Portugal Enacts Tougher Citizenship Law, Extending Residency Waits

Overview

• President António José Seguro promulgated a revised nationality law after a prior court veto of the first version, with the changes taking effect upon publication in the official gazette.
• The law raises the minimum legal stay to seven years for Brazilians, EU citizens, and CPLP nationals, and to ten years for other foreign residents.
• Time toward eligibility now starts when the immigration agency issues a residence permit, a shift the presidency says avoids penalizing applicants for state processing backlogs.
• Children born in Portugal no longer gain citizenship automatically, requiring a formal declaration and a parent with a set period of legal residence.
• Other changes end the Sephardic-descendant route to nationality and allow judges to strip citizenship from naturalized people convicted of serious crimes, while adding stricter language and civics tests.