The decree was approved in Parliament in April with votes in favor from the PSD, Chega, IL, and CDS-PP parties.
Lisbon October 29, 2026 — The government approved this Thursday the regulations for the Nationality Law, which will allow for the "full application" of this new legislation approved on April 1st in parliament, announced the Minister of the Presidency.
“The main pillars of this reform were decided in the nationality law; it was now up to us to approve the regulations for its full implementation, and that is what we did, while also seeking to simplify some procedural aspects to make it less bureaucratic,” stated António Leitão Amaro at the press conference following the Council of Ministers meeting.
"We have made the granting of Portuguese citizenship more demanding in terms of demonstrating an effective connection," the minister stressed.
In early May, the President of the Republic enacted the parliamentary decree that amended the Nationality Law, approved by PSD, Chega, IL and CDS-PP, but said he wished the legislation had been based on "greater consensus".
In a statement published at the time on the official website of the Presidency of the Republic, António José Seguro reaffirmed the understanding he expressed as a presidential candidate that this matter should "be based on greater consensus around its essential lines," distancing itself from any "ideological hallmarks of the moment."
"The President of the Republic's decision to enact the law was influenced by the understanding that the more stringent criteria and the increased timeframes for acquiring nationality do not impede the essential humanitarian protection and desirable integration of children and minors born in Portugal to immigrant parents, as established in the national legal framework, particularly regarding access to healthcare and education," the statement added.
The revision of the Nationality Law increases the timeframes for foreigners legally residing in Portugal to acquire Portuguese nationality and restricts its granting to those born in Portugal – rules that were already present in the previous version and which were the subject of political debate, but regarding which no constitutional issues were raised.
This decree was approved in parliament on April 1st, in a second version, after the Constitutional Court declared it unconstitutional, by PSD, Chega, IL and CDS-PP, with votes against from PS, Livre, PCP, BE and PAN, and abstention from JPP, and it was sent to the Belém Palace on April 13th.