when the law enters into force, the decree says the previous version of the law continues to apply to that administrative procedure. If you are eligible but have not yet filed, speak with a Portuguese immigration lawyer urgently before the law is published.

Current status

• Parliament approved the revised Nationality Law decree: Completed on April 1, 2026.
• President promulgated the Nationality Law decree: Completed on May 3, 2026.
• Published in Diário da República: Not yet found as of May 5, 2026.
• Law in force: Not yet. The approved text says it enters into force on the day after publication.
• Implementing regulation update: Pending. The Government has 90 days from publication.

This article should be updated as soon as the Diário da República publishes the final law.

What happened?

Portugal's Parliament approved a revised Nationality Law decree on April 1, 2026. The decree was sent to the President for promulgation.

On May 3, 2026, the Presidency announced that the President had promulgated Decree of the Assembly of the Republic No. 48/XVII, which amends Law No. 37/81, the Nationality Law.

The Presidency statement also referred to a separate decree, Decree No. 49/XVII, which would amend the Penal Code and create an accessory penalty involving loss of nationality. That second decree is not the same thing as the Nationality Law decree. It is still awaiting a Constitutional Court decision following a request for preventive constitutional review.

In practical terms, the citizenship timeline decree has been approved by the President. The nationality-loss criminal penalty has not cleared the same step.

What changes under the approved Nationality Law?

The approved text makes several major changes to Portuguese citizenship by naturalisation and nationality rules.

1. Naturalisation takes 7 or 10 years

The biggest change is the residence requirement for naturalisation.

Under the approved text, applicants must legally reside in Portugal for 7 years if they are nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries or EU citizens, and 10 years for most other foreign nationals.

This is the change most likely to affect D7, D8, Golden Visa, work visa and family visa residents who expected to apply for Portuguese citizenship after five years.

2. Applicants must show stronger integration

The approved text also adds or clarifies requirements around integration, including knowledge of Portuguese language and culture, Portuguese history and national symbols, basic knowledge of rights and duties, and a formal declaration of adherence to democratic rule-of-law principles.

Some details will depend on updated implementing regulations, which the Government must amend after publication.

3. Pending applications are protected

The decree contains a transition rule for administrative procedures that are already pending when the law enters into force.

In plain English: if your citizenship application is already pending with the authorities on the date the new law starts applying, the previous version of the Nationality Law should continue to apply to your procedure.

This is one of the most important parts of the law for current residents. It does not appear to protect everyone who already lives in Portugal. It protects administrative procedures that are pending at the moment the law enters into force.

4. The residence-counting rule changes

The approved text revokes Article 15(4) of the current Nationality Law.

That provision, introduced in 2024, allowed time to be counted from when a temporary residence permit was requested, provided the permit was later approved. It was designed to reduce the impact of state processing delays on citizenship eligibility.

By revoking that provision, the new law creates a serious practical issue for people affected by AIMA delays. The President's own statement highlighted the importance of ensuring that legal timelines for nationality are not harmed by state delays, so this is an area to watch closely once implementing guidance is issued.

5. Children born in Portugal face stricter rules

The decree also tightens nationality rules for children born in Portugal to foreign parents.

Under the approved text, a child born in Portugal to foreign parents can be Portuguese by origin if the child declares the wish to be Portuguese and, at the time of birth, at least one parent has legally resided in Portugal for at least five years.

There is also a naturalisation route for minors born in Portugal, provided one parent has legally resided in Portugal for at least five years and the child is enrolled in and regularly attending compulsory schooling when applicable.

Families planning around birth in Portugal should get case-specific advice, because small differences in residence history and documentation can matter.

Who is most affected?

If you already filed a citizenship application

If your application is already pending when the new law enters into force, the transition rule should keep your file under the previous law.

Keep proof of submission, payment, and any official confirmation showing the date your procedure became pending.

If you are eligible now but have not filed

This is the highest urgency group.

