In the briefing of the Council of Ministers, the Minister of the Presidency, António Leitão Amaro, stated that a proposal for changes to the nationality law will be presented, reinforcing the “requirement of an effective connection, of belonging to the national community”.
Because it is this “robust connection” that ensures nationality, “what defines our people, as a political community”, he stressed.
In the case of candidates for nationality by original citizenship – those born in Portuguese territory, even if they are the children of foreigners – the Government will impose new rules.
In the case of “descendants of foreigners residing in national territory”, the authorities will now “require that the parents have had legal residence for at least three years”.
In addition, the minister said, “nationality is not granted by default but only if the person expresses a positive will to that effect”.
In the case of naturalisation, legally known as “derived nationality”, the Government will increase the current minimum period of five years of “legal residence to qualify for obtaining nationality” to seven years for those coming from countries in the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries and 10 years for other countries.
The “period begins to count from the date the residence permit is obtained”, unlike what used to happen, which counted from the initial application, he explained.
In these cases, the government will require “sufficient knowledge of the language, but also of Portuguese culture” and of the “fundamental rights and duties of the Portuguese Republic”, with “assessment tests” planned.
In addition, applicants will be required to sign a “solemn declaration of adherence to the principles of the democratic rule of law.”
Leitão Amaro also emphasised that the “standard of requirement regarding the applicant’s criminal record” will be raised, and candidates with an “effective prison sentence” on their record will be excluded, unlike the current limitations (only more than three years of imprisonment).
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This is the waste of law for extend 10 years because no-one immigrants will be stay there it's a unfair about the immigrants & a lot of struggle in Portugal & I don't know why the government has been implemented the law. earlier ex prime minister Antonio costa was the best prime minister in the Portugal as well in European also , we all missed Antonio costa
By Zaki from Porto on 24 Jun 2025, 11:57
This doesn't go far enough. The language requirements for acquiring Portuguese nationality are way too low, just level A2 is needed, that's like the top level of basic knowledge, so someone at this level will still struggle to speak it and understand it.
By Billy Bissett from Porto on 24 Jun 2025, 14:21
I thought Chega lost the election. My mistake.
By Shawn from Lisbon on 24 Jun 2025, 16:36
Is this law already approved for implementation. What is the effective date?
By M Kadri from Lisbon on 24 Jun 2025, 17:24
Finally. One country in the EU that puts its own citizens above immigrants. Look at Germany, France, GB, etc. All of them losing their culture, safety, and cohesion for the sake of a destructive progressive ideology.
By Marco from Other on 24 Jun 2025, 21:59
I thought there is a bad minimum wage, and the immigrants has helped build the country of Portugal because the last time we visited it was a poor country with very bad wage. So, if this is a compensation for the immigrants who helped built your country then its not a good decision, hence a betrayal. You can reduce population if that is your target by reducing issuing if visas for incoming, given them 10 years is like suffering them. Then again, why not begin your new law with the people who will arrive later, why include those who were already there? For me, Portuguese government needs better education because this sounds like illiteracy. Would they earn you shiti minimum wages for 10 years ????
By Red from USA on 24 Jun 2025, 22:08
We were planing to retire with good passive income next year and purchase house in porto as well with hope that after 5 years living there we obtain citizenship and make Portugal our home country. The new law from 5 to 10 yrs completely ruined the plan. So much to our plan and tge saving with did for our move to Portugal but now we will cross out that plan and find alternative place to retire!
By S. Ben from Other on 25 Jun 2025, 01:12
As an immigrant living in Portugal, I am heartbroken and frustrated by the new nationality law introduced by the current government. Previously, we could apply for Portuguese nationality after five years of legal residence — a reasonable period that recognized our efforts, contributions, and dedication to this country. Now, that path has been pushed further away, with the government extending the requirement to ten years.
Ten years is not just a number. It’s a decade of waiting, of uncertainty, of putting our lives on hold — despite working hard, paying taxes, integrating into society, and contributing to the economy and culture of Portugal. This new law feels like a punishment, not a policy. It sends a clear message: our efforts don’t matter.
Immigrants in Portugal already face many challenges. The cost of living is rising rapidly — rent is unaffordable in most cities, wages remain low, and bureaucracy is slow and often overwhelming. We struggle, but we don’t complain. We keep going. We work in construction, cleaning, delivery, restaurants, caregiving, tech, and every other sector that keeps the country running.
We chose Portugal with love. We respect the country’s values, its people.
By Wahi from Lisbon on 25 Jun 2025, 03:34
Why are all administrations such a waste of time? The only thing 'legal' about ones residence is the corruption of paying money to so called lawyers and statesmen for them to make such distinctions for their own benefir. 'legal' residency is not owing anyone anything and minding your own busineas.
By MP from Other on 25 Jun 2025, 04:28
Way too lenient for the immigrants. Portuguese people are struggling to pay their rents. Immigrants are given prime location housing in Lisbon !!!
