Portugal Citizenship 2026: Portuguese Nationality Law Doubled to Ten Years

Verification Snapshot

The path to Portugal Citizenship has changed. On Sunday, 3 May 2026, President António José Seguro signed Decreto da Assembleia da República n.º 48/XVII, the most significant revision of the Portuguese Nationality Law since 1981. The decree amends Lei n.º 37/81, of 3 October, and substantially restricts the conditions under which holders of Portuguese residency, including investors under the Portugal Golden Visa programme, acquire Portuguese nationality by naturalisation.

This briefing answers the questions NTL International has received over the past forty-eight hours from clients holding Portuguese residency, Portugal Golden Visa investors with applications pending at AIMA, and prospective applicants weighing alternative pathways to Portugal Citizenship. Every operational answer below is anchored to the official statement of the Presidency of the Republic, the parliamentary record, the Constitutional Court's Acórdão n.º 1133/2025, and the Government's official communique. We have deliberately excluded commercial commentary and private legal opinion.

1. What was promulgated on 3 May 2026?

The Presidency of the Republic confirms that two decrees were received from the Assembleia da República for promulgation: Decreto n.º 48/XVII, amending the Nationality Law, and Decreto n.º 49/XVII, amending the Penal Code to introduce loss of nationality as an accessory criminal penalty.

The President promulgated only the first. Decreto n.º 48/XVII, which amends Lei n.º 37/81, was signed on 3 May 2026. Decreto n.º 49/XVII was not signed, because it remains subject to a preventive constitutional review request lodged by a parliamentary group on 21 April 2026. The Constitutional Court has 25 days from that date to rule.

This is a critical distinction. The headline change, the increase in residency requirements, has been signed into law. The criminal-loss-of-nationality regime has not.

2. When does the new law actually take effect?

Promulgation by the President is not the same as entry into force. Under the Portuguese constitutional framework, the decree must now be published in the Diário da República, the official gazette. The law enters into force on the date specified in the published text, typically the day following publication or as otherwise provided in the diploma's final article.

As of the date of this briefing, no publication date has been announced by the official gazette. Until publication, Lei n.º 37/81, as last amended by Lei Orgânica n.º 1/2024, of 5 March, remains the applicable regime. This is the operational position: the previous five-year naturalisation rule continues to apply to applications filed before publication.

3. What are the new naturalisation timelines?

Under the new Article 6, paragraph 1, subparagraph b), of Lei n.º 37/81 as amended, naturalisation will require the following minimum periods of legal residence in Portuguese territory:

The Government's official communique, published by the XXV Constitutional Government, confirms these thresholds and notes that the increase reflects a policy intent to require a more effective connection between the applicant and the national community. The Constitutional Court's Acórdão n.º 1133/2025 cites the same article verbatim.

Three additional substantive requirements appear in the new framework: a verified test of language and culture, sufficient knowledge of fundamental rights and the political organisation of the State, and a solemn declaration of adherence to the principles of the democratic rule of law. Final form of these provisions will be confirmed upon publication.

4. From when does the residency clock start?

This is the operationally most consequential change for current residents.

Under the 2024 amendment (Lei Orgânica n.º 1/2024), Article 15, paragraph 4, of Lei n.º 37/81 provided that, for the purpose of counting periods of legal residence, time elapsed from the moment a temporary residence authorisation was requested would be counted, provided the authorisation was eventually granted. This protected applicants from administrative backlogs at AIMA, the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum.

The Government's official communication on the new framework states that the residency period will count from the date of obtaining the residence title. The 2024 protective provision is reversed.

The practical implication is direct. Time spent waiting for an initial residence permit, often two to three years given current AIMA processing times, will not count toward the seven- or ten-year requirement. The clock starts when the physical title is issued.

The President of the Republic addressed this point directly in his promulgation note, stating that he assigns importance to ensuring that the counting of legally fixed time limits for obtaining nationality is not affected by the slowness of the State. This is a presidential interpretive remark, not a binding provision. Whether and how it shapes administrative practice or court interpretation will depend on the published text and on subsequent regulatory or judicial developments.

5. Are pending citizenship applications protected?

The President's promulgation note records, with explicit weight, that he assigns importance to guaranteeing that pending procedures are not, in fact, affected by the legislative change. He further states that any such effect would constitute an undesirable breach of trust in the State at both domestic and international levels.

Two observations are warranted on the legal status of this position.

First, the Constitutional Court's Acórdão n.º 1133/2025 already addressed this question. In reviewing the predecessor decree (n.º 17/XVII), the Court found that retroactively applying new requirements to applicants with pending procedures would create a disproportionate restriction on access to citizenship and would offend the legitimate expectations of those with pending procedures. The 1 April 2026 version of the decree was reformulated to address these constitutional findings, and the Government, in cooperation with the parliamentary majority, eliminated the temporal application provisions that had been struck down.

Second, the President's interpretive note is not, in itself, a binding norm of the new statute. Operational protection for pending applications will depend on the precise wording of the published text and on the administrative practice adopted by AIMA and the Conservatória dos Registos Centrais after entry into force.

Our compliance position: clients with applications already filed have a strong basis to expect their procedures to remain governed by the rules in force at the time of filing, but final certainty awaits publication in the Diário da República and any subsequent regulatory clarification.

