This article explains that Portugal's current law allows foreign nationals to apply for citizenship after five years of legal residence, with recent reforms starting the residency countdown from the application date. Although Parliament proposed extending the residency requirement to 10 years, this change was blocked by the Constitutional Court in January 2026 due to constitutional issues. The proposed reform also included shorter requirements for citizens from Portuguese-speaking countries and cultural knowledge, but these have not been implemented. Overall, Portugal maintains its five-year pathway to citizenship for now, with ongoing debates about potential future changes.