Portugal's revised nationality law, published in the Diário da República, has officially increased the residency requirement for citizenship for nationals of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa or CPLP) from five to seven years. Foreigners from outside the European Union now face a 10-year residency threshold before they are eligible to apply for Portuguese citizenship.
Residency requirements for citizenship increase to seven years
Thursday, 21 May 2026AI summary
Context & Explainers
The Official Journal (Diário da República) is Portugal's government gazette where laws, decrees and public contracts are formally published and take legal effect. Public‑private partnership approvals and other official notices — like the launch of the Central Algarve Hospital PPP — are published there so residents and businesses can find the authoritative text.
The Community of Portuguese Language Countries (Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa or CPLP) is an intergovernmental organization of nine nations where Portuguese is an official language. It facilitates political, diplomatic, and cultural cooperation between member states, including Portugal, Brazil, Angola, and Mozambique.
