Portugal has officially published the amendments to the Portuguese Nationality Law in the Diário da República on 18 May 2026, with the amendments expected to enter into force tomorrow.

The publication follows several months of parliamentary debate, constitutional review, and public discussion regarding the future framework of Portuguese nationality and immigration policy.

The amendments introduce significant changes to the residency period required for naturalization, as well as to the method used to calculate the qualifying residency timeline for Portuguese citizenship. These developments are expected to be particularly relevant for foreign residents currently planning their long-term residency and citizenship strategy in Portugal, including investors under the Golden Visa regime.

Main Amendments Introduced

Under the legislation now published:

• Nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries (CPLP/PALOP countries) will generally be required to complete 7 years of legal residency before becoming eligible to apply for Portuguese citizenship through naturalization;
• Other foreign nationals will generally be required to complete 10 years of legal residency before becoming eligible for citizenship.

Another particularly relevant amendment concerns the method for calculating the qualifying residency period.

According to the published text, the residency period required for nationality purposes will now generally begin from the date of issuance of the first residence permit card by AIMA, rather than from the date of submission of the residency application.

This represents a substantial change from the previous approach, which had sought to mitigate the impact of administrative processing timelines on applicants.

Practical Implications of the New Residency Counting Rule

The amendment concerning the residency counting criteria may have significant practical implications from an administrative and operational perspective.

Under the wording currently published, the beginning of the nationality eligibility timeline appears to become directly linked to the issuance of the first residence permit card. In practice, this may increase the relevance of administrative processing timelines associated with residence permit issuance procedures conducted by AIMA.

This point may become particularly relevant in situations where applicants have already initiated and maintained their residency process but are still awaiting issuance of residence documentation.

Transitional Framework and Pending Clarifications

At this stage, the published legislation does not expressly establish a broad transitional regime applicable to future applicants who have not yet submitted a citizenship application before the entry into force of the amendments.

However, several practical and interpretative aspects of the reform remain open and may continue to evolve following publication of supplementary regulations and administrative guidance.

This point appears particularly relevant in light of the statements made by the President of the Republic upon promulgation of the law. While approving the diploma, the President publicly emphasized the importance of legal stability and broader consensus in matters concerning nationality legislation and further noted that applicants should not be disproportionately prejudiced by administrative delays attributable to the State itself.

These statements may become particularly relevant in the future interpretation and administrative implementation of the amendments, especially in matters involving:

• transitional situations;
• pending residency procedures;
• and the interaction between administrative processing timelines and nationality eligibility criteria.

As is often the case with significant immigration and nationality reforms in Portugal, the practical application of the new regime may continue to evolve through future regulations, administrative practice, and official guidance issued by the competent authorities.

Impact on Current Residents and Investors

Importantly, the amendments concern nationality eligibility criteria and do not affect the validity of existing residence permits or the underlying legal residency rights of current residents and investors.

Nevertheless, the reform is expected to be particularly relevant for:

• Golden Visa investors;
• expatriates currently residing in Portugal;
• families planning long-term relocation strategies;
• and applicants who were organizing their citizenship timeline based on the previous framework.

Given the importance of nationality eligibility for long-term planning, many applicants may now wish to reassess projected timelines and future eligibility expectations in light of the amendments now published.

IAServices Monitoring and Legal Assessment

IAServices is closely monitoring all legislative, regulatory, and administrative developments related to the implementation of the amendments to the Portuguese Nationality Law.

Our legal team is actively analyzing:

• the practical implications of the new residency counting framework;
• potential transitional considerations;
• the impact on current residents and investors;
• and future administrative guidance expected to be issued by the Portuguese authorities.

We will continue to provide updates as soon as additional official information and guidance become available.

Over the coming days, IAServices will also publish additional information regarding alternative residency frameworks and complementary solutions, including options such as permanent residency pathways, which may be relevant for investors reassessing their long-term residency, mobility, and citizenship planning objectives.