Portugal nationality law update: approved again, but not yet in force

Portugal’s nationality rules have moved on since the Constitutional Court blocked key parts of the government’s earlier reform. Parliament approved a revised version on 1 April 2026, but the law is not yet in force. For now, the current nationality law remains in place, including the existing five-year residence route.

A lot of commentary around this issue has treated the changes as if they have already happened; it is important to note that they have not. What we do have today is an approved revised decree and a live period of uncertainty before any new rules take effect. As part of the legislative process, the decree will still need to complete the next constitutional steps, which may include presidential approval or further review before it can be enacted.

What changed after the Constitutional Court ruling?

Back in December 2025, Portugal’s Constitutional Court found four provisions in the earlier draft unconstitutional. One of the most important points for applicants was the Court’s objection to retroactive treatment of nationality applications. That earlier version was returned for revision. The government then brought back a revised text, which Parliament approved on 1 April 2026.

What does the revised text propose?

If it comes into force in its current form, the revised law would extend the residence period for nationality applications from five years to:

• seven years for EU and Portuguese-speaking country nationals
• 10 years for other applicants

The government has also made clear that the revised law is intended to introduce longer timeframes and more demanding requirements than the current regime.

There have been indications that the residence qualifying period may in future be calculated from the date a residence card is issued, rather than the date of application. While this has been suggested in practice, the final legal position remains unclear.

The revised text is also expected to tighten certain eligibility and criminality requirements, although the practical impact of these changes will only become clear once the law is in force and applied in practice.

What about people already in the system?

The revised decree includes a transitional provision stating that administrative procedures already pending when the new law enters into force will continue under the previous version of the nationality law. That gives some protection to people who have already filed.

In practical terms, this distinction is likely to favour applicants who have already submitted a complete citizenship application, compared to those who have reached the five-year threshold but have not yet filed.

For anyone who has reached five years of lawful residence but has not yet submitted a nationality application, the position is less comfortable. If the new law comes into force before filing, the longer residence period may apply. That is why timing has become a practical issue, not just a legal one.

For that reason, cases where individuals are approaching eligibility but have not yet submitted should be reviewed without delay, as the timing of an application may affect which rules ultimately apply.

What does this mean for Golden Visa holders?

The current Golden Visa residency route remains in place. What is changing here is the proposed path from residence to nationality, not the residency programme itself. But if the route to citizenship becomes longer, that can materially affect long-term planning.

The practical position

For now, the current law still applies.

But this is clearly a moving situation, and one where assumptions could be costly. If Portugal is part of your long-term plan, whether through the Golden Visa, D7 or another residence route, this is the right moment to review where you stand and what timing means in practice.

Important note: This article is for general information only and should not be treated as legal advice. References have been removed, and clients should be referred to the Sovereign Group Portugal experts for the latest legal and procedural guidance.