The Portuguese Parliament is currently reviewing significant changes to its citizenship law, which were first announced in June 2025. The proposed reforms (which are still under debate) could redefine who qualifies for Portuguese nationality and under what conditions it can be lost. Here are the latest updates and changes as of October 2025.
The Debate and Delays
The new proposal to reform the Citizenship Law was scheduled for discussion in the parliamentary committee on Constitutional Affairs, Rights, Freedoms, and Guarantees with a push for a decision the week of October 13, 2025. However, the Socialist Party (PS) has now requested an additional week to review the draft law, suggest amendments, and reflect on some of the more sensitive issues. The committee accepted the request and has now postponed the debate until October 22, 2025. During this period, Parliament will also consult with various groups, including the Permanent Council of the Council of Portuguese Communities, which represents Portuguese citizens living abroad.
Key Changes in the Proposed Nationality Law
- While the proposed changes still include the extension of citizenship from five years to seven years for people from the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP), new reforms to the Citizenship Law now also allow citizens of the European Union to become Portuguese citizens in seven years rather than the previously proposed ten years. This change is intended to ensure a fairer system and bring the law into closer alignment with the constitutional principle of equality.
- Another key change is that the earlier proposal that would have applied the new Citizenship Law retroactively to June 19, 2025 has been removed.
Changes to Potential Loss of Citizenship
A more controversial element of the reform concerns the potential loss of nationality. The new draft allows courts to revoke Portuguese citizenship from naturalized citizens who have been sentenced to an effective prison term of five years or more, provided that they have held Portuguese nationality for less than ten years.
However, the law also introduces several safeguards. Courts must consider the seriousness of the offense, the person’s level of integration into Portuguese society, and whether the act demonstrated disregard for the values and security of the Portuguese state. Importantly, the loss of nationality cannot be applied for political reasons alone. Lawmakers emphasize that this penalty is not meant to punish a crime twice, but rather to address serious violations of trust between the individual and the state.
Another key point in the reform is the protection against statelessness. Portuguese legislation strictly prohibits creating stateless individuals. This means that nationality can only be revoked from someone who still holds another nationality. Citizens from countries that do not allow dual nationality, such as India, China, Pakistan, or Bangladesh, would therefore be protected from losing their Portuguese citizenship, since doing so would leave them without any nationality.
What Comes Next
At this stage, many aspects of the proposal remain open to debate. The President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, has acknowledged the sensitivity of the proposed measures, particularly those concerning the potential loss of nationality. He has stated that he prefers to wait until the parliamentary discussions are complete before issuing a final opinion. The new version of the Foreigners’ Law, which was approved in Parliament in September after being revised by the Constitutional Court, is also awaiting the President’s decision. His verdict on whether to send it back for further review is expected soon.
If approved, the revised Citizenship Law could tighten integration requirements, extend the period required for naturalization, and apply closer scrutiny to applicants’ criminal histories and community involvement.
For those concerned about potential changes, there are several key areas to watch. It remains to be seen whether transitional rules will protect people who are already in the process of applying for nationality. The exact timing for when the new law would take effect also has yet to be defined. Legal experts are debating how courts would interpret the concepts of “integration” and “disregard for constitutional values,” and whether exceptions might apply for long-term residents.
There is also a chance that President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, will prefer to wait for the end of the debate in Parliament to decide whether or not to send the updated version of the Citizenship Law to Constitutional Court for further review. The President may also delay his final decision until a new president is elected next year, waiting for them to sign the final Citizenship reforms into law.
Final Thoughts
In summary, no new changes to the Citizenship Law have been finalized, and the debate continues in Parliament. Applicants and residents are encouraged to stay informed, as new amendments and decisions could shape the final version of the law in the weeks ahead.
