# Portugal citizenship in 2026 [Moving to Portugal](/moving-to-portugal/) Article Updated 8 October 2026 Law as at 13 June 2026 3 min read Signed by our advisers · 4.7 on Google, 43 reviews Since 19 May 2026, naturalisation requires seven or ten years of legal residence in Portugal. Seven years apply to EU and Portuguese-speaking-country nationals and ten to others, replacing the five-year rule. The rule that counted waiting time from a temporary residence permit application was repealed, but nationality applications pending on 19 May 2026 remain under the previous law. ## What changed in Portugal's 2026 citizenship rules Portuguese citizenship rules have been in flux since 2024, and many expats have seen conflicting headlines about the move away from the old 5-year path. That change is now law. ## Residence period and when counting starts The standard route requires seven years of legal residence for nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries and EU member states, or ten years for other nationals. For new applications governed by the law effective from 19 May 2026, count periods of legal residence under the qualifying residence titles, visas or authorisations in the nationality rules. Continuous or interrupted periods can be added within a maximum nine-year window for EU and Portuguese-speaking-country nationals, or twelve years for other nationals. The rule adding waiting time from a temporary residence-permit application was repealed. Nationality proceedings pending when the new law took effect remain governed by the previous law; under that framework, time from the temporary-permit application counts if the permit is subsequently granted. ## How the rule moved from 5 years to 7 and 10 In 2025, proposals were floated that would tighten citizenship access, including longer timelines in some drafts. That reform has now been approved, promulgated, and published, and it applies since 19 May 2026. ## What is still required besides time - Knowledge and declaration. Applicants must prove, by a test or certificate, sufficient knowledge of the Portuguese language and culture, history and national symbols, and must know the fundamental rights and duties of Portuguese nationality and the political organisation of the State; nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries are presumed to know the language. They must also solemnly declare adherence to the fundamental principles of the democratic rule of law. - Criminal record, security and subsistence. A final, unsuspended prison sentence of more than three years for terrorism, violent, especially violent or highly organised crime, crimes against State security or aiding illegal immigration can block naturalisation, subject to the Public Prosecutor's assessment; so can a threat to national security or defence, or UN or EU restrictive measures. Applicants must also be able to support themselves. - Valid legal residence history. Your permit type and continuity matter for counting purposes. ## Who should recheck their plan now - Golden Visa and D7 holders who are planning a citizenship timeline around travel, investment, or family moves. - Families with schooling decisions tied to expected timing of Portuguese nationality. - Expats coordinating their tax position with residence-status timing where duration affects broader planning. ## Tax planning impact As a rule, Portuguese nationality does not change how Portugal taxes you: Portugal taxes its residents on their worldwide income and non-residents only on their Portuguese-source income. Within the CIRS, nationality matters where a Portuguese national moves tax residence to a listed jurisdiction with a clearly more favourable tax regime: that person remains resident in Portugal for the year of the move and the next four years, for as long as the tax residence stays in a listed jurisdiction, unless the person proves acceptable reasons for the move, such as temporary work there for an employer based in Portugal. Otherwise, the timing of citizenship matters for tax where it changes where you live, where a treaty rule turns on nationality, such as the residence tie-breaker or the rules for government salaries and pensions, or where another country taxes its citizens, as the United States does. ## Frequently asked questions ### How many years of legal residence are required for Portuguese citizenship? Since 19 May 2026, the standard naturalisation route by legal residence is 7 years for nationals of EU member states and Portuguese-speaking countries, and 10 years for other nationals. ### Does Golden Visa time count towards citizenship? It can count, but eligibility depends on your legal residence status and compliance history. ### Could this change again? Yes. Nationality law can be amended. This guide is by **[Telmo Ramos](/about/)**, our founder, an economist and member no. 16379 of the Ordem dos Economistas. ## Related guides - Guide · Law as at 13 June 2026 ### [Moving to Portugal: tax checklist for 2026](/guides/moving-to-portugal-tax-checklist/) Plan the tax steps before and after a move to Portugal: home-country departure, tax residence, NIF, income records, IFICI and your first return. - Guide · Law as at 19 October 2026 ### [D7 visa and tax in Portugal: when you become tax resident](/guides/d7-visa-tax-portugal/) Understand the difference between a D7 visa and Portuguese tax residence, how foreign income is treated, and the separate conditions for IFICI. - Guide · Law as at 13 June 2026 ### [Digital nomad visa (D8): tax in Portugal](/guides/digital-nomad-visa-tax-portugal/) Moving to Portugal on a D8 visa? Understand tax residence, remote-work income, social security and why the visa itself does not decide your tax position. ## Tell us about your situation We reply within 2 working days with the right service, its price and how to start. --- Source: https://taxbordr.com/insights/portugal-new-citizenship/ General guidance only. Individual facts govern.