On April 1st, the Portuguese Parlamento approved changes to Lei from Nacionalidade. The text now goes to presidential promulgation. The changes extend legal residence periods and introduce extra integration requirements.
The current rules remain in force until the publication of the new law in Diário of República.
Mudanças main for children born in Portugal
Crianças born in Portuguese territory to foreign parents lose automatic access to their nationality of origin. The new text requires that one of the parents has been legally resident in the country for at least five years.
Essa amendment reduces the weight of jus soli and prioritizes the formal status of parents. Até here, a minimum connection from the parents was enough for the child to acquire citizenship.
The measure affects immigrant families who have lived in Portugal for years without formalized residence.
Prazos of residence for naturalization rise
The minimum period of legal residence to apply for naturalization increases. Para CPLP citizens, including Brazilians, and União Europeia, the term increases from five to seven years. Para nationals of other countries, the period increases to ten years.
The calculation of the period begins only after the issuance of the first residence card. Períodos waiting for approval of requests are no longer considered.
Essa rule aligns Portugal with more common practices in other European countries.
- Proven legal Residência becomes the starting point for counting the term
- Exigência knowledge of the Portuguese language, culture and history of the country
- Demonstração of means of subsistence and absence of serious convictions
- Testes integration and knowledge of the legal system in some cases
Requisitos for grandchildren and descendants of Portuguese
Netos from Portuguese faces increased demands. Access to nationality is no longer based solely on family ties and language skills. Agora, you must prove an effective connection to the country, with cultural and historical elements.
The process becomes more rigorous for those with fewer resources. The change values real integration rather than isolated genealogical ties.
Fim of the special regime for descendants of Sephardic Jews
The mechanism created as historical reparation comes to an end. Extraordinary naturalization for descendants of Portuguese Sephardic Jews no longer exists for new applications.
Essa via allowed access to citizenship based on proven ancestry. The change reflects a more uniform approach to processing nationality applications.
Possibilidade loss of nationality in serious cases
The new law introduces the loss of nationality as an additional sanction in convictions for serious crimes. The measure applies exceptionally and requires a court decision.
Trata is a break with the tradition that citizenship cannot be withdrawn by Estado. The text defines the types of crimes that can lead to this consequence.
Impacto on investment residence permits
Titulares from Autorizações from Residência to Investimento also feel the effects. The deadline for accessing nationality lengthens and the criteria become more stringent, with no clear transitional regime defined so far.
Muitos investors made decisions based on the previous rules. The lack of transition raises questions about legal certainty.
Approval occurred with votes in favor from parties such as PSD, CDS-PP, Chega and IL. The text resulted from adjustments following previous decisions by Tribunal Constitucional.
Enquanto or Presidente of República does not promulgate the law, the current regime remains valid. Quem plans to apply for nationality should consult professionals to assess the exact timing of requests.
The changes bring the Portuguese system closer to European models that emphasize proven integration and effective connection to the community.