Portugal’s 2026 nationality law: the new 7 and 10-year citizenship rules explained

The new residence periods

Under the reformed law, the residence requirement for naturalisation is now:

• Ten years for most non-EU nationals, including applicants from the UK, the US, Canada, the Gulf states, India, China and South Africa.
• Seven years for citizens of EU member states and CPLP countries (the Community of Portuguese Language Countries, including Brazil, Angola, Mozambique and Cape Verde).

Other naturalisation requirements remain, including a clean criminal record, an A2-level Portuguese language certificate and a new civic-knowledge requirement introduced with the reform.

When the clock starts

Just as important as the length of the period is when it begins. Under the new framework, the residence count runs from the date your first residence title is issued, not from the date you applied.

There is a transitional carve-out: applicants who had already paid their Golden Visa submission fee before the law was gazetted have their period counted from the date of that payment. Given AIMA processing queues, the difference between those two start dates can be significant, so it is worth confirming precisely which regime applies to your file.

Who is protected by the old rules

Nationality applications submitted to the registry (IRN) on or before 18 May 2026 continue to be assessed under the previous law, including the five-year residence requirement. If your application was lodged by that date, the reform does not change your position.

For everyone else, the new periods apply. There is no partial credit system: an investor three years into residence under the old expectation of a five-year track is now working towards the ten-year requirement (or seven, for EU and CPLP nationals).

What does not change for Golden Visa holders

The Golden Visa programme itself was not altered by the nationality reform. In particular:

• Stay requirements are unchanged. An average of around seven days a year in Portugal still maintains the visa, which remains the lightest physical presence requirement of any major European programme.
• Permanent residence after five years is still available. Many investors will find permanent residence meets their practical needs, with citizenship as a longer-term goal.
• Family reunification, EU-wide Schengen travel and the investment rules all continue as before. The fund route is unchanged, as covered in our guide to Golden Visa investment funds in 2026.

Planning implications

A longer citizenship track changes the calculus in a few practical ways:

• Start earlier. With the clock running from card issuance, time spent deliberating is now more expensive. Application preparation and AIMA queues sit before your start date, as we explain in our processing times guide.
• Match your investment to the horizon. Fund terms, renewal cycles and exit options should be stress-tested against a ten-year plan, not a five-year one.
• Consider the family position. Children’s ages, schooling plans and which family members are included at the outset all interact with the longer timeline.
• Weigh alternatives honestly. For some profiles, another programme may now fit better. Our Portugal vs Greece comparison is a good place to start.

This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal or immigration advice. Transitional rules are fact-specific; always confirm how the law applies to your circumstances.