Portuguese Nationality Law: What the Changes Mean in 2026

Portugal is set to make significant changes to its Nationality Law, with new rules that could mean you need to live in the country twice as long before you can apply for citizenship.

Although the law isn’t final yet, the news has left many expats, investors, and long-term residents unsure about what to expect if they want to become Portuguese citizens.

In this article, we’ll break down what Portugal’s Nationality Law covers, what’s changing in 2026, who these changes affect, whether the new rules apply to people already living in Portugal, and what all this means if you’re hoping to get Portuguese citizenship.

Portuguese Nationality Law: Key Takeaways

Portugal’s Nationality Law sets out who can become a Portuguese citizen, whether through living in the country, being born to Portuguese parents, or marrying a Portuguese national.

Portugal’s Parliament voted to make it harder to qualify for citizenship by increasing the required years of residency from 5 to 10 for most people, and to 7 years for EU and CPLP nationals.

These changes will mostly impact people planning to apply for Portuguese citizenship in the future, such as Golden Visa holders, D7 residents, and anyone living in Portugal long-term.

The new law is not in effect yet. Portugal’s Constitutional Court rejected parts of the proposal, so Parliament needs to make changes before anything becomes official.

Once enacted, the longer timeline will apply to new citizenship applications, while automatic retroactive application to pending cases has already been ruled unconstitutional.

Portugal’s rules for citizenship are set out in the Portuguese Nationality Law (Law No. 37/81, as amended), which works alongside the Civil Code and is managed by the Central Registry Office.

In the last ten years, the law has changed several times, with major updates in 2018, 2020, 2023, and proposed changes in 2025. Broadly speaking, there are two categories for the granting of citizenship:

• Original nationality, such as by birth or descent
• Acquired nationality through naturalization, marriage, or adoption

Each citizenship path is governed by distinct laws and requirements. For example, holders of the Portugal Golden Visa or the Portugal D7 Visa can apply for citizenship through naturalization after five years of legal residency in Portugal. However, there is no residency requirement for citizenship by descent.

The Portuguese Constitution also plays a role in how the nationality law works. Article 13 prevents discrimination based on ancestry, origin, religion, and political beliefs. This means that citizenship cannot be denied on racial or religious grounds. Especially important for expat residents transitioning to citizenship through naturalization, the Constitution ensures that once naturalized, a new citizen stands on a constitutionally equal footing with a citizen by birth.

But while the foundation of the Portuguese Nationality Law has remained unchanged, some tweaks to the regulations have been made or proposed.

Portugal has made big changes to its Nationality Law in the past, and several proposed amendments are all but a done deal. While some proposals have already been approved by parliament and are sitting on the President’s desk, the most significant change comes down to how long you need to live in Portugal before you can apply for citizenship.

Residency time

The latest changes to Portugal’s Nationality Law plan to increase the residency requirement for citizenship from 5 to 10 years. If you’re from a CPLP country or an EU member state, the wait is now seven years. These new rules make the process longer and bring Portugal in line with other European countries that have stricter requirements. It’s important to note that the President still needs to either approve or veto this change.

However, the Constitutional Court ruled in December 2025 that the requirement for residency was constitutional and valid. It was also previously confirmed that residency time can only be counted from when the initial residency permit was issued, and not when the application was made.

Additional requirements

The new law also adds more steps to the citizenship process. In addition to showing they have A2-level Portuguese language skills (if they are not from any Portuguese-speaking countries), they must pass a test about Portuguese culture, history, and basic rights.

There are tougher rules around criminal records, but the Constitutional Court has blocked some of the strictest measures, like automatically excluding people with certain sentences or using unclear reasons to deny citizenship.

Finally, the amendments also end the special citizenship route for descendants of Sephardic Jews and make it harder for children born in Portugal to get citizenship automatically. Now, parents need to have lived legally in Portugal for at least three years before their child is born.

01/ Non-EU residents who haven’t applied for citizenship yet

If you’re a non-EU resident planning to become a Portuguese citizen, the new rules will affect you the most. Until now, many people expected to qualify for citizenship after five years of legal residence. Now, you’ll need to live in Portugal for ten years before you can apply.

This is a big shift for retirees on the Portugal D7 Visa, investors in the Portugal Golden Visa scheme, skilled workers, and anyone on a work or entrepreneur visa, as it changes how you plan your future in Portugal.

02/ EU and CPLP citizens who haven’t applied for citizenship yet

Citizens from countries in the European Union and the CPLP block are also affected, but the change is less dramatic. The residency requirement for citizenship has gone up from five to seven years. While this is still shorter than the new ten-year rule for others, it means the fast-track option is no longer available.

03/ People who are already in the citizenship application process

If you’ve already submitted an application for citizenship after living in Portugal for five years, there’s some good news. The Constitutional Court has ruled that people with pending applications won’t be automatically forced to meet the new, longer residency requirements.

Transitional protections will be put in place for those already in the system. But once Parliament updates the law and it takes full effect, anyone applying in the future will need to meet the longer residency period and new integration rules.

04/ Children born in Portugal

Families should also be aware of changes for children born in Portugal. Now, a child will only get citizenship at birth if their parents have been legal residents for at least three years before the child is born.

No, the new rules can’t be applied to pending cases, and the Constitutional Court made this clear.

The Court found it unconstitutional to require people with pending citizenship applications to meet the new, longer residency timelines. This decision protects people who applied under the old five-year rule. The Court said you cannot just change the rules for them without proper notice or safeguards.

So, if you have a pending application, it will not be automatically reviewed under the new rules. Parliament now needs to fix the law before it can take effect. There may be new transitional rules, but they must be fair and respect the rights of people who applied under the old system.

For now, the current nationality law still applies. Even after the new law is published, how it affects pending cases will depend on the final rules set by Parliament. What is clear is that the new requirements cannot be applied automatically to people who have already applied.

Residency in Portugal and citizenship are governed by separate laws. So, no, the recent changes to Portugal’s Nationality Law do not directly affect permanent residency.

The Constitutional Court decision and the parliamentary amendments did not alter the five-year threshold for permanent residence, and the law remains the same.

You can still apply for permanent residence after five years of legal stay, as long as you meet the requirements, like proving basic A2-level Portuguese language proficiency, having sufficient financial means, having no severe criminal convictions, and showing proof of accommodation.

In short, the main change is that it now takes longer to go from permanent residency to citizenship.