By Carla Duncan from UK on 25 Jun 2025, 08:03
This is absurd. My wife and I chose Portugal among other countries to move on the basis of the law that citizenship could be earned after 5 years of residency, which includes 5 years of paying taxes, learning the language and customs, bringing in money earned from other countries, and contributing far more into the Portuguese economy than we took out. So I feel spat on by this new policy. Enough so that we may decide to go somewhere that values our presence and contributions more than this country.
By Woody from Algarve on 25 Jun 2025, 10:22
This is horrible news. I’m here working and my wife and I have been working on language courses. We are three years into residency and spend lots of money supporting local restaurants, festivals and community events. We pay taxes, own a home, and this blows a life-sized hole in our plans to obtain citizenship and spend the rest of our lives here.
We will now have to consider starting over and investing our remaining time and money in another country.
This xenophobic policy helps nobody. If a lot of people like me leave, local businesses will suffer.
By Clive from Algarve on 25 Jun 2025, 10:31
Please help me understand why Portugal offered residency and eventual citizenship to retired newcomers, only to continually change the rules. We are retired but we pay income tax to Portugal o. All of our worldlyincome. We have private Healthcare insurance, we rent an apartment, we don't own a car , we have our A2 language certificates, we contribute to our local community and we don't ask for anything from Portugal. We have lived here legally for almost five years. We were counting on PT holding up it's end of the agreement. Why has this changed? Portugal is losing people, your population is continually decreasing. How can this be good for your country?
By Debbi from Lisbon on 25 Jun 2025, 13:55
About time. Should have been a long time coming. .About time a European state ( except Switzerland) is putting on and hopefully enforcing this new law. Look after your own citizens first and if the leeches that are currently here sponging off the Portuguese tax paper then adapt and start following the local customs - good. Otherwise, ofn the next boat you go.. and someone mentioned Costa ( the most corrupt, inept politician Portugal ever had ) as a good prime minister.. yeah.. for the leeches that have arrived .. not for the ones that care for the country
By Claudio from Lisbon on 25 Jun 2025, 16:25
Is this applicable to persons with Golden visas??
By Fuad sasso from Algarve on 25 Jun 2025, 16:56
@Ben. .. if you can't wait 10 years to become a citizen, it hardly shows a commitment to the country. .. and to other comments.. the Portuguese built the country in the first place.. immigration is indeed necessary.. but it has to be in a controlled way.. not every Tom , Pick and Harry that can come in and start utilising all the facilities including public health system for free that they haven't contributed to.. yes.. the Portuguese have done that for the past decades..
By Claudio from Lisbon on 25 Jun 2025, 17:00
THIS COUNTRY RUNING WITH IMMIGRANTS AND MAKE FAMOUS FOR IMMIGRANTS WHILE IMMIGRANTS FACEING SO MANY TROUBLES WHEITHER ITS REALATED TO JOBS MONEY OR LIVING STANDARD NO ONE COMPLAINS TO COUNTRY.IMMIGRANTS IS PRIDE OF TBIS COUNTRY BUT PORTUGUESE MINISTERS SPITTING OUT ON FACES OF IMMIGRANTS.THATS NOT BE FAIR....
By Mariä from Lisbon on 25 Jun 2025, 18:36
If not for immigration Portugal would struggle even more economically than it has already. Without immigration the population would continue to decline. Without immigration they would struggle to find low skilled workers to fill construction and other low skill/wage jobs (which means they will have to pay more which costs will be shouldered by all as business owners will just pass on the costs to consumers). No free lunch. Yes immigration has costs (look up any number of anti-immigration news articles in the US from the 19th century (Irish especially Catholics, German), early 20th (Eastern EU Jews, etc, Italians), late 20th century (Mexico, central AM, south AM, Carib) and of course the 21st century (same as late 20th). All those immigrants (ALL) helped make the USA into the economic juggernaut it is today (and today not even comparable to the 1950s dominance). EU has. huge birthrate problem so better start making lots of babies or accept immigration. A declining population is not a recipe for economic growth. (BTW, paying people to have more babies requires $$$ which is problematic is a declining population spiral).
By RS from Lisbon on 25 Jun 2025, 18:40
This is very bad news and law for all the immigrants with these low wages how we spend 10 years either they are just telling about 10 years but in my opinion it will take 13 to 14 years because no one has his/ her nationality at the right time. All the people are already in Que they have spend their 10 years
By Saher from Lisbon on 25 Jun 2025, 22:33
Carla, you’re falling for cheap propaganda. I don’t know any immigrants getting free accommodations in choice location in Lisbon. The Portuguese govt has the right to modify naturalization laws as they deem fit, but everything else is crappy propaganda. Don’t forget the Portuguese are immigrants in Switzerland, Luxembourg, Germany, France etc.
By Reins from Lisbon on 25 Jun 2025, 22:47
The government planned to reduce immigrant and I think this rules will definitely work with some drawbacks.
1. The number of abundant houses will be increasing.
2. Immigrants might move to another country due to low income and higher living expenses
3. Most immigrants works on shortage occupations which will be affected much if the immigrants start to move.
4. Social contributions might be also affected also
5. Old ages people might suffer from getting benefits
6. Increasing minimum wages might be harder then before
7. Getting skilled workers might be difficult because they might find high income countries with the same nationality rules.
