Due to the number of foreigners in Portugal reaching an unprecedented level, the country’s president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, signed a law that significantly tightens naturalization requirements. The main change is a doubling of the legal residence period required to apply for citizenship.
Under the new law, the standard legal residence period for most foreigners increases from 5 to 10 years. For citizens of Portuguese-speaking countries (CPLP — Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, and others) and EU countries, this period will be 7 years. The clock now starts only from the date the first residence permit is issued, not from the date of application form, which is particularly significant given the lengthy queues at the immigration agency AIMA.
The law introduces new integration criteria:
Mandatory confirmation of Portuguese language proficiency at A2 level (requirement retained).
A test on Portuguese culture, history, values, and the basics of the country’s political system.
A declaration of support for the fundamental principles of a democratic rule-of-law state.
Stricter requirements regarding the absence of a criminal record.
Provision is also made for revoking citizenship from naturalized individuals who have committed serious crimes.
The government took these measures under public and right-wing party pressure due to record migration growth. In recent years, Portugal has become one of Europe’s most popular destinations thanks to golden visas, simplified programs, and a favorable climate. The number of foreigners has risen sharply, placing strain on infrastructure, the housing market, and social services.
Many Portuguese citizens and right-wing politicians welcome the measures as a necessary step to control migration and preserve national identity.
Human rights organizations, immigrant communities (Brazilians in particular), and parts of the left have called the changes discriminatory and excessively harsh. They fear it will hurt legal migrants who have already been living in the country for a long time.
The new law has effect upon official publication. No transitional provisions are in place for most foreigners already residing in the country — they will need to comply with the new timelines.
This is one of the most significant tightenings of Portugal’s immigration policy in recent decades. Experts predict a decline in interest in residence permit programs and investment migration in the coming months.