Immigration: Legal reforms news in Portugal

President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has officially signed the latest amendments to the Nationality Law into effect. The update primarily clarifies the calculation of the five-year residency period required for naturalization, aiming to streamline the application process for foreign residents.

Update: IRN clarifies application of new Nationality Law

The Institute of Registries and Notaries (Instituto dos Registos e do Notariado or IRN) has confirmed that the new Nationality Law applies only to applications submitted after the law's approval. Consequently, applications filed before this date will be reviewed under the previous, more favorable residency criteria.

Legal professionals are denouncing the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo or AIMA) for failing to pay for services rendered. Lawyers hired to analyze migration cases report thousands of euros in outstanding payments, noting the situation deteriorated following the conclusion of a specific task force. The president of AIMA stated that approximately 200,000 euros remain to be settled.

The Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da República) is reviewing amendments to the Nationality Law (Lei da Nacionalidade) this Wednesday to address concerns raised by the Constitutional Court (Tribunal Constitucional). The proposed changes include provisions for the loss of Portuguese nationality for individuals convicted of serious crimes with sentences of at least six years. While the government coalition is confident, the Socialist Party (Partido Socialista or PS) and Chega have not yet guaranteed their support for the revised text.

Update: PSD and Chega reach agreement on nationality rules

The Social Democratic Party (Partido Social Democrata or PSD) and CDS-PP have secured an agreement with Chega to pass the revised law. The deal, announced by PSD parliamentary leader Hugo Soares, includes stricter criteria for denying nationality based on convictions for criminal association and arms trafficking, while removing previous requirements regarding social welfare dependency.

The Social Democratic Party (Partido Social Democrata or PSD) and CDS-PP have submitted new proposals to amend the Nationality Law (Lei da Nacionalidade) following a rejection by the Constitutional Court (Tribunal Constitucional). The revised text maintains the loss of nationality (perda de nacionalidade) as a penalty for certain crimes but reduces the number of applicable offenses and raises the required sentence length. Chega leader André Ventura stated his party will not support the measure, accusing the government of being too similar to the socialists.

Update: PS submits proposals to fix unconstitutional nationality law

The Socialist Party (Partido Socialista or PS) has submitted three sets of amendments to address the court's concerns and introduce a transitional regime. The PS proposes that a prior criminal conviction should not automatically block the acquisition of nationality and maintains its opposition to the penalty of loss of nationality. Parliament is scheduled to debate the various proposals this Wednesday.

The Portuguese government is introducing a “return package” (pacote de retorno) to speed up the deportation of illegal immigrants, including extending detention periods to 180 days. The measures remove legal protections for those with less than five years of residency and eliminate the 20-day voluntary departure notice. Minister of the Presidency (Ministro da Presidência) António Leitão Amaro confirmed that funding is available to implement these changes immediately. Visa holders and those awaiting residency should note these stricter enforcement protocols.

The Portuguese Bar Association (Ordem dos Advogados) is calling for the creation of a specialized court to handle the massive backlog of immigration-related lawsuits. João Massano, head of the Lisbon Regional Council, estimated that there are currently 200,000 cases pending in administrative courts against the Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo (AIMA). Visa holders and those awaiting residency should note that the proposal aims to speed up judicial decisions through mediation and specialized judges.

Publico reports that around 516,000 nationality requests are currently pending at the Instituto dos Registos e Notariado, leaving applicants like Marinalda — who has waited three years for nationality by marriage — in limbo. The backlog covers several types of applications and is slowing life plans for families and workers who need Portuguese citizenship for rights such as voting or simplified travel within the EU. Applicants should check their case status directly with the Instituto dos Registos e Notariado and consider legal assistance if urgent documents or rights are affected.

The government has moved the deadline for residents in municipalities hit by Storm Kristin to apply for a replacement citizen card (cartão de cidadão) without paying fees, shortening the period from 31 March to 17 March after a decree published on 19 February. The change covers the 68 municipalities where an emergency measure ended on 15 February and sets the free-issue window at 30 days after the end of the state measure, which local officials say expires on 17 March. Affected residents should check the decree text and their municipal services for how to apply and what documents are needed. Those in the affected towns should act quickly to avoid fees after the new deadline.

After more than a year of debate and a prior Constitutional Court challenge, Parliament amended the Immigration Law with Law No. 61/2025 of 22 October, introducing administrative reorganisation and new control measures, Portugal Resident reports. The change follows intensive discussion and is meant to reshape how migration procedures are handled; the report notes the Constitutional Court (Tribunal Constitucional) previously rejected parts of the draft. Residents with pending immigration applications or awaiting procedural changes should watch official guidance from immigration services for any new steps.

Update: Parliament enacts Law No. 61/2025 changes

Portugal Resident confirms the amendment is recorded as Law No. 61/2025 (22 October) and says it reorganises administrative structures and adds tighter control measures; implementation details and official guidance are expected from immigration services.