Immigration: Residency rules news in Portugal

Brussels gives a "very positive" assessment of Portugal regarding the new EU migration pact

The European Union's Pact on Migration and Asylum will fully enter into force in mid-2026.

European Union to accelerate expulsion of illegal immigrants

A preliminary agreement between the European Parliament and member states has streamlined return rules and paved the way for the creation of reception centres outside the European Union.

Czech Republic Joins France, Spain, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland, and Other Countries in Cracking Down on Overstays with a Systematic Tracking and Penalty System to Prevent Illegal Residency and Strengthen Border Security Across Europe

Travel And Tour World19 May

New Nationality Law published in the Diário da República and comes into force this Tuesday

The new Nationality Law was published this Monday (18) in the Diário da República and will come into force this Tuesday (19) in Portugal. Key changes include an increase in the minimum legal residency period required to apply for Portuguese citizenship and a five-year residency requirement for children of immigrants born in the country to be eligible for nationality. Under the new wording, citizens of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), such as Brazilians, will now require seven years of legal residency in Portugal to apply for nationality, while for immigrants from other countries, the period increases to ten years. The legislation also removes the ability to count the waiting time for a residency permit towards the citizenship application, with the count now starting only from the date the residency permit is issued. Another change directly affects children of foreigners born in Portuguese territory; nationality will no longer be granted automatically, requiring one parent to have resided legally in the country for at least five years at the time of the child's birth. The law also mandates that minors born in Portugal can only obtain nationality through naturalization if they are enrolled in and attending compulsory schooling. The text promulgated by President António José Seguro also maintains the end of the special regime for descendants of Sephardic Jews and introduces new criteria regarding security and criminal records. Individuals sentenced to more than three years for serious crimes, such as terrorism or organized crime, may have their applications denied. The legislation also provides for the collection of biometric data in nationality processes. Administrative processes already pending will continue to follow previous rules, with no retroactive application of the changes. The government now has 90 days to adapt the Nationality Law regulations to the new standards approved by the Assembly of the Republic.

dnbrasil.dn.pt18 May

What you need to know about the new Nationality Law

Parliament approved the new version of the Nationality Law this Wednesday, April 1st. The PSD, the governing party, relied on votes from Chega for approval. DN Brasil explains the changes and the next steps: When does it come into force? It is not possible to know the exact date. The texts must be sent to President António José Seguro, who has 20 days for analysis. If he decides to send it to the Constitutional Court, he must do so within the first eight days. After analysis, the document must be published in the Diário da República (DRE) and enters into force the following day. What was approved? In Wednesday's session, only the rules that had been rejected by the Constitutional Court were voted on. In other words, the Government adjusted the text so that the legislation complies with the constitution. This was the case regarding the loss of nationality for committing serious crimes and the specification of which crimes fall under this rule. Citizens who have been sentenced to a prison term of three years or more also cannot obtain nationality. What else will change? These rules were already approved and are now reconfirmed with the new vote: It will no longer be possible to request Portuguese nationality through babies born in Portugal; five years of residence with a residence permit will be required for babies born in the country to have the right to Portuguese nationality; the residence time required to request nationality will increase from five to seven years for citizens of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), and to ten years for others; the special regime for descendants of Sephardic Jews has ended; the article that allowed the waiting time for a residence permit to be counted towards the nationality application has been removed; there will be no transition regime for these changes. Will it be retroactive? No, it will count from the date it enters into force. Can those with ongoing processes be affected? No, processes already submitted follow the current rules.

Dinheiro Vivo2 Apr

Nationality Law to be voted on today. Find out what will change

A new version of the Nationality Law will be voted on this afternoon, April 1st, at the Assembly of the Republic. Negotiations between parties will continue until the last minute, but some rules are already set, pending this final approval. These standards, which were not even reviewed by the Constitutional Court, directly impact the lives of immigrants living in Portugal. Key points include: the inability to request Portuguese nationality through babies born in Portugal; the requirement of five years of residency with a residence permit for babies born in the country to be eligible for nationality; the increase from five to seven years of residency for citizens of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), and ten years for others; and the end of the special regime for descendants of Sephardic Jews. The Socialist Party (PS) aims to balance the law, proposing changes such as a six-year residency requirement for CPLP citizens and the inclusion of a transition period, which will be subject to negotiations with the Government until the vote at 3:00 PM Lisbon time.

Diário de Notícias1 Apr

Government tightens deportation rules in Portugal. Understand who may be affected

The Portuguese government has announced changes to deportation rules, causing concern among immigrants. The new measures include the end of voluntary departure notifications, stricter expulsion criteria requiring five years of residency for protection, an increase in detention time for immigrants up to 360 days, and a five-year ban on re-entry into the Schengen Area. These changes primarily target those without a legal right to reside in the country, such as those whose residency applications were denied or who entered without a visa, while clarifying that those awaiting AIMA responses are not considered to be in an illegal situation.

Dinheiro Vivo19 Mar