Portugal has updated its citizenship laws. In particular, the qualifying period for many applications will be longer.
Portugal introduced significant changes to its Nationality Law through Organic Law No. 1/2026 of 18 May, which entered into force on 19 May 2026.
The legislation affects several routes to Portuguese nationality, including naturalisation based on legal residence.
One of the most important questions for applicants is whether the new rules apply to applications that were already pending when the legislation entered into force.
1. New residence requirements for naturalisation
Under the revised legislation, the general qualifying residence periods are:
- Seven years for citizens of European Union Member States and nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries.
- Ten years for nationals of other countries.
These residence periods are only one element of the naturalisation requirements.
Applicants must also satisfy the other legal conditions applicable to their circumstances.
2. Additional knowledge and integration requirements
The revised law introduces requirements concerning knowledge of Portuguese language and culture, Portuguese history and national symbols, fundamental rights and duties, and the organisation of the Portuguese political system.
Applicants must also meet requirements concerning their ability to support themselves and the other statutory conditions.
The method of demonstrating compliance should be checked against the applicable regulations and official guidance.
3. Can separate periods of legal residence be combined?
An important change concerns the calculation of residence periods.
The revised legislation allows qualifying periods of legal residence to be added together even where they are not continuous, provided they fall within the statutory reference period.
The relevant maximum intervals are six, nine or twelve years, depending on the applicant's category.
This provision may be particularly relevant to individuals whose residence history includes interruptions.
However, the dates and legal basis of each period must be carefully assessed.
4. What happens to applications submitted before 19 May 2026?
This is one of the most important protections introduced by the legislation.
The transitional provisions establish that administrative nationality applications already pending when the new law entered into force remain subject to the previous version of the Nationality Law.
Therefore, applicants who submitted their applications before 19 May 2026 should not automatically assume that the new residence periods apply to them.
The date on which the application became legally pending is an important consideration.
5. Does the law affect nationality through marriage or descent?
The amendments extend beyond residence-based naturalisation.
Applicants seeking nationality through marriage, Portuguese ancestry or other legal routes should assess the specific provisions governing their category.
Not all nationality applications are subject to the same residence requirements.
6. What should applicants do?
Before submitting a new nationality application, applicants should confirm their eligibility under the current legislation.
Those with pending applications should retain evidence of the submission date, application reference number and correspondence received from the competent authorities.
Where an application has remained pending for several years, a separate assessment of possible administrative or judicial remedies may be appropriate.
Legal reference: Organic Law No. 1/2026 of 18 May 2026, amending Law No. 37/81 of 3 October.