By Razu from Lisbon on 25 Jun 2025, 22:56
These new law and policy for Portuguese nationality is way too strict and antagonistic towards immigrants. This policy is targeted towards immigrants and to deprive people of their rightful place and time after giving so much to the system, this is how they wish to pay them back?
By Dillion from Lisbon on 25 Jun 2025, 23:40
Finally a good decision of Portugese Government! How can you say you are a country’s citizen after just five years?!! Most of the immigrants do not even speak ten words of Portugese in five years! Ten years is the right timespan to truly integrate in one country, not just live there for five years, take citizenship and move to Germany, Australia or elsewhere with EU passport! Many of my fellow friends, immigrants and EU citizens applaude to this finally righteous decision!
By Daniel from Lisbon on 25 Jun 2025, 23:45
Portugal keeps rewriting its citizenship rules, creating a climate of legal uncertainty. After promising in 2024 that the five-year residence clock would start when a permit application was filed, lawmakers abruptly doubled the waiting period to ten years, reinstated language and civics exams, and scrapped accelerated paths. Such U-turns undermine trust in the rule of law.
Golden Visa holders are particularly exposed. They placed significant capital in real estate and funds on the explicit assurance of a five-year route to citizenship, timing exits, family moves, and tax planning around that horizon. Retroactively moving the finish line jeopardizes return projections and immigration plans, opening Portugal to claims of breach of legitimate expectations, investment-treaty arbitration, and domestic class actions. Without a stable, grandfathered framework, the country risks throttling future foreign investment and damaging its reputation in global markets.
By Jon Galabroi from Algarve on 26 Jun 2025, 02:08
I am very happy with a permanent residency and am not keen on getting a Portuguese citizenship. Portugal was making it way too easy to acquire an EU citizenship and now it seems to be getting better (in my opinion).
Many immigrants came to Portugal just for the citizenship and then moved n to other EU countries for better living conditions.
Maybe the new rules will help people to get more real about Portugal. Who knows.
By Tom from Lisbon on 26 Jun 2025, 06:33
I came to Portugal not only to share Portuese culture and heritage but also to be part of the European family. I had planned to spend the rest of my life here. However, a simple resident here is at best a second-class citizen as anyone who's had to deal with AIMA recently will know. At my advanced age, another 5 years (plus the time to process the citizenship application) is literally a lifetime. If this goes through and affects those who came here on the basis of the rules as they then stood then, it will be time for serious reconsideration.
By Arthur Scott from Porto on 28 Jun 2025, 07:35
It's really too bad which the Govt changing the rules for the Nationality law . In future no one comes to Portugal. Why come. Pay is very less expenses is very high
Portugal Economy will be go down couple of months. In this changes doesn't have any benefits to the Government.
By Syed from Lisbon on 29 Jun 2025, 06:29
Well, Portuguese people can decide the future of their country, and the short term effect will probably be liked by population, as real estate prices will likely go down both for rent and buy, as demand will go down, as new immigrants unlikely will come here, while big part of those who was here might decide to leave. Longer term effect will be bad for economy of the country, as it needs immigrants due to own population in average being old to add on to country’s GDP. So, GDP will likely go down, government will have lack of resources to maintain the infrastructure, not even talking about improving it, and will have issues to cover the costs, such as pensions first of all, but also the other state expenses.
Sad, that we chose Portugal when came from Ukraine, exactly because of its legislation on the nationality and spent here 3.5 years and like the country a lot. We ourselves bring in to Portuguese economy, paying taxes and spend here, which finally turns of into budget income, not taking any refugee compensations.
By Yuri from Lisbon on 29 Jun 2025, 08:04
Wahi..................................... It's so easy to just complain about this country, Portugal. Seen that you and other immigrants that are not of Portuguese descent, i.e., not born of Portuguese families, either in Portugal or other countries such as the colonies.
I suggest that you and other big-mouth immigrants (expats)—and that includes all who run away from their countries of birth—pack your belongings and go back to where you come from. Have a good look (DO SOME RESEARCH) at how the Middle Eastern countries control their intake of immigrants (they are called expats) to be able to have a balance of all different people working in these countries and making these countries powerful.
It's unfortunate that in every environment there have to be some rotten apples.
P.S - IT'S VERY EASY TO JUST COME TO COUNTRIES SUCH AS PORTUGAL TO OBTAIN THE PORTUGUESE (EU) PASSPORT AND UTILIZE IT TO YOUR ADVANTAGE...
Hence, I agreed that the laws should be made more difficult for people to obtain these statuses.
By Baltazar from Other on 29 Jun 2025, 11:17
A couple of points: Don't blame immigrants for the housing issue. Blame the Portuguese landlords and landladies who ratchet up rental prices to benefit. I would be more than happy to pay less rent. ' If housing is the issue for you, get the government to cap the rental prices property owners can ask...Progressive agenda?' Portugal has just had 50 years of a 'progressive agenda' coming out of the Salazar period. Is that what you really want to go back to? Immigrants, contribute to the economy whether you like it or not. Just like Portuguese immigrants benefit the economies of other countries.
By Jamie from Lisbon on 30 Jun 2025, 08:38