Nationality news in Portugal

Friday Briefing: Immigrant exodus raises economic concerns

portugal decoded5 Jun

Chega has 'green light' to schedule re-examination of the decree on loss of nationality

Changes to nationality laws stall golden visa funds and open the door to litigation

Nationality: petition admitted in Parliament seeks to protect grandchildren, babies, and immigrants

The petition from lawyer Célio Sauer gathered 4819 signatures and proposes that those who had an appointment at the IRN before the change in the law should follow the old rules, and that the waiting period for residency should count towards naturalisation.

Portugal has nearly 700,000 pending nationality applications, 38% more than a year ago

PRESS REVIEW | Delays in the services of the IRN have prompted criticism from the Union of Registry and Notary Workers.

IRN has a backlog of over 690,000 nationality applications

The Institute of Registries and Notary (IRN) has 690,480 pending Portuguese nationality applications, a 38% increase compared to the previous year, as reported by the newspaper Público this Wednesday. The data, as of June 30, 2026, shows that only 26% of these cases involve immigrants living in Portugal who have applied...

Alarm Clock: IRN has hundreds of thousands of nationality applications

The Institute of Registries and Notary (IRN) is currently processing a backlog of hundreds of thousands of Portuguese nationality applications.

Acquisitions of Portuguese nationality fall by 45% in 2025

This is the lowest figure since 2018 and reflects the number of applications approved by the Institute of Registries and Notaries. Statistics from the INE show that one of the main declines was among Sephardic Jews, but there are also significant drops in some CPLP countries.

Public Prosecutor's Office archives suspicions regarding the granting of nationality in the twins case

Requests for the granting of Portuguese nationality were made at the Portuguese consulate in São Paulo, Brazil, and the appointments for the twins' service were scheduled on April 16, 2019.

What might be on the Portuguese nationality test? Engineer creates online mock exam

The format and specific questions for the upcoming Portuguese nationality test remain unknown, but an engineer named Edouard Baillot has created an independent website to help applicants prepare based on the Constitution. As the law has not yet been fully regulated, Baillot developed the tool to assist immigrants who are uncertain about the new requirements. The site features 477 questions derived from legal texts, and while the initial mock exam is free, the creator plans to update it once official regulations are released.

dnbrasil.dn.pt5 Sept

Portuguese man arrested in Brazil for scamming people seeking nationality. He charged between 7,000 and 10,000 reais

Alexandre Mendes, 49, was arrested by Brazilian authorities on board an aircraft, following an ongoing investigation.

IRN says it completed 26,000 registration acts in two months

The Institute of Registries and Notaries (IRN) reported completing over 26,000 registration acts in two months as part of a backlog recovery project. The data, released by the IRN and the Ministry of Justice, includes 10,281 automotive, 3,677 property, and 2,303 commercial registrations, alongside progress in nationality processes. The institute has deployed 78 professionals to address delays and plans to integrate 113 new registrars this year, with further recruitment of 485 registry officers expected by the final quarter.

Princess Eugenie's baby girl was born in Portugal – but what nationality will she have?

cosmopolitan.com5 Aug

There was a 74% increase in nationality applications

The president of the IRN says there was a peak in nationality applications during the discussion of the new law, but that numbers have fallen since the parliamentary approval of more demanding requirements for residents.

PSD and Chega trade accusations following the rejection of the loss of nationality penalty

Socialist MP Luís Testa said he hopes the PSD “learns its lesson” regarding the consequences of negotiating with Chega.

Confirmation of the decree on loss of nationality rejected by a large majority

Out of a total of 208 voting deputies, the confirmation of the decree received 152 votes against.

Minister downplays penalties for loss of nationality

The Minister of the Presidency, Leitão Amaro, considers that the essential steps have been achieved with the approval of the new laws on foreigners and nationality.

Loss of nationality for serious crimes set to be dropped due to disagreement between Chega and PSD/CDS

Confirmation of this decree requires a two-thirds majority of the deputies present at the session, provided it is greater than the absolute majority of the deputies in office.

Chega may sink burqa law and loss of nationality bill

Ventura criticises the PSD for wanting to remove crimes such as child sexual abuse from the penalty of loss of nationality and for 'distorting' the burqa law during the committee stage.

Ventura accuses PSD and PS of 'irresponsibility' regarding immigration

André Ventura accused the PS and PSD of irresponsibility regarding immigration and sent a message to the PSD: the vote on the decree concerning the loss of nationality will reveal the party's vision for the country.

Ventura warns that the Government parties' rapprochement with the PS “has consequences”

The PSD and CDS vote on the loss of nationality will weigh on Chega's relationship with the executive, he states.

Secretary of State for Immigration: “We do not rule out approving the loss of nationality again”

In the week that the National Statistics Institute updates the figures for the Portuguese population, the Secretary of State in charge of immigration appears on Facto Político to accuse the Socialist Party of having created an “economic hoax” through the “deregulation of immigration.” Listen to the programme by journalist Diogo Teixeira in podcast format here.

Ventura challenges PSD and IL over loss of nationality

Chega has scheduled the re-examination of the decree rejected by the Constitutional Court for July 3rd. PSD and IL have already distanced themselves from the parliamentary confirmation of the bill.

3 PM. Loss of nationality returns to Parliament in July

The decree amending the Penal Code will be re-examined on July 3rd following its rejection by the Constitutional Court. Also in this news bulletin, public accounts start this year with a slight deficit of 0.7%.

Parliament to re-examine decree on loss of nationality deemed unconstitutional on July 3rd

The Chega party has scheduled a re-examination of the decree amending the Penal Code to allow for the loss of nationality for the July 3rd plenary session, a bill previously rejected unanimously by the Constitutional Court. The bill, which sought to create an accessory penalty of loss of nationality, was approved last December by the PSD, Chega, and Iniciativa Liberal. In May, the Constitutional Court ruled it unconstitutional for the second time, citing violations of equality and proportionality principles. While Chega leader André Ventura insists on confirming the decree, the PSD and Iniciativa Liberal have distanced themselves from this path to avoid institutional conflict. The session will also address VAT standardisation for urban rehabilitation works.

The time of the State

An analysis of how excessive administrative delays in Portugal, particularly regarding immigration, nationality, and foreign investment, are eroding the practical utility of rights. The author argues that when the State's own procedural slowness renders a legal right moot—or arrives after a life-altering event—it ceases to be a mere bureaucratic issue and becomes a fundamental question of the rule of law and state responsibility.

dnbrasil.dn.pt4 Jun

AIMA and Migration Council support projects regarding stateless persons

AIMA and the Migration Council consider it important to have a regulation for the stateless status, which will lead to the granting of nationality, as provided for in a 2023 law that was never implemented.