Portugal’s President António José Seguro signed the country’s revised Nationality Law on May 3, 2026, ending months of political uncertainty around one of the most significant overhauls of Portuguese citizenship rules in decades. The law will enter into force within five working days of its publication in the Diário da República, which is expected imminently.
For the international investor and global mobility community, including thousands of Portugal Golden Visa holders and applicants on residency pathways, the signing raises important questions. Here is a clear-eyed breakdown of what changed, what stayed the same, and what it means for your plan.
Here’s What You Need to Know About the New Law
The revised law tightens three key areas of Portuguese nationality access: birthright citizenship for children of immigrants, naturalisation timelines for foreign residents, and two legacy nationality programmes.
1. Naturalisation Timelines Are Now Longer
For most foreign nationals (non-EU, non-CPLP): The residency requirement for naturalisation doubles from five to ten years.
For EU citizens and CPLP nationals (e.g. Brazil, Sao Tome & Principe, Cape Verde, Angola, Mozambique): The requirement increases from five to seven years.
Important clock detail: The residency period is counted from the date AIMA (Portugal’s immigration agency) issues the residence permit, not from the date of application. This reverses a 2024 reform that was designed to protect applicants from bureaucratic delays.
Given that AIMA has historically taken two to three years to process permits, legal professionals have estimated the effective total wait for many applicants could reach nine to thirteen years under the new framework.
2. Birthright Citizenship Rules Are Tightened
Under the current law, children born in Portugal qualify as citizens of origin if one parent has been resident in the country for at least one year, regardless of their legal status. Under the new law, that parent must have been legally resident for at least five years.
3. Two Legacy Nationality Regimes Are Eliminated
- The Sephardic Jewish descendant programme, introduced in 2015, which allowed descendants of Portuguese Sephardic Jews to apply for nationality, is abolished.
- A separate provision covering individuals born in former Portuguese overseas territories who remained in Portugal after independence, and their children born here, is also removed.
The President’s Statement: Pending Processes Must Not Be Affected
President Seguro did not sign the law without reservations. In his official statement from the Presidency, he issued two key messages of direct relevance to foreign nationals in the immigration and investment pipeline:
“O Presidente da República assinala a importância de garantir que os processos pendentes não são, efetivamente, afetados pela alteração legislativa, o que constituiria uma indesejável quebra de confiança no Estado, ao nível interno e externo.”
Translation: “The President of the Republic stresses the importance of ensuring that pending processes are not, in fact, affected by the legislative change, which would constitute an undesirable breach of trust in the State, both domestically and internationally.”
He also emphasised that the legally fixed timelines for obtaining nationality must not be undermined by administrative delays attributable to the state, a pointed reference to the well-documented backlogs at AIMA.
These are interpretive remarks from the head of state, not binding legal provisions. However, they are expected to carry significant weight in how courts and administrative bodies apply the new rules, particularly in cases involving applicants who were already in process when the law changes.
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How This Impacts Portugal Golden Visa Holders
The Golden Visa programme itself was not part of the legislative debate and remains intact. Key facts for current and prospective investors:
- Permanent residence after five years of holding a Golden Visa is unaffected by the new law.
- The new citizenship timelines apply to naturalisation only, not to residency status or the right to renew your Golden Visa.
- Golden Visa holders who are EU citizens face the seven-year naturalisation track; all others face the ten-year track, measured from when AIMA issues their residence permit.
- Holders who were already counting toward naturalisation under the five-year rule should seek qualified legal advice on how their specific case will be assessed, particularly in light of the President’s statement on pending processes.
- A separate decree, amending the Penal Code to create loss of nationality as a criminal penalty, was not signed and remains under Constitutional Court review. It does not affect the Golden Visa programme.
The government has 90 days to issue updated regulations following the law’s entry into force. There will be a period of interpretation and implementation, and that window matters.
Learn More: Portuguese Language Course for Citizenship: 100% Online, No Exams. Perfect for Golden Visa Holders.
The Broader Context: Why This Happened
The revised Nationality Law was approved by the Portuguese parliament on April 1, 2026, by a vote of 152 to 64, a coalition of the governing Social Democratic Party (PSD), Chega, the Liberal Initiative (IL) and CDS-PP. It passed despite opposition from the Socialists, Livre, PCP, Bloco de Esquerda and PAN.
This was the second version of the legislation. The Constitutional Court had struck down several provisions of the first version in December 2025, requiring revisions before it could proceed. President Seguro, who took office in March 2026, signed the revised decree but made clear he would have preferred broader cross-party consensus on a law of this constitutional weight.
The process reflects a significant shift in Portugal’s political approach to immigration and nationality: One that has been building since 2022 and is now codified in law.
What Should You Do Now?
If you are a Portugal Golden Visa holder, a long-term resident pursuing naturalisation, or planning to relocate to Portugal, this is the moment for a clear-eyed review of your timeline and strategy.
- Applicants with pending nationality or residence processes should document their status carefully and monitor how the new regulations are implemented.
- Those still planning their move to Portugal should factor the new timelines into their residency and citizenship roadmap from the outset.
- Golden Visa investors focused on permanent residency (not naturalisation) are largely unaffected, but should stay informed as implementing regulations emerge over the next 90 days.
- All applicants should work with qualified legal counsel who tracks how AIMA and the courts apply these rules in practice, the law is one thing; implementation is another.
At Lincoln Global Partners, we continue to monitor these developments closely and will update our clients as the regulatory picture clarifies. Portugal remains one of the most strategically compelling residency programmes in Europe for the right profile, and our job is to ensure your plan reflects the reality on the ground, not yesterday’s assumptions.
Is your Portugal plan still on track?
Speak with an LGP strategist and our Portuguese Lawyer to review how the new law affects your specific pathway.
This guide is provided for informational purposes only and will be updated as additional Legal & Investment details become available. Lincoln Global Partners maintains no affiliation with Portugal’s government. All information is based on publicly available official sources and our legal advisors.