6. What about Portugal Golden Visa investors waiting for AIMA?

The Portugal Golden Visa programme itself was not part of the legislative debate. The qualifying investment routes, the five-year permanent residency pathway, and the underlying ARI legal framework remain unaffected by Decreto n.º 48/XVII. The change is to the Portugal Citizenship timeline that follows residency, not to Portuguese residency itself. The Portuguese Golden Visa as an investor residency vehicle remains open and operational.

For Portugal Golden Visa investors who have already obtained their residence title, the path to Portugal Citizenship is now ten years from issuance of that title, rather than five. For those whose residence permit application is pending at AIMA, the situation is harder. Time spent in the AIMA queue, under the new framework, will not count toward naturalisation. Investors are encouraged to verify the date on their issued Portuguese residency permit and plan accordingly.

For an overview of the Portuguese Golden Visa as a residency programme separate from the Portugal Citizenship question, our country page is at Portugal Golden Visa. For passive-income Portuguese residency, see Portugal D7 Visa.

7. CPLP and EU citizens: what is the position?

Citizens of countries within the Community of Portuguese Language Countries, namely Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe, Equatorial Guinea, and Timor-Leste, retain a preferential timeline. Under the new Article 6(1)(b), they qualify for naturalisation after seven years of legal residence, rather than the ten years applicable to other third-country nationals.

The same preferential seven-year period applies to citizens of EU Member States. The Government has noted, in public statements by the Minister of the Presidency, that the proposal was discussed bilaterally with leaders of CPLP countries.

The seven-year regime, while preferential, still represents a forty percent extension of the previous five-year requirement. Holders of CPLP residence cards under the agreement should not assume that the prior fast-track will continue to apply once the new law enters into force.

8. Children born in Portugal: what changes?

Under the existing framework, Portuguese nationality of origin is granted to minors born in Portuguese territory who have at least one parent legally resident in the country, regardless of the title held, provided the parent has been resident for at least one year.

Under the new framework, this right is restricted to children of parents who have been legally resident in Portugal for at least five years. The President of the Republic addressed this point in his promulgation note, recording his expectation that future legislation and public policy give special attention to the protection and integration of children and minors born in Portugal to immigrant parents, including their access to health and education under the existing legal framework. This is an interpretive remark, not a binding directive.

9. Loss of nationality: is it now law?

No. Decreto n.º 49/XVII, which would amend the Penal Code to create loss of nationality as an accessory criminal penalty, was not promulgated on 3 May 2026. On 21 April 2026, the Partido Socialista parliamentary group submitted the decree for preventive constitutional review at the Constitutional Court. The Court has twenty-five days from that date to issue its ruling.

The current decree is the second version of this measure. The first version, Decreto n.º 18/XVII, was struck down unanimously by the Constitutional Court in December 2025 on equality-principle grounds. Whether the revised formulation survives constitutional scrutiny will determine whether Portuguese authorities can strip naturalised citizens of nationality upon criminal conviction. Until and unless the Constitutional Court approves it and the President promulgates it, no such regime is in force.

10. What should affected residents do now?

The compliance position depends on the client's specific status. NTL International recommends the following operational triage:

If you have already filed a citizenship application

Your procedure should, in principle, continue to be governed by the rules in effect at the time of filing. Document the filing date and any official receipt. Do not withdraw or amend the application without licensed Portuguese counsel.

If you have a residence title and have not yet applied

Verify the issue date on your residence card. The naturalisation clock, under the new framework, will run from that date. Calculate your eligibility under both the seven-year and ten-year scenarios depending on your nationality.

If you are waiting for AIMA to issue your first permit

This is the most affected category. Time in the AIMA queue will not count once the new law enters into force. Confirm the status of your file directly with AIMA and seek licensed counsel on whether interim measures, including administrative appeal in case of unjustified delay, are appropriate.

If you are considering applying for residency for the first time

The Portuguese pathway to citizenship is now substantially longer and operationally less certain. Comparative analysis against alternative jurisdictions is warranted before commitment of capital.

11. Alternative pathways for those seeking faster citizenship

Where the operational consequences of the new Portuguese framework are commercially or personally unworkable, several jurisdictions offer compliance-grade citizenship-by-investment programmes with shorter, more predictable timelines. NTL International, as a Government-Authorized Agent, advises only on programmes with established legal frameworks, transparent due diligence, and verifiable processing standards.

The Caribbean five, namely St. Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Dominica, and Saint Lucia, offer direct citizenship pathways with formal processing windows of several months rather than years, subject to satisfactory due diligence. Türkiye operates a real-estate-anchored citizenship programme. Vanuatu and Nauru maintain government-authorised investment programmes with their own statutory frameworks. Each programme has distinct investment thresholds, holding periods, and due diligence requirements that demand individual analysis.

Our overview of these jurisdictions is at our Citizenships main page.

Closing Position

The promulgation of Decreto n.º 48/XVII on 3 May 2026 closes a legislative process that began in October 2025 and was twice tested at the Constitutional Court. The substantive direction is clear: longer residency requirements, a stricter clock-start rule, additional civic and language conditions, and a sharper line between residency and citizenship. The constitutional and operational details, however, remain partly unsettled. Publication in the Diário da República is awaited. The companion criminal-loss-of-nationality decree is at the Constitutional Court. Administrative practice on pending procedures has yet to be tested.

NTL International will issue a follow-up briefing once the published text is available in the Diário da República. In the interim, clients with active or contemplated Portuguese matters are encouraged to schedule a compliance review.