Lisbon 18 May, 2026 — Portugal has officially published its new nationality reform today in the Diário da República as Lei Orgânica n.º 1/2026, de 18 de Maio, formally amending Law n.º 37/81, the Portuguese Nationality Law.
The law enters into force the day after publication, meaning the new rules are expected to start applying from 19 May 2026.
One of the biggest changes is the increase in the residence period required for naturalisation:
- 7 years for citizens of CPLP countries and EU member states
- 10 years for nationals of other countries.
The law also changes how residence time is counted. The period now starts from the moment a person obtains legal residence status, rather than from the date of application or manifestation of interest.
For children born in Portugal to foreign parents, nationality rules have also become stricter. At least one parent must now have legally resided in Portugal for five years at the time of birth.
The reform introduces broader “integration” requirements, including:
- knowledge of Portuguese language and culture,
- understanding of Portuguese history and national symbols,
- knowledge of citizens’ rights and duties,
- and adherence to democratic rule-of-law principles.
The law additionally tightens criminal record and national security restrictions across several nationality pathways, including naturalisation, marriage, descendants, and family-related acquisition routes.
However, an important transitional safeguard was included:
pending administrative procedures filed before the law enters into force will continue under the previous version of the nationality law.
The government must now revise the Nationality Regulation within 90 days to implement the practical procedures of the new law.
President António José Seguro had promulgated the law on 3 May 2026 while warning against repeated politically driven changes to nationality rules and stressing the importance of legal certainty and protection of pending applicants.