Residency
Portugal — Residency: Citizenship
Portugal's nationality law was amended by Organic Law 1/2026, which took effect on 19 May 2026 after Constitutional Court review. Naturalisation now needs seven years of legal residence for nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries and EU member states, and ten years for everyone else, instead of the previous five years for all. Applicants must also show integration, including Portuguese language knowledge. The Constitutional Court separately examined a fifteen-year period for loss of nationality, and the outcome was not found; check the Diário da República and the Ministry of Justice for the final text and transitional rules.
VerifiedGovernment / official sourceGoverno de Portugal; Ministério da Justiça — Lei da Nacionalidade (2026)Last reviewed: 2026-10-23
Key facts
- Organic Law 1/2026 took effect on 19 May 2026.
- Naturalisation needs seven years of legal residence for nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries and EU member states, and ten years for others (previously five years for all).
- Applicants must show integration, including Portuguese language knowledge.
- Check the Diário da República and the Ministry of Justice for transitional rules.
Timelines
- Residence for naturalisation, CPLP and EU nationals: 7 years
- Residence for naturalisation, other nationals: 10 years
Common mistakes
- Planning around the old five-year rule — it changed on 19 May 2026.