Previously, under Article 6, Paragraph 4 of the nationality law, individuals looking to secure Portuguese nationality through naturalization were required to hold residency in Portugal for a minimum of five years, among other requirements. The initiation of the five-year period for nationality application was contingent upon the issuance of the initial residency permit.
Under this new legislative development, the amended Article 15, now incorporating Paragraph 4 of the nationality law, explicitly states that the time between the submission of the temporary residency permit application and its final approval will be taken into account when calculating the required legal residency period for nationality, as long as the residency permit is granted.
According to new changes in Nationality Law, the period is expected to start from the date of application for resident permit. And logically, manifestation of interest to obtain a residence permit in Portugal is in fact an application for Resident Permit.
The proposed law that was voted on generated broad consensus. This means that no political or civil society distortions are expected in the legislative process, and this proposal must now have a final wording before it is sent to the President for ratification and then published in the official gazette.
The changes are set to take effect on the first day of the following month of publication in the Official Gazette, likely from 1 February 2024.
- Log in to post comments