Portugal’s Nationality Law Updated: Faster Path to Citizenship
Great news for immigrants in Portugal! The Portuguese Parliament has just approved significant changes to the Nationality Law, making it easier and fairer for residents to apply for Portuguese citizenship.
Key Change: Residency Waiting Time Now Counts for Nationality Applications
One of the most impactful updates concerns how the 5-year residency requirement for naturalization is calculated. Previously, the countdown to eligibility for Portuguese nationality only began once the first residency permit was officially granted. However, due to long processing delays at AIMA (formerly SEF – Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras), this led to an unfair situation where some applicants had to wait years before even beginning their five-year residency period.
The new changes fix this issue by including the time spent waiting for a residency permit as part of the required five-year period.
What Does the New Law Say?
Under the revised Article 15 (now including paragraph 4) of the Nationality Law, the time between submitting a residency application and its eventual approval will now be considered part of the legal residency period required for nationality, provided the residency permit is ultimately granted.
This means that applicants will no longer lose valuable time waiting for bureaucratic approvals. Instead, the official date of the residency application submission will now count toward the five-year requirement for nationality eligibility.
Practical Examples
To clarify how these changes impact real-life cases:
– Case 1: Someone who applied for residency in December 2021 but is still waiting for approval will now be eligible for nationality by December 2026.
– Case 2: A person who applied for residency in March 2019 but only received their first residency card in October 2021 (after an 18-month delay) can now apply for nationality by March 2024.
– Case 3: Anyone applying for residency in early 2024 can now be confident they will be eligible for nationality by 2029, no matter how long the approval process takes.
When Will the New Law Take Effect?
The law will come into force one month after its publication in the Official Gazette, following Presidential ratification. (January 31, 2025)
Why This Change Matters
This update is a major win for immigrants in Portugal. It corrects an unfair backlog issue and ensures that delays in residency approvals do not penalize applicants seeking Portuguese citizenship. If you have already applied for or obtained residency in Portugal, this new law works in your favor.
How We Can Help
If you need assistance with your Portuguese nationality application, our team of immigration experts is here to guide you through the process. Contact us today to start your journey toward Portuguese citizenship by checking out our page detailing eligibility and/or booking a consultation.
