The regulations, approved on October 29, 2026, outline how authorities will assess citizenship applications, including requirements relating to language proficiency, cultural knowledge and financial independence.
However, as of November 2, the implementing decree had yet to be confirmed as promulgated and published in Portugal’s official gazette, the Diário da República, leaving some administrative procedures awaiting final clarification.
Under the revised law, the minimum period of legal residence required for citizenship has increased from five to 10 years for nationals of countries including Nigeria, India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh.
Citizens of European Union member states and Portuguese-speaking countries, however, will qualify under a shorter seven-year residency pathway.
This means nationals of non-Portuguese-speaking African countries, including Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa, will be subject to the 10-year requirement.
Meanwhile, citizens of Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and PrÃncipe, Mozambique and Equatorial Guinea will 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 (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 PrÃncipe during the same period.
The regulatory approval comes amid a growing backlog of citizenship applications in the country.
Figures from the Ministry of Justice, reported by Portuguese media, showed that 690,480 applications were awaiting decisions as of June 30, 2026, representing a 38 per cent increase from the previous year.
Applications based on years of legal residence accounted for 26 per cent of the pending cases.
The amended 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 revised citizenship requirements, the October 29 decision approved the regulations designed to put them into practice.
Minister of the Presidency António Leitão Amaro said the regulations would enable the full implementation of the law while simplifying administrative procedures.
The government also plans to expand digital processing and information-sharing between public agencies to improve the handling of citizenship applications.
Beyond the longer residency 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 requirements are intended to strengthen applicants’ integration and connection to Portuguese society.
The legislation also 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.
Additionally, it 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 on language assessments, financial requirements and biometric data collection are expected to be provided through the implementing regulations.
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