Reviewed by Jane Katkova, Founder & Licensed CICC ConsultantPortugal's revised Nationality Law is in force. The Assembly of the Republic approved the final text on 1 April 2026 by 152 votes to 64 with one abstention, President António José Seguro signed it on 3 May, and it was published in the Diário da República on 18 May as Lei Orgânica n.º 1/2026. It took effect the following day, 19 May 2026.
The law does not change the Portugal golden visa (ARI), the D7 or the D8 as residence routes. It changes how long a resident must wait before applying for a Portuguese passport, and from when that period is counted.
Residence periods and conditions under Lei Orgânica n.º 1/2026
| Applicant | Before 19 May 2026 | From 19 May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Most nationalities, including US and Canadian citizens | 5 years of legal residence | 10 years |
| EU and CPLP (Portuguese-speaking country) nationals | 5 years | 7 years |
- Start of the residence period: residence is now counted from the issue of a valid residence title, not from the date the residence application was filed. This reverses a 2024 rule that had let applicants count AIMA's processing time.
- Integration tests: applicants must show Portuguese language proficiency and knowledge of Portuguese culture, history and the rights and duties of citizens.
- Other changes: the conditions for children born in Portugal to acquire citizenship were tightened, and the Sephardic-descent route was closed to new applications, according to published legal commentary.
- Implementing rules: the Government was given 90 days from publication to revise the nationality regulations.
Transitional rules and points still disputed
Nationality applications already lodged when the law took effect continue under the previous five-year rule. The protection covers pending nationality procedures; it does not clearly extend to investors who had filed for residence but had not yet filed for nationality.
Published commentary differs on how the residence period is counted for golden visa applicants who filed and paid AIMA fees before 18 May 2026 but did not yet hold a card. One reading counts from the fee payment date; another counts only from card issue. We treat this as unsettled until the regulations and AIMA practice confirm it.
The Constitutional Court reviewed an earlier version of the law in December 2025 and struck down several provisions while leaving the ten-year requirement intact. A companion decree on loss of nationality as a criminal penalty remains before the Court.
What this means for applicants
For US and Canadian citizens, and for US and Canadian residents holding other passports, Portugal remains a sound EU residence option: a €500,000 fund investment with a stay requirement of seven days a year, or the D7 and D8 for those who relocate. What has changed is the passport timeline. We now present every Portuguese route as a ten-year path to citizenship, counted from the date the first residence card is issued, with AIMA processing time on top.
Applicants whose main objective is an EU passport should weigh that timeline against other European residence programmes and their own plans to live in the country. Applicants whose objective is a Schengen residence permit and a contingency base lose nothing under the new law: permanent residence after five years is unaffected.
If you already hold a Portuguese permit or have an application pending, ask your lawyer to confirm in writing which start date applies to you. To review your position against the new law, book a consultation.