Portugal’s Council of Ministers has approved regulations intended to implement the country’s amended Nationality Law, moving it closer to applying revised citizenship requirements.
The regulations, approved on October 29, 2026, address how authorities will assess applications, including requirements relating to language proficiency, cultural knowledge and financial independence. However, as of November 2, the implementing decree had not been confirmed as promulgated and published in the official gazette, the Diário da República. Some administrative procedures therefore remained awaiting final clarification.
Under the revised law, the minimum period of legal residence for citizenship has increased from five to 10 years for nationals of countries including Nigeria, India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh. European Union citizens and nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries have a seven-year pathway. BuyMaps
The distinction means nationals of non-Portuguese-speaking African countries, including Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa, fall under the general 10-year requirement. Citizens of Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe, Mozambique and Equatorial Guinea qualify for the seven-year pathway because Portuguese is an official language in those countries.
According to figures from Portugal’s Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum, known as AIMA, more than 242,000 residents were nationals of India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh at the end of 2025. The agency also recorded more than 263,000 foreign residents from Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau and São Tomé and Príncipe during the same period. The regulatory approval comes amid a substantial backlog of citizenship applications.
Ministry of Justice figures reported by Portuguese media showed that 690,480 applications were awaiting decisions as of June 30, 2026, an increase of 38 per cent from the previous year. Applications based on immigrants’ years of legal residence accounted for 26 per cent of the pending cases.
The revised legislation, Organic Law No. 1/2026, received parliamentary approval on April 1. President António José Seguro signed it on May 3, and it was published in the official gazette on May 18 before entering into force the following day. While the law established the new citizenship conditions, the October 29 decision approved the regulations intended to put them into practice.
Minister of the Presidency António Leitão Amaro said the regulations would enable full implementation while simplifying administrative procedures. The government also intends to expand digital processing and information-sharing between public agencies to improve the handling of applications.
Beyond longer residence requirements, applicants must demonstrate knowledge of the Portuguese language, culture, history, democratic institutions and civic responsibilities. They must also show that they can support themselves financially and declare their commitment to democratic principles.
Government officials say the conditions are intended to strengthen integration and applicants’ connections to Portuguese society. The legislation allows separate periods of legal residence to be combined within a nine-year window for EU and Portuguese-speaking nationals, or a 12-year window for other applicants.
It also removes a provision introduced in 2024 that allowed time spent waiting for residence permit approval to count towards citizenship eligibility, provided the permit was eventually granted. Further details concerning language assessments, financial requirements and biometric data collection are expected through the implementing regulations.