Portugal raises citizenship wait to 10 years for Nigerians, Indians, Pakistanis and others

Portugal’s Council of Ministers has permitted laws meant to implement the nation’s amended Nationality Law, shifting it nearer to making use of revised citizenship necessities.

The laws, permitted on October 29, 2026, tackle how authorities will assess purposes, together with necessities referring to language proficiency, cultural information and monetary independence. However, as of November 2, the implementing decree had not been confirmed as promulgated and printed within the official gazette, the Diário da República. Some administrative procedures subsequently remained awaiting last clarification.

Under the revised regulation, the minimal interval of authorized residence for citizenship has elevated from 5 to 10 years for nationals of nations together with Nigeria, India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh. European Union residents and nationals of Portuguese-speaking nations have a seven-year pathway.

The distinction means nationals of non-Portuguese-speaking African nations, together with Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa, fall underneath the final 10-year requirement. Citizens of Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe, Mozambique and Equatorial Guinea qualify for the seven-year pathway as a result of Portuguese is an official language in these nations.

According to figures from Portugal’s Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum, referred to as AIMA, greater than 242,000 residents have been nationals of India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh on the finish of 2025. The company additionally recorded greater than 263,000 international residents from Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau and São Tomé and Príncipe throughout the identical interval. The regulatory approval comes amid a considerable backlog of citizenship purposes.

Ministry of Justice figures reported by Portuguese media confirmed that 690,480 purposes have been awaiting selections as of June 30, 2026, a rise of 38 per cent from the earlier yr. Applications based mostly on immigrants’ years of authorized residence accounted for 26 per cent of the pending circumstances.

The revised laws, Organic Law No. 1/2026, acquired parliamentary approval on April 1. President António José Seguro signed it on May 3, and it was printed within the official gazette on May 18 earlier than coming into into drive the next day. While the regulation established the brand new citizenship situations, the October 29 resolution permitted the laws meant to place them into apply.

Minister of the Presidency António Leitão Amaro stated the laws would allow full implementation whereas simplifying administrative procedures. The authorities additionally intends to develop digital processing and information-sharing between public businesses to enhance the dealing with of purposes.

Beyond longer residence necessities, candidates should show information of the Portuguese language, tradition, historical past, democratic establishments and civic duties. They should additionally present that they’ll help themselves financially and declare their dedication to democratic ideas.

Government officers say the situations are meant to strengthen integration and candidates’ connections to Portuguese society. The laws permits separate intervals of authorized residence to be mixed inside a nine-year window for EU and Portuguese-speaking nationals, or a 12-year window for different candidates.

It additionally removes a provision launched in 2024 that allowed time spent ready for residence allow approval to rely in direction of citizenship eligibility, supplied the allow was ultimately granted. Further particulars regarding language assessments, monetary necessities and biometric knowledge assortment are anticipated by means of the implementing laws.