The Institute of Registries and Notaries (Instituto dos Registos e do Notariado or IRN) is facing a backlog of approximately 516,000 pending citizenship applications. Immigrant groups report that the average waiting time for a decision has reached three years, leading some to compare the agency's delays to those of AIMA. The backlog affects all applicants, including the children and grandchildren of Portuguese citizens.
Over 500,000 citizenship applications pending at registry institute
Sunday, 29 March 2026AI summary
Context & Explainers
The Institute of Registries and Notaries (Instituto dos Registos e do Notariado or IRN) is the government body that manages civil, land, and commercial registries in Portugal. It is currently processing a backlog of 516,000 nationality applications, resulting in average wait times of three years. These delays impact all applicants, including children and grandchildren of Portuguese citizens.
