(C): Twitter
The Portuguese government has proposed amendments to the nationality law that could have a significant impact on foreign residents. The notice of a new nationality law was presented on June 23, 2025, with a requirement for stricter rules for naturalisation: firstly, the amendments wish to extend the minimum period of residency, and secondly, there are new eligibility criteria. The changes may affect Golden Visa (ARI) holders wishing to become citizens.
Read Also: New Zealand’s Golden Visa Attracts NZ$845 Million from Global Investor
Residency Requirement:
Citizenship applicants must now live in Portugal for 10 years (or 7 years for nationals coming from countries of the Community of Portuguese Language) starting from the date when the first issued residence card (not the date of application).
New Naturalisation Criteria:
Applicants must show that they:
Speak the Portuguese language at A2 level.
Understand Portuguese civics, rights and duties.
Have a clear criminal record.
Have “real ties” and integration into Portuguese society.
Sephardic Ancestry Pathway Removed:
The law further seeks to abolish the fast-track citizenship regime for those with Sephardic ancestry.
Golden Visa holders are not going to face changes in their residency rights under this proposal. However, delayed access to citizenship is possible:
Applications made before June 19, 2025 (with complete documentation) will be processed under the current 5-year rule.
New applications or incomplete applications will face the proposed 10-year application once the law is passed.
It is possible to apply for permanent residency after 5 years under the Golden Visa, but you still need to have A2 Portuguese language proficiency.
For now the proposal is not law. It must go through parliamentary debate and the ability to amend and only comes into effect after a formal enactment. There is debate amongst legal scholars stating that there is unconstitutional retroactivity; therefore, current applicants may still be protected.
In the meantime, applicants and investors should look at staying informed and obtaining legal advice to determine how these two changes will affect their plans.
Over the last few years, newspapers have reported that migrant workers in the UAE and other Gulf countries have come…
Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Israel have once again found themselves on the frontlines of conflict, caught between their livelihoods…
Decades after decades, tea garden laborers in India have worked and lived in the farms without owning the land the…
There has also been a concerted global push on the side of the recent U.S. Executive Order against the Muslim…
The 2025 recommendations of the UN Migration Committee represent a change in the way governments are being encouraged to treat…
The economic growth of India has been supported by a labor force that is rather silent and unguarded. Millions of…
This website uses cookies.
Read More