Are there new rules for Portuguese citizenship? Yes. Portugal's most significant nationality reform in decades came into force on 19 May 2026, raising the standard residence requirement from 5 to 10 years (7 for CPLP and EU nationals). After a turbulent path (a June 2025 government proposal, a parliamentary vote, a Constitutional Court ruling, and a presidential veto), Parliament re-approved a revised text on 1 April 2026, President Antonio Jose Seguro promulgated it on 3 May 2026, and it was published as Lei Organica n.o 1/2026, de 18 de maio. The companion immigration reform (Lei n.o 61/2025) has been in force since 23 October 2025. This guide explains what is now law, who is affected, and what still follows the old rules.
What changed for Portuguese citizenship?
How many years of residence do you need for Portuguese citizenship now?
The standard residence requirement for naturalization rose from 5 to 10 years. Nationals of Portuguese-speaking (CPLP) countries, such as Brazil, Angola, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Sao Tome and Principe, and Timor-Leste, and citizens of EU member states qualify after 7 years. Nationals of EEA countries (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein) and Switzerland are not EU members, so they fall under the 10-year rule. (Lei Organica 1/2026, art. 6(1)(b).)
When does the residence clock start for citizenship?
Residence counts from when you first held legal status in Portugal under a residence visa or residence permit (art. 15(1)), not from when you applied. The previous provision (art. 15(4) of the Nationality Law) that let some earlier time count was repealed, and time spent waiting on a manifestation of interest or a pending permit no longer counts toward the period.
What level of Portuguese is required for citizenship, and what other requirements apply?
A2 Portuguese language: you must demonstrate at least A2-level Portuguese through a test or certificate. The A2 threshold sits in the Nationality Regulation (Decreto-Lei 237-A/2006), which the government had 90 days to adapt to the new law. That window closed in August 2026. On 29 October 2026 the Council of Ministers approved a decree-law regulating the new law, which sets the conditions for the language, culture, history and institutions tests and the subsistence requirement. It had not been published in the Diário da República as of 5 November 2026, so the format of the new civics test, and any change to the language level, is not yet in force.
Civics knowledge: a new requirement covers Portuguese history, culture, national symbols, fundamental rights and duties, and the political organization of the state.
Democratic-values declaration: applicants must solemnly declare their adherence to the fundamental principles of the democratic rule of law.
Criminal record: naturalization is barred for anyone with a final conviction to an effective prison sentence of more than 3 years for specific serious crimes, namely terrorism, violent or highly organized crime, crimes against the security of the state, or aiding illegal immigration. This is a rebuttable presumption that the public prosecutor weighs, and a suspended sentence does not by itself trigger the bar (art. 6(1)(f)). An earlier, far broader version, which would have excluded anyone convicted of any crime carrying a 2-year-plus sentence, was struck down by the Constitutional Court.
Can great-grandchildren of Portuguese nationals get citizenship?
Yes, but through facilitated naturalization, not automatic citizenship by descent. Great-grandchildren (third degree in the direct line) of an originario Portuguese citizen can naturalize with the 7 or 10-year residence requirement waived, but they must still have at least 5 years of legal residence in Portugal and meet the other requirements: language, civics, the declaration, and a clean record (art. 6(8)). The separate effective-connection-to-the-national-community test, proven by Portuguese language knowledge, regular visits, property, or involvement in Portuguese cultural associations, applies to grandchildren (second degree), who can acquire citizenship by descent (art. 1(1)(d)) but, under the new art. 1(3), must also meet the language, civics, declaration, criminal-record and security requirements of art. 6(1)(c) to (h).
| Relationship to a Portuguese citizen | Route and main condition |
|---|---|
| Child (1st degree) | Citizenship by descent |
| Grandchild (2nd degree) | Citizenship by descent, with proof of an effective connection to the national community plus the language, civics, declaration and clean-record requirements |
| Great-grandchild (3rd degree) | Facilitated naturalization: 7/10-year period waived, but 5 years of legal residence still required |
What is happening to the Sephardic Jewish citizenship route?
It is closed to new applicants. Lei Organica 1/2026 repealed art. 6(7) of the Nationality Law, the route for descendants of Sephardic Jews expelled in the 15th century. Applications formally filed before 19 May 2026 continue under the old rules, but a mere manifestation of interest is not a pending application. The government said the route had met its reparative purpose and cited concerns about document verification.
Can a child born in Portugal to foreign parents get citizenship?
A child born in Portugal to foreign parents can acquire Portuguese citizenship if, at the time of birth, one parent had at least 5 years of legal residence in Portugal (art. 1(1)(f)). Earlier drafts and some reporting cited 2 or 3 years, but the enacted figure is 5. A separate route lets a minor born in Portugal acquire citizenship where one parent has 5 years of legal residence and the child is enrolled in compulsory schooling (art. 6(2)(a)).
Can Portugal revoke citizenship for serious crimes?
No. The law in force contains no power to strip citizenship from someone who already holds it. Loss of nationality as an accessory criminal penalty was pursued in a separate Penal Code bill, and every attempt has failed: the Constitutional Court struck down the first version (Acórdão 1134/2025, 15 December 2025) and a revised version, Decree 49/XVII (Acórdão 409/2026, May 2026), and on 3 July 2026 Parliament refused to confirm it. A criminal record can still block you from acquiring citizenship, as above, but it cannot be used to take it away.
