04 Jul Portugal Holds Initial Vote on Nationality Law Reform – Outcomes as of July 4, 2025

Today, the Portuguese Parliament held a general vote on the Government’s proposed amendments to the Nationality Law – including the plan to extend the residency requirement for naturalisation from 5 to 10 years.

➡️ What happened today?

Parliament did not approve the proposals outright. Instead, the bill has been referred to the Constitutional Affairs Committee for further revision and detailed debate. That means no changes have taken effect yet, and the status quo remains in place.

➡️ Why does this matter?

These are complex, potentially controversial reforms aimed at:

• Extending the residency requirement for citizenship;
• Introducing a civic/language test;
• Adding stricter rules on nationality retention for those convicted of serious crimes.

But as of now, these remain draft proposals under parliamentary evaluation.

➡️ What stays unchanged—for now:

• Portuguese citizenship is still available after 5 years of legal residence.
• Golden Visa holders and other residents retain their existing rights and timelines.
• Family reunification rules remain as before – no new restrictions are in place yet.

➡️ Next steps:

The legislation goes into committee stage, where MPs will debate its specifics. It may be amended or softened, and only after a committee report will it return to the wider Parliament for a final vote—likely in the coming weeks or months.

🔎 Advice for Golden Visa clients and other residents:

• Continue with your current plans—there have been no legal changes affecting your rights or timelines.
• If you’re nearing the 5-year mark, now is an excellent time to prepare your citizenship application under the current law.

We’re monitoring every step of this legislative journey. We’ll keep our clients and partners updated with timely, accurate information.