Portugal approves amendments to citizenship law: PSD–Chega deal without transitional safeguards

On 1 April, Portugal’s parliament approved changes to national citizenship legislation. The decision came after the ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD) struck a late-stage deal with Chega, effectively sidelining the Socialist Party (PS) and its proposals for transitional guarantees for people who are already living in the country.

The bill passed with 152 lawmakers voting in favour, 64 against, and one abstention (JPP). That was enough to clear the constitutional two-thirds threshold required for citizenship-related provisions.

In a separate vote, parliament also approved amendments to the Criminal Code, introducing citizenship deprivation as an additional punishment. The result was 151 votes for and 65 against (also requiring a two-thirds majority).

Both initiatives were supported by the PSD, Chega and Liberal Initiative (IL). Voting against were the PS, Livre, the Portuguese Communist Party (PCP), the Left Bloc (BE) and PAN (People—Animals—Nature).

What the PSD–Chega deal changed

PSD parliamentary group leader Hugo Soares announced the agreement less than an hour before the debate began. He described the deal as an important step toward respecting portugalidade.

According to the discussion, the text was brought closer to Chega’s position on two key areas.

First, the “criminal obstacle” threshold for blocking access to citizenship was lowered: from the five years PSD had proposed on Monday to three years, as Chega initially demanded.

Second, the list of offences that could provide grounds for citizenship withdrawal was expanded. The Criminal Code added offences such as leading a criminal organisation, illegal trafficking in firearms and drug trafficking.

In return, Chega agreed to PSD’s approach to a rebuttable presumption and to procedural safeguards related to the “criminal obstacle”. At the same time, Soares clarified that the self-sufficiency requirement Chega had been seeking (which could limit citizenship applications from people receiving social benefits) was not discussed as part of the deal.

The application residence periods remain unchanged: seven years for EU citizens and citizens of Portuguese-speaking community countries (CPLP), and ten years for everyone else. The most striking point is that there are no transitional measures for current residents.

For example, PS proposals for a grandfathering clause, a phased rollout and a mechanism that would count residence time based on the date of submission were rejected.

How the debate unfolded

Minister of the Office of the Presidency’s cabinet, António Leitão Amaral, framed the vote as an opportunity to “correct historical mistakes”. In his view, the long-standing consensus on citizenship issues was “broken starting in 2018”.

PS MP Pedro Delgado Alves said constitutional risks remain. “In the [Constitutional Court] decision there are parts they either didn’t read or chose to ignore,” he said. According to Alves, PS tried to “limit the damage”, but “ended up on a bridge, waiting for someone to show up”.

CDS-PP lawmaker João Almeida went further, accusing the Constitutional Court itself of “judicial activism” and a “lack of common sense” after the decision adopted in December.

Chega leader André Ventura said the party achieved “extremely important results” and also accused the PS of “betraying the country”.

What happens next

The documents approved by parliament are now sent to President António José Seguro for promulgation. Seguro took office after the January 2026 election and is linked to the PS—the party that opposed the changes and warned about continuing constitutional concerns.

Lawyer Adriano Vieira (Apparcel Uriarte Abogados) noted that passage by a qualified two-thirds majority was expected, but said the current scenario is “not particularly favourable for Golden Visa applicants”. He stressed that the document is not law until it is signed: the president may both delay promulgation and use a veto.

In Vieira’s view, Seguro has a “strong political position” because he is affiliated with the PS, which supports a more moderate approach and the protection of legitimate expectations of those who viewed Portugal as an investment route.

The attorney added that prolonging the process could give additional time to people nearing the five-year threshold.

If the president vetoes the bill, parliament can override it with an absolute majority of all MPs (116 out of 230). If, instead, Seguro refers the legislation to preventive constitutional review, as the Socialists did in November 2025, the document would be suspended until the court rules.

After the vote, Ventura called the outcome a “good deal for the country” and warned that further constitutional disputes could follow. He also said that—effectively—today’s vote secured the two-thirds majority needed to override a presidential veto.

Fieldfisher Portugal partner André Miranda described the situation as a “clear sense of déjà vu” after the October 2025 vote, when—according to him—legislation was adopted that was “deeply unbalanced” and failed to protect investors’ expectations.

Miranda stressed that the president remains the key “checkpoint”. In his assessment, Seguro has publicly argued for a law that is as consensus-based as possible rather than socially divisive.

Liberty Legal founder Madalen(a) Monteiro, who in December submitted an amicus curiae brief to the Constitutional Court in the Golden Visa investors’ case, said the parliamentary decision confirms her expectations. She said Portugal is riding a “nationalist wave” affecting Western countries and regretted that parties are leaning on populist rhetorical tactics that ignore people’s rights and freedoms.

She also pointed out that parliament’s sitting was “highly divided and contentious”, and did not rule out that Seguro could refer the law to the Constitutional Court or veto it—given his public statements calling for broader agreement on the issue.

At the same time, permanent residency after five years is not affected. The Golden Visa regime itself was not part of today’s discussion.

If you’re planning to settle in Portugal and considering investment-based pathways to residency and potential next steps toward citizenship, it’s crucial to track how rules and enforcement evolve. Recent parliamentary amendments show that legislation can tighten without transitional measures—so your strategy should be built in advance. The team at Digital Nomad will help assess risks, choose the right route, and prepare your application according to current requirements.

Our Telegram channel about various types of Greek residence permits, digital nomad programs, and the Greek Golden Visa: @digitalnomadgr