Entry into Force of the Amendments to the Nationality Law

The amendments to the Portuguese Nationality Law, which introduce significant structural changes to the regime governing the acquisition of Portuguese nationality, enter into force today. 

The amendments to the nationality acquisition regime establish the following: 

• An increase in the minimum legal residency period required to obtain nationality, from 5 to 10 years. For citizens of Portuguese-speaking countries and citizens of the European Union, the minimum legal residence period will now be 7 years.

• A change to the starting point for counting legal residence period, which will now begin only upon issuance of the first residence permit. Until this moment, the counting period began upon submission of the residence permit application.

• The introduction of new requirements for obtaining nationality, including the demonstration of knowledge of Portuguese culture, history and national symbols, as well as knowledge of the fundamental rights and duties inherent to Portuguese nationality and the political organization of the Portuguese State.

For further information, please contact our team at the following email address: jlp@ccsllegal.com

[Photo by: Sasuyn Bughdaryan, available at unsplash.com]