Portugal Extends Citizenship Timeline | #MobilityMinute

Key Changes to Portugal’s Citizenship Timeline 

Portugal has just made a major change to its nationality law. In this Mobility Minute, Manager Pierangelo D’Errico, explores how until now, most foreign residents in Portugal could apply for citizenship after five years of holding legal residency. But under the newly approved law, the timeline is being extended to 10 years instead. 

Until now, most foreign nationals could apply for citizenship after five years of legal residency. Under the newly approved law, that requirement will increase to 10 years. For nationals of the EU and Portuguese-speaking countries, the qualifying period will increase to seven years instead.

Another key change affects when the residency clock begins. Going forward, residency time will only begin once a residence permit is officially issued, rather than from the date an application is submitted. Given ongoing processing delays at Portugal’s Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA), some applicants could face a significantly longer path to citizenship in practice.

(See our related insight on residence permit delays in Portugal for more context.) 

Portugal has long been a popular option for overseas investors looking to work towards citizenship in the EU. This is primarily since holders of the Golden Visa are not required to live in Portugal full-time to work towards naturalization, a unique characteristic of the route compared to other EU countries. 

(The Portugal Golden Visa pathway to EU citizenship explains this in more detail.) 

The good news is that the residency requirement for Golden Visa will remain unchanged, meaning holders can still qualify for citizenship while meeting minimum residency of around seven days per annum. 

If you're interested in obtaining EU residency in Portugal or any other jurisdiction, please get in touch with Fragomen Private Client Services today.