Portugal to Double Citizenship Residency Requirement in Sweeping Immigration Shift

New measures aim to tighten access while prioritizing integration

Prime Minister Luís Montenegro:

“Portugal must be a country of opportunity, but it must also have order and rules. That balance is what we seek to restore.”

In a significant overhaul of its immigration and naturalization framework, the Portuguese government has confirmed plans to double the minimum residency requirement for citizenship

from 5 to 10 years,.

Move that marks one of the most consequential changes to Portugal’s nationality law in decades

The decision comes amid growing public and political scrutiny over immigration policies. Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, whose centre-right coalition government took office earlier this year, stated that the reforms are meant to bring “more responsibility and rigor” to the naturalization process.

T“Portugal must be a country of opportunity, but it must also have order and rules. That balance is what we seek to restore,” said Montenegro during a press conference in Lisbon.

The current five-year requirement—among the shortest in Europe has long made Portugal a favored destination for immigrants and digital nomads alike. Under the new proposal, applicants will need to prove 10 years of legal residence, alongside demonstrated language proficiency and potentially new cultural integration benchmarks.

Public Reaction Mixed

• Advocacy groups and legal experts have expressed concern about the impact these changes could have on thousands of migrants already in the country and awaiting eligibility.

Migrant communities worry the extension could push more people into limbo—especially those navigating the bureaucratic challenges of the newly formed AIMA (Agency for Migration and Integration), which has faced delays in processing permits and registrations.

The move comes as the centre-right government seeks to distance itself from the far-right Chega party while adopting some tougher policies that align with public sentiment on immigration. Chega had previously proposed raising the residency requirement and even called for revocable citizenship under certain conditions.

“We need a system that rewards those who truly integrate—not those who treat our nationality as a convenience,” said André Ventura, Chega’s leader.

What’s Next?

The government is expected to table the legislation in Parliament in the coming weeks. While the proposal will likely pass with support from right-leaning parties, centre-left lawmakers have already signaled resistance.

For now, Portugal’s path to citizenship is becoming longer—and for many, more uncertain.

“I’ve been in Portugal for six years now. I speak the language, I work, my children go to school here,” said Ahmed Al-Rafi, a Syrian migrant in Lisbon. “Now I’m told I have to wait four more years to even apply? It feels unfair.”