The law is approved but not yet in force. If you already meet the current requirements, urgently ask a lawyer whether your file can be submitted before the law enters into force.

Do not assume that being eligible is the same as having a pending procedure. The transition rule is written for pending administrative procedures.

If you are close to five years of residence

You may be affected by the new 7 or 10-year timeline if your application is not pending before the new law enters into force.

You should review your first residence permit date, any residence gaps, your nationality group, whether EU or CPLP status applies, whether the 2024 residence-counting rule was relevant to your timeline, and whether permanent residence at year five is the more immediate practical step.

If you are a Golden Visa holder

The Golden Visa programme itself has not been ended by this law.

The change is about citizenship eligibility, not the investment routes or minimum-stay rules for Golden Visa residence.

For investors, the key planning shift is that Portugal may become a longer citizenship route while still remaining a residence route with relatively low physical presence requirements. Permanent residence after five years may become a more important milestone for some investors.

If you are on a D7, D8, work, study or family visa

The same nationality timeline issue applies. If you were planning to apply for citizenship after five years of legal residence, reassess your plan under the approved 7 or 10-year framework.

The visa route may still be valid and useful. What changes is the expected timing of naturalisation.

If you are from Brazil or another CPLP country

Nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries are treated differently from most other non-EU nationals under the approved text.

Instead of 10 years, the new naturalisation residence period is 7 years. That is still longer than the current five-year framework.

What should clients do now?

If your citizenship application is already submitted, keep proof of submission and monitor the file.

If you are eligible now but have not submitted, ask a lawyer whether immediate filing is possible before entry into force.

If you are near five years but your file is not ready, review whether you can realistically submit before publication.

If you are not yet eligible, update your citizenship plan around the new 7 or 10-year timeline.

If you are a Golden Visa investor, separate your residence strategy from your citizenship strategy.

If your residence card is expiring, do not ignore renewal or permanent residence planning.

The key is not to panic, but also not to wait passively if you are already eligible.

What still needs to happen?

Three things still matter.

First, Diário da República publication. The law is not in force until publication, and the approved text says it takes effect the following day.

Second, updated regulations. The Government must update the Portuguese Nationality Regulation within 90 days of publication.

Third, administrative guidance. IRN, AIMA and related authorities will need to apply the new rules in real cases, especially around pending applications and residence counting.

FAQ

Is Portugal's new citizenship law in force today?

As of the latest Diário da República check on May 5, 2026, no. The President has promulgated the law, but it still needs to be published in the Diário da República. The approved text says it enters into force on the day after publication.

Did Portugal change citizenship from 5 years to 10 years?

The approved text increases the naturalisation residence period to 10 years for most foreign nationals and 7 years for EU citizens and nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries. The change is approved by the President but not yet in force until Diário da República publication.

Are pending citizenship applications grandfathered?

The decree says administrative procedures pending on the date the law enters into force continue under the previous version of Law No. 37/81. This is not the same as a broad grandfathering rule for every resident who has not yet applied.

Does this end the Portugal Golden Visa?

No. The approved Nationality Law changes do not end the Golden Visa programme. They affect the timeline and requirements for citizenship by naturalisation.

Does the clock still count from the residence permit application date?

The approved text revokes Article 15(4), the 2024 rule that allowed time since the temporary residence permit request to count if the permit was later approved. How authorities handle edge cases and state-delay issues should be monitored closely after publication and regulation.

What about the law allowing Portugal to remove nationality after crimes?

That is a separate decree amending the Penal Code, not the Nationality Law decree that was promulgated on May 3. The Presidency said that separate decree is still awaiting a Constitutional Court decision.

Official sources

• Presidency of the Portuguese Republic: President promulgates Decree of the Assembly of the Republic, May 3, 2026
• Assembly of the Republic: Decree of the Assembly of the Republic No. 48/XVII, approved April 1, 2026
• Diário da República: Daily publications page, checked May 5, 2026
• Current Nationality Law text: Law No. 37/81, Article 15 current version