Portugal President signs citizenship law update: naturalization timelines extended

On May 3, Portugal’s President António José Seguro signed an updated Citizenship Law. The move brings an end to a period of legal uncertainty that emerged amid concerns about the President’s position and the possibility of a referral to the Constitutional Court.

The decision received parliamentary support on April 1: lawmakers approved the amendments by 152 votes to 64. The compromise was reportedly built at the close of the debate between the governing Social Democratic Party (PSD) and Chega. The next step is publication in the Diário da República, without which the law cannot enter into force.

The main change affects the practical length of the route to a passport. For most applicants, the naturalization period has been doubled—from 5 to 10 years. For EU citizens and for people from the Portuguese-speaking community of nations (CPLP), the requirement is shorter: 7 years.

Just as important is how “residence time” is calculated. The countdown does not start when an application is filed; it begins when AIMA (the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum) issues the residence permit. This approach continues the logic introduced by the 2024 amendment: it is intended to reduce the risks linked to administrative delays that can occur before a person officially obtains status.

Presidential clarifications: emphasis on trust in institutions

When signing the law, Seguro accompanied the decision with explanations. In a statement from the presidential office, it was highlighted that the parliament’s two-thirds majority confirms the political weight of the reform and helps prevent a potential veto. At the same time, the President stressed the need for broader public consensus rather than decisions driven by momentary circumstances.

The statement also notes that any “reinforcement” of the so-called value test should be assessed through principles around which agreement is possible. The President avoided wording that could be read as ideological positioning, setting the tone for how the reform may later be interpreted by courts.

Another point made clearly is that further changes should not “blur” legal certainty. In the President’s framing, frequent amendments can erode confidence in the legal system and in state institutions.

Two aspects of the clarifications stand out most.

1) Applications already in progress. The President indicated that existing procedures should be preserved. In other words, the law’s entry into force should not worsen the situation of people who started the process under the earlier rules. Otherwise, the statement warns, it may be perceived as an unwanted breach of trust in the state—both domestically and internationally.

2) Timelines and real administrative capacity. Seguro also emphasized that the timeframes written into the law should not be effectively “consumed” by administrative slowness. According to lawyers’ estimates, the residence-permit issuance process through AIMA often takes 2–3 years. As a result, the total journey to citizenship under the new rules could be roughly 9–13 years.

At the same time, it is underlined that extending timelines does not remove humanitarian safeguards and integration support measures for children and minors born in Portugal, as well as for children of immigrants. Under existing legislation, access to core social rights—including healthcare and education—remains in place.

It should be noted that presidential remarks are interpretative rather than statutory. Even so, they can influence how courts read the reform provisions—especially in disputes tied to investor cases involving the Golden Visa, which were discussed by the Constitutional Court in December 2025.

What the “expected result” of the signing means

Madalena Monteiro, founder of Liberty Legal and the lawyer who prepared an amicus curiae position for investors, described the signing as predictable. She said that over nearly a year—while the reform steps were being shaped—the President consistently pointed to two core concerns.

First, applicants whose cases are already underway must not be disadvantaged; otherwise, the decision would be read as undermining trust in the state. Second, the “time framework” must remain real and should not become a mere formality due to administrative delays.

Monteiro also noted that the signing process itself was expected: the two-thirds parliamentary majority reduces the risk of the document being blocked.

Separate issue: loss of citizenship under criminal law is not yet fully settled

Seguro signed only one of the two documents sent to the President after the April 1 vote. Meanwhile, a separate act remains suspended—Decreto n.º 49/XVII. This measure provides changes to the Criminal Code and introduces deprivation of citizenship as an additional criminal penalty.

Several parliamentary groups have requested preventive constitutional review. However, the Constitutional Court has not yet issued a decision.

In December 2025, the court already struck down a similar provision while examining the first version of the legislation. If the updated wording is deemed permissible, Portuguese courts could theoretically apply deprivation of citizenship after a final conviction enters into effect.

Importantly, the Golden Visa program itself was not part of the package being discussed here. The right to permanent residence after 5 years remains unchanged; the new timelines relate specifically to naturalization.

The law will take effect after publication in the Diário da República. At the time this article was prepared, the publication date had not been announced.

Expert view: why the “starting point” matters more than the headline numbers

In practice, the key to understanding the reform is not only that naturalization timelines have been extended (from 5 to 10 years overall, or to 7 years for certain categories). It is also which specific document becomes the legal trigger. Shifting the start of the countdown to the date the residence permit is issued by AIMA effectively changes how applicants plan: the critical factor becomes the processing timeline for status, not the moment the application package is submitted. This is especially significant for people dealing with incomplete documents or requests for additional evidence—because even when a file is otherwise “ready,” delays in issuing the residence permit shift the entire downstream timetable. That is why, in advisory strategies, lawyers increasingly build project calendars around the expected date of AIMA’s decision and the likelihood of follow-up requests, rather than around the submission date.

Expert note: Portugal’s citizenship rules are often discussed as a simple “residency years” formula, but in reality they sit at the intersection of immigration status and administrative practice. A less obvious point is that continuity of residence and the legal validity of your status can become decisive during evaluation—not only the total duration. In other words, even when the law sets a minimum number of years, applicants may still face hurdles if their residence situation is fragmented or if documentation does not clearly demonstrate uninterrupted lawful stay. Specialists therefore tend to treat the citizenship application as a documentation-management exercise as much as a timeline exercise.

Planning a move to Portugal with clear timelines and a strategy for legalization? The new citizenship law changes the practical duration of naturalization, so it’s smart to review your path against the latest requirements in advance. At Digital Nomad, we help you assess the best option for your situation, including routes via investment programs and the next steps for status processing. Learn more on our Golden Visa page.

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