What the Constitutional Court actually ruled
On 15 December 2025 the Constitutional Court issued two preventive-review rulings. Acordao 1133/2025 struck four provisions of the nationality decree: the over-broad criminal bar, a vague rejection-of-the-national-community opposition ground, a manifest-fraud provision, and a transitional rule that judged pending applications by filing date rather than decision date. Acordao 1134/2025 struck the separate Penal Code provision creating citizenship revocation. Parliament then revised the text, and the version now in force omits the revocation power and narrows the criminal bar.
What changed for residency and immigration (Lei 61/2025)?
A separate reform of the Foreigners Law (Lei n.o 23/2007) is in force since 23 October 2025, enacted as Lei n.o 61/2025. The main changes are below.
What changed for family reunification?
Sponsors generally need 2 years of prior legal residence before bringing family members, but the Constitutional Court struck the original absolute bar, so there are exceptions. Minor children (and their other parent) face no minimum period, and a spouse or partner without common minor children needs 15 months of residence plus proof of 18 months of prior cohabitation. Golden Visa, highly qualified, EU Blue Card, and teaching or cultural permit holders are exempt. Minor children, a spouse or partner who is the other parent of a minor child, and the families of the exempt permit holders above can still be requested from within Portugal if they are already there; other adult family members must generally apply from abroad through a Portuguese consulate. Sponsors must show adequate housing and sufficient means of subsistence, excluding social benefits.
CPLP nationals now need an entry visa
Citizens of CPLP countries must now obtain the appropriate entry visa at a Portuguese consulate before travelling. The previous option to enter and regularize status in-country has ended.
Job-seeker visa
The job-seeker visa is now limited to highly qualified professionals with specialized skills aligned to the national labor market. As of 17 October 2026 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says this visa is not yet available at Portuguese consulates, pending the regulation of art. 57-A of the Foreigners Law.
New border-enforcement unit (UNEF)
A National Unit for Foreigners and Borders (Unidade Nacional de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras, UNEF) was created within the Public Security Police (PSP) by Lei n.o 55-C/2025 and has been operational since 21 August 2025. It handles border control, inland inspections, and removals. AIMA keeps administrative migration work, namely residence permits, renewals, and integration, and has no policing powers.
What happened to the residence-permit extension?
How does this affect Golden Visa holders?
The reform does not change the Golden Visa (ARI) itself. Investment amounts, permitted routes, and the minimal stay requirement are unchanged. What changed is the path to citizenship: most investors, as non-EU and non-CPLP nationals, now face the 10-year naturalization requirement instead of 5. The qualifying investment routes remain a 500,000 euro CMVM-regulated fund, 500,000 euro in research, 250,000 euro in cultural heritage (200,000 euro in low-density areas), 500,000 euro in company capitalization with job creation, or creating 10 jobs. The real-estate route ended in October 2023. For a full breakdown, see our Portugal Golden Visa cost guide.
Movingto's in-house lawyers lead Portugal Golden Visa applications from filing to AIMA responses, while a dedicated Case Lead manages your documents, banking and application milestones.
How does Portugal compare with other EU countries?
With a 10-year standard route, Portugal is now in line with much of the EU, while its 7-year track for CPLP and EU nationals stays competitive.
| Country | Standard naturalization period |
|---|---|
| Portugal | 10 years (7 for CPLP and EU nationals) |
| Spain | 10 years, but 2 years for nationals of Ibero-American countries, Portugal, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, and Sephardic Jews |
| Italy | 10 years (4 years for EU nationals) |
| Germany | 5 years (reduced from 8 in 2024; the 3-year fast-track was repealed in October 2025) |
These are the standard residence-based routes. Citizenship by descent, marriage, and other special paths follow different rules in each country.
Why did Portugal change the law?
The government cited demographic pressure, alongside administrative backlogs and a goal of aligning with EU naturalization standards. Portugal's foreign resident population reached 1,543,697 by the end of 2024 (AIMA, Relatorio de Migracoes e Asilo 2024), a record. The reform was framed as a move toward a regulated and humanist migration model that maintains openness while raising integration standards.
What should you do now?
If your nationality application was already pending when the new law took effect on 19 May 2026, the old 5-year rule still applies to you. If you are planning to apply, count your residence from your first residence visa or permit, allow time to reach A2 Portuguese and prepare for the civics test, and keep proof of every period of legal residence. Separate periods can be added together if they all fall within 9 years (CPLP and EU nationals) or 12 years (other nationals) (art. 15(3)). Because the nationality and immigration changes overlap and involve several agencies, professional legal advice is worthwhile before you act.
Sources
Lei n.o 61/2025 (Foreigners Law amendment, in force 23 October 2025); Lei n.o 55-C/2025 (creation of UNEF); Decreto-Lei n.o 85-B/2025 (residence-permit extension).
Tribunal Constitucional, Acórdãos n.º 1133/2025 and n.º 1134/2025 (15 December 2025) and Acórdão n.º 409/2026 (May 2026); Presidency of the Republic, note of 12 May 2026 on returning Decree 49/XVII to Parliament.
AIMA, Relatorio de Migracoes e Asilo 2024 (foreign-resident statistics).
Last verified: 17 October 2026.