On October 28, 2025, Portugal’s Parliament approved sweeping changes to the Nationality Law. The final vote saw 157 votes in favor and 64 against following months of intense debate and political negotiation. The bill passed with support from PSD, Chega, IL, CDS, and JPP, while the Socialist Party (PS), Livre, PCP, BE, and PAN voted against.
The Government’s alliance with the far-right Chega party was pivotal to the bill’s success, and the legislation now awaits action by President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. The President of the Republic has up to 20 days to either promulgate (approve) it, request a constitutional review from the Constitutional Court, or veto it and return it to Parliament with comments. If the President refers the law to the Constitutional Court, which may be likely, the Court has 25 days to issue a decision.
Key Changes to the Nationality Law
The newly approved law introduces stricter criteria for acquiring Portuguese citizenship and affects both immigrants residing in Portugal and descendants of Portuguese nationals living abroad. Let’s look at all of the changes that have been announced.
1. Longer Residency Requirements
The minimum legal residence for naturalization has been extended from five to ten years for most applicants. This is the biggest and most controversial change. Citizens of Portuguese-speaking countries (CPLP) and EU citizens can now apply for citizenship after seven years while applicants from all other countries must wait ten years to apply. The countdown toward eligibility will begin from the date the residence card is issued, rather than from the application date, which will significantly impact future applicants. This is a significant change from legislation that was passed in March 2024 to include the time spent waiting to receive an appointment or resident card.
2. New Tests and Integration Standards
Applicants must now demonstrate knowledge of the Portuguese language, civic values, and the country’s political system. Applicants will still need to pass the A2 language test but will now also need to pass a new civic knowledge test covering Portuguese culture, rights, duties, and history. They will also need to sign a formal declaration of adherence to democratic principles and have a clean criminal record with the threshold reduced from three years to two years. Applicants will also need to prove sufficient means of subsistence and have no sanctions from the UN or EU.
3. Stricter Rules for Children Born in Portugal
Children born on Portuguese soil to foreign parents will only be eligible for nationality if at least one parent has legally resided in Portugal for a minimum of three years and formally requests citizenship on the child’s behalf.
4. End of the Sephardic Jewish Nationality Program
The nationality route established in 2015 for descendants of Portuguese Sephardic Jews has been terminated. The Government described this move as part of a modernization effort to align Portugal’s nationality law with other European standards. However, many communities around the world view its closure as the loss of an important historical bridge of reconciliation.
5. Limits on Descent-Based Nationality
The right to claim Portuguese nationality by descent is now restricted to great-grandchildren of Portuguese nationals. This limits the scope that previously allowed some distant generations to apply in specific cases, but extends the previous law that generally extended only to grandchildren of Portuguese nationals.
6. Citizenship Revocation If You Commit Serious Crimes
Naturalized citizens convicted of serious crimes carrying prison sentences of five years or more may have their citizenship revoked if the crime occurred within a period shorter than their sentence after receiving nationality.
Implications for Residents and Applicants
For those currently living in Portugal, the reforms primarily affect the timeline and eligibility criteria for naturalization. Non-EU and non-CPLP nationals will now face a ten-year path to citizenship, while CPLP citizens will qualify after seven years. The Golden Visa and other residence permit programs remain unchanged, and permanent residency can still be achieved after five years of legal residence.
Existing citizenship applications will continue under the old law and provide a degree of protection for those already in process. Transitional provisions for pending cases are expected to be clarified once the law is published.
Although Parliament has approved the amendments, it is important to note that the law is not yet been enacted. All changes must await presidential review and potential constitutional scrutiny before they take effect.
Effects on Portuguese Communities Abroad
The reform carries far-reaching implications for Portugal’s global diaspora of more than five million people. While the core rights of children and grandchildren of Portuguese nationals remain intact, new administrative procedures and documentation requirements may become more rigorous once implementing regulations are finalized.
Community leaders urge emigrant families to verify registration status at their nearest Portuguese consulates, especially for children born abroad who have not yet been documented as Portuguese citizens. Diaspora organizations, including regional Casas dos Açores and Portuguese cultural federations, have called for assurances that the new law will not weaken Portugal’s connection with its overseas communities.
The termination of the Sephardic nationality route enacted in 2015 also affects thousands of families with historic ties to Portugal, particularly in Israel, Turkey, North Africa, the Americas, and the Caribbean. Advocacy groups have expressed concern that the closure ends a significant chapter of cultural and historical acknowledgment.
Final Thoughts
Changes to this law have angered the immigrant community in Portugal due to a lack of any considerations for grandfathering in applicants who moved to Portugal when the length of time to citizenship was only five years. It is surprising and understandably frustrating that even Golden Visa holders who made significant investments in the Portuguese economy are currently scheduled to receive no concessions or special treatment for the additional money they have put into the country.
Applicants, legal experts, and those previously considering making the move to Portugal are now holding their breath to see what will happen in the next few weeks, although the message that Portuguese Parliament sends is clear: If you want to live in Portugal, you are going to have to wait…and wait…and wait for it…and truly prove that you are an upstanding citizen who is willing to integrate into the country.
