Portugal votes to extend citizenship residency thresholds pending Presidential review

Revised nationality law extends residency requirements for citizenship eligibility 

Global Citizen Solutions (“GCS”), a leading advisory firm in citizenship and residency planning, confirms that on 1^st April 2026, Portugal’s parliament approved a revised package of amendments to the Nationality Law, again proposing longer residency requirements for citizenship eligibility. 

Under the approved text, nationals from the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) and the European Union will require seven years of lawful residence to apply for naturalisation, while all other nationalities will require ten years. These changes remain subject to final drafting and presidential approval and are not yet in force. 

Joana Mendonça, General Counsel at GCS, said: 

“The majority vote in parliament confirms the government’s intended shift towards longer citizenship timelines, as observed in June and again in October with the Nationality Law causing much debate on and beyond the parliament floor. While certain provisions have been adjusted during the legislative process, the overall direction is clear.  

This process has shown us, more than once, that a vote in parliament is not the final word. The President now has his moment, and the Constitutional Court may have another. We respect that — it is democracy working as it should. What we at GCS cannot accept is the absence of transitional provisions for those who made real decisions about their lives in good faith. There are rights at stake that cannot simply be legislated away.” 

• The new residency thresholds replace Portugal’s previous five-year pathway to citizenship, extending the timeline for all applicants. EU and CPLP nationals would require seven years of residence, while all other applicants would require ten years. 
• The criminal bar has been revised. Effective imprisonment of three or more years for specified serious offences does not operate as an automatic disqualification but instead triggers a case-by-case assessment by the Public Prosecutor. This assessment considers factors including the nature of the offence, time elapsed, and evidence of integration into the Portuguese community, with the possibility of judicial challenge.  
• A proposal to introduce financial self-sufficiency requirements was not included in the final text.  
• The law also confirms a change to how residency is calculated. Time spent awaiting issuance of a residence permit will no longer count towards the naturalisation period, which may extend effective timelines beyond the headline thresholds.  
• Additional provisions include revised rules for children born in Portugal to foreign parents, protections for long-term holders of nationality acting in good faith, and the introduction of a potential loss of nationality penalty for dual nationals convicted of serious crimes. This measure is expected to face constitutional scrutiny.  
• Parliament did not adopt transitional provisions for applicants who would have qualified under the previous five-year rule, leaving those currently in process subject to the final outcome of the legislative process.  

The legislative process now moves to the President of the Republic. Upon transmission, the President has eight days to refer the law to the Constitutional Court for preventive review. If no referral is made, the President has 20 days to sign the law into effect or exercise a political veto.  

Given prior constitutional objections to similar provisions and the continued inclusion of legally sensitive measures, a referral to the Constitutional Court remains a plausible outcome.  

Portugal’s revised citizenship timelines bring it closer in line with core European norms. While no longer among the fastest citizenship pathways in the EU if the law is signed into effect, it remains competitive when considered alongside its flexible residency framework and limited physical presence requirements. 

Even with extended citizenship timelines, Portugal continues to offer a structured pathway combining legal residence, EU access, and long-term optionality for global investors and families.