Ten Years to a Passport: New Citizenship Rules in Portugal

Photo: Unsplash

The Portuguese Parliament has approved amendments to the citizenship law, tightening the requirements for foreigners and changing the acquisition process, reports Público. The law extends the minimum period of legal residence in the country from five to ten years and introduces new criteria for cultural and social integration. The document will take effect after being ratified by President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.

The Socialist Party attempted to soften the amendments and proposed extending the period to only seven years, as well as prolonging certain programs with revised conditions. However, 157 members of parliament voted for the government’s version, while only 64 voted against it.

The main change concerns the required duration of residence. For most foreigners, the minimum period of legal stay in Portugal has been increased from five to ten years, and for citizens of countries where Portuguese is an official language and for EU member states – to seven years. Thus, the distinction that existed before 2006 has been reinstated, when these categories had more lenient conditions.

Citizenship applicants must prove their knowledge of the Portuguese language and demonstrate an understanding of the country’s culture, political system, and democratic values. An additional declaration of commitment to the principles of the Republic has been introduced, along with the requirement to prove financial independence and a stable income at the time of application.



Foreigners convicted to a real prison sentence of at least three years will not be eligible for a Portuguese passport. The law also allows revocation of citizenship from dual nationals sentenced to five years or more for serious crimes committed within ten years after naturalization. An exception applies if such a decision would render a person stateless. The law also establishes stricter rules for applicants previously convicted of terrorism: they will be allowed to seek citizenship again only ten years after their conviction is cleared.

The program for descendants of Sephardic Jews, in effect since 2015 and allowing citizenship without residence in Portugal, will be terminated. Numerous abuses and violations discovered during audits prompted this decision. Additionally, the Chega party succeeded in including a clause on revocation of citizenship obtained through fraud – such individuals will permanently lose the right to apply again.

The reforms also affect citizenship by birth. A child born in Portugal to foreign parents will be eligible for a Portuguese passport if at least one parent has legally resided in the country for five years. Previously, only one year of residence was required, regardless of the family’s legal status. Initially, a three-year term was proposed, but lawmakers decided to extend it to five. The only easing concerns descendants of Portuguese nationals: not only grandchildren but also great-grandchildren of Portuguese citizens will be eligible for citizenship if a proven link with the country is established.



Previously, Portugal was considered highly attractive for foreigners due to one of the shortest residence requirements for obtaining citizenship. Other rules were also relatively lenient. However, state institutions struggled to handle the massive influx of applications from foreigners. By summer, the system accumulated around 700,000 pending citizenship requests. Reports indicated that the Institute of Registration and Notary Affairs (IRN) faced a staffing and technical collapse: staff shortages exceeded 40%, with 266 registrar positions and nearly 1,900 registry office employees vacant. Further complications stem from IT platform failures, as it remains unsynchronized with the Agency for Migration and Asylum.

A similar situation is observed with residence permits and work authorizations. Foreigners are forced to file lawsuits to defend their rights. In the Administrative Court of Lisbon alone, 133,429 cases are currently pending against the AIMA agency. Up to 500 new claims are filed daily, and within three summer months, the number has tripled – from 50,000 in June to the current figures. Between July 14 and August 31, the court accepted 179 petitions to suspend deportations and 298 administrative lawsuits, significantly exceeding last year’s levels. Due to overload, six of the thirty-five TACL judges now handle only these cases.



The Migration Observatory notes that even before the reform, Portuguese legislation was not among the most liberal in Europe. Research by the Global Citizenship Observatory shows that the country offers less than half of the naturalization pathways available in the EU and ranks in the middle between lenient and strict models. Following the amendments, Portugal consolidates its position as a state with moderately strict citizenship rules.