After several months of debate, the Portuguese Parliament has approved the new Citizenship Law on October 28, 2025. The decree was sent to the Portuguese President’s office on November 11, 2025 for review.
Important Update: On November 13, the Socialist Party (PS) bypassed the President and announced it would request a preventive review of the law by the Constitutional Court, which immediately suspends the law before it can be promulgated.
The proposed reform, if it becomes law eventually, extends the required period of residence to qualify for citizenship from five years to ten years (or seven for citizens of CPLP countries and EU nationals), among other new requirements.
While this is a significant shift in Portugal’s nationality framework, it’s important to understand what stage the law is at, what remains pending, and what the implications are for Portugal Golden Visa holders, past, present, and future.
What to Discover in This Guide?
What Has Been Approved?
The law introduces several key changes to the process of naturalization:
Residency requirement to be eligible for citizenship:
- 10 years for most applicants
- 7 years for citizens of CPLP (Portuguese-speaking countries) and EU nationals
Counting from the residence card issuance:
The qualifying period will now start from the date of issuance of the first residence card, rather than from the date of the initial application.
New requirements:
- A2-level Portuguese language proficiency (unchanged)
- A new civic knowledge test (covering Portuguese culture, rights, duties, and history)
- Formal declaration of adherence to democratic principles
- Clean criminal record (threshold reduced from three years to two years)
- Proof of sufficient means of subsistence
- No sanctions from the UN or EU
Termination of the Sephardic Jewish ancestry route
New provision: Loss of nationality possible in cases of conviction for serious crimes
Is It Already in Effect?
No. The proposed law will be formally suspended for review.
Although Parliament approved the law on October 28 and sent it to the President on November 11 for his review, the process changed significantly on November 13.
On that day, Portugal’s Socialist Party (PS) bypassed the Portuguese President and confirmed it would request a preventive constitutional review of the Nationality Law under Article 278(4) of the Constitution.
This mechanism is rarely used, it is only the third time in the 42-year history of the Parliament, and it immediately freezes the law, preventing:
- Presidential signature
- Publication
- Entry into force
Until the Constitutional Court issues a ruling, the current citizenship law (5-year rule) remains in force.
What happens next:
The Socialist Party’s (PS) request will be formally filed in the week of November 18.
Once submitted, the Constitutional Court will have up to 25 days to decide.
Until the Court rules, nothing changes in the naturalization timeline.
What Does It Mean for Golden Visa Holders?
The Golden Visa (ARI) is a residency program. The Government has not proposed any changes to the residency rights under this program.
This reform affects the path to citizenship, not the right to residency.
- The Golden Visa program remains unchanged.
- Holders continue to enjoy residency rights as before, and the ability to renew, travel, and reunite with family remains unaffected.
The recent preventive review request means that the proposed changes to the timeline and qualifying period are not active, at least for now.
However, if the law is eventually approved, citizenship via the Golden Visa route will follow the new timeline, based on the citizenship application date and the issuance date of the first residence card.
What Happens if You Already Applied for Citizenship?
If you submit a complete citizenship application before any new law enters into force, your file is expected to proceed under the current five-year rule.
If the new law eventually enters into force, applications submitted after that date would fall under the new requirements.
In practical terms:
Completed applications already submitted continue under the existing five-year regime.
Future applications would follow the new seven- or ten-year rule only if the new law is upheld and comes into effect.
The absence of a formal transition clause has raised constitutional concerns, and this issue will possibly be part of the Constitutional Court’s preventive review.
If You Have Not Yet Applied for Citizenship
While the law is currently suspended pending Constitutional Court review, if it eventually enters into force as approved:
- You will need to complete 10 years of legal residence (counting from the first residence card issuance date).
- You will need to meet the new language, civic, and conduct requirements.
- Proof of “real ties” and integration may likely become a stronger consideration in the process.
This will extend the timeline for citizenship for current and future Golden Visa holders who have not yet reached five years of residence.
Can You Still Get Permanent Residency After 5 Years?
Yes. This remains possible and is now more relevant than ever.
- After five years of legal residence, Golden Visa holders can apply for Permanent Residency (PR) in Portugal.
There are two PR routes to consider:
Regular PR (general regime): lower fees; typically requires proof of actual residence (e.g., a minimum stay over a multi-year period); each family member holds their own independent PR card.
Investment PR (for Golden Visa holders): it has higher fees; but it waives the minimum-stay obligation tied to PR; and each family member also receives an independent PR card.
Assuming you take advantage of the Investment PR:
- The PR card is valid for five years, renewable, and does not require full-time residence in Portugal.
- A2-level Portuguese language proficiency is required, but there are no new investment or physical stay obligations.
This means that after five years, investors can:
- Obtain PR and maintain their residency rights;
- Liquidate their qualifying investment if desired;
- Continue progressing toward citizenship under the new 10-year rule if they wish.
Important Strategy for Families
Continuing with the Golden Visa (ARI) renewals keeps family members dependent on the main applicant.
If children are approaching the program’s age limits, consider applying for Permanent Residency at year five so each family member holds an independent permit.
This reduces “age-out” risk and provides flexibility for studies, work, and travel.
What Should You Expect Next?
The process now moves to the Constitutional Court (Tribunal Constitucional). Once the Socialist Party’s (PS) request is formally submitted, the Court has 25 days to issue a ruling.
The law will remain suspended until the Constitutional Court completes its preventive review.
Possible outcomes:
The Court finds parts of the law unconstitutional
Parliament must amend or remove those provisions,
or reconfirm them by a two-thirds vote.
This outcome would delay the reform and may require redrafting key articles.
The Court upholds the law
The decree returns to the President, who may sign or veto it.
If signed, the new timelines would then enter into force.
Until the Court rules, the current 5-year citizenship rule remains applicable.
The reform was approved with 157 votes in favor (PSD, Chega, IL, CDS-PP, and JPP are the political parties in favor) and 64 against (PS, Livre, PCP, BE, and PAN are the political parties against).
We expect further developments in the coming weeks.
- In recent weeks, AIMA accelerated the long-delayed scheduling of biometrics appointments for Golden Visa (ARI) applicants.
- Most primary applicants who had been waiting since 2022 – 2025 have now received invitations for appointments in the first half of 2026.
- At this stage, family members are not being scheduled an appointment. We are monitoring closely to see what approach AIMA will take on the dependents.
- These appointments are a positive sign that AIMA’s backlog is gradually clearing, though the overall processing pace still varies case-to-case.
Our Take
This reform represents a significant change in Portugal’s naturalization framework, aligning it more closely with European averages, but it also creates uncertainty for thousands of law-abiding residents and investors who made decisions based on the previous law.
At Get Golden Visa, we remain committed to:
- Providing clear, factual updates as the process evolves,
- Guiding our clients through their Permanent Residency and Citizenship strategies,
- Working closely with leading law firms in Portugal to ensure all applications remain compliant and well-timed.
This article reflects the situation as of November 14, 2025, based on:
- Official statements from the Portuguese Parliament,
- Legal summaries and expert analyses, and
- The text of the approved draft law.
We will update this page as soon as the President’s decision and the regulation details are published.
For personalized advice on how these changes may affect your case, we recommend consulting your immigration lawyer or our advisory team.
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