Portugal's New Citizenship Bill: Key Changes and How They Affect You

Portugal's five-year route to citizenship has long been a magnet for digital-economy workers, global retirees and family investors. In June 2025 the Council of Ministers shook that model by approving Proposta de Lei n.º 1/XVII/1.ª, the deepest Nationality-Law rewrite since 1981. This analysis walks you through the proposal, its constitutional vulnerabilities, and practical steps for those already in Portugal—or planning to be.

How a Draft Becomes Law

Portugal's nationality rules sit in an organic law, meaning any change requires an absolute majority of all MPs (116 of 230). The legislative pipeline looks like this:

• July 2025 – General Debate: Parliament votes on the bill "in principle."
• July–September – Committee Stage: MPs and experts refine the text line by line.
• Late September – Final Vote: Needs 116 "yes" votes to pass.
• October – Presidential Review: The President can sign, veto, or send articles to the Constitutional Court.
• Early 2026 – Earliest Start: Law activates shortly after publication in the Diário da República.

What the Draft Actually Says

Residence Clock Resets — The naturalisation wait jumps to 10 years (or seven for CPLP nationals). Time spent on a residence-permit card counts. Time on D-type visas (even years) counts for zero.

Birthright Citizenship Tightens — A child born in Portugal qualifies for nationality only if at least one parent has held a residence card for three years at the time of birth, plus a formal request is filed. The previous "quasi-automatic" rule is gone.

New Integration Requirements — Applicants must pass not just Portuguese language (A2 or B1) but also culture and civics exams, plus swear a formal loyalty pledge to Portugal's democratic order.

Criminal Bar and Revocation Risk — Any prison sentence prevents naturalisation. Even after naturalisation, nationality can be revoked within ten years if the person is convicted of crimes like terrorism, homicide, or offenses against state security, carrying a sentence of five years or more.

Retroactivity Controversy — Article 5 applies the tougher rules to files opened on or after 19 June 2025—eleven days before the bill was even approved in cabinet. Files opened before that date remain under the five-year rule if all conditions are met.

Likely Constitutional Flashpoints

Equality (Art. 13): Courts may scrutinize whether targeting only naturalised citizens for passport revocation complies with equality protections.

Legitimate Expectations (Art. 18-3): Retroactively punishing applicants who applied before 19 June 2025 could breach expectations protected by law.

No "Civil Death" (Art. 30-4): Revoking nationality must be a narrow, proportionate tool—likely valid for terrorism but dubious if broader.

Visa Holders vs Card Holders — Who Waits How Long?

Possible Outcomes at the Court

• Ten- and seven-year waits: Almost certain to survive—many EU countries have similar rules.
• Language & civics tests: Fully constitutional.
• 19 June cut-off: Legally shaky—courts may toss it or impose a grace window.
• Revocation clause: Survives if limited to serious crimes like terrorism, and statelessness is avoided.

Practical Steps While the Bill Evolves

• Convert visas to cards early.
• Renew on time and keep receipts.
• Save every document.
• Start language and civics prep now.
• Monitor Assembly amendments closely.
• File the day you qualify under current rules.

The Political Battlefield

PSD and CDS-PP hold 91 seats; add Chega's 60 and the "yes" bloc reaches 151 — well above the 116 required. Passage looks assured, though committee bargaining could tweak final details.

The Bottom Line

Portugal is tightening the door but not slamming it shut. Longer residence periods and new exams seem inevitable, but constitutional guardrails mean Parliament can't erase hard-earned residence time without a fair transition. Card-holders near five years may still secure a grace clause or win in court. Newcomers should focus on getting their cards and keeping paperwork pristine.

Reassurance for Residents

Government ministers keep stressing that the draft overhaul is meant to shore up Portugal's reputation as a fair, rules-based gateway — not an "open-door" passport factory. By requiring most applicants to hold a residence card for ten years — seven for CPLP nationals — and to pass new language and civics exams, the proposal primarily stretches the commitment window rather than slamming it shut.

Cabinet papers explain that those extra years are designed to ensure residents first pay taxes, contribute to social security, and become part of local communities before gaining access to EU free movement. The government argues that tighter rules are ultimately meant to improve life in Portugal for those who genuinely choose to stay — helping ensure that public services, social benefits, and community resources go to those who are actively contributing, not just passing through.

If you already live, work, and contribute in Portugal on a valid residence card, the change should feel like a speed bump rather than a brick wall, because card time continues to count toward the new clock.

Lawmakers emphasize that the real targets are last-minute "passport shopping" surges that overloaded public services — not families who have spent, or wish to spend, years laying down roots. In short, Portugal's stance is: grow with us before you go anywhere else — a gentle plea to stay, integrate, and contribute, not an order to leave.