Portugal new citizenship law: tests, income and 10 years

Ten years instead of five, and now exams and stable income on top: on October 29, 2026 Portugal's government approved the rules the new law has been missing for six months.

In detail

A Portuguese passport has become more expensive, though the price is paid in years rather than euros. Since May 19, 2026, naturalization has required 10 years of residence instead of 5, and on October 29 the government took the next step: the Council of Ministers approved a decree-law spelling out how candidates will actually be tested. Exams, stable income, biometrics and a written commitment to democracy all now get a working procedure.

For anyone who saw Portugal as the short road to an EU passport, this is unwelcome but useful news. The rules are finally moving from guesswork to something you can plan on a calendar. Here is what is known, what is still missing and what to do if you already live in Portugal or are only thinking about it.

What did Portugal's government decide on October 29?

The Council of Ministers approved a decree-law implementing Organic Law No. 1/2026 (Lei Orgânica, a special category of statute that Portugal uses for nationality). The law itself was published on May 18, 2026 and has applied since May 19. The government had 90 days to write the implementing rules. That deadline passed on August 16, so the decree arrived about two and a half months late, which by the standards of Portuguese bureaucracy is practically express delivery.

Presidency Minister António Leitão Amaro called the decree an important part of the reform and was blunt about its purpose: citizenship is harder to obtain because the law now demands a real connection to the country. He also singled out stable income and knowledge of Portugal as additional requirements.

The document settles five questions:

• Exams. The conditions for testing Portuguese language, culture, history and state institutions.
• Income. How a candidate's ability to support themselves is assessed.
• Declaration. How applicants file a statement of adherence to the principles of the democratic rule of law.
• Biometrics. How applicants' biometric data is collected.
• Digital processing. Less paper, more data sharing between agencies and faster decisions.

When do the new rules take effect?

The decree takes effect only after the President signs it and it appears in the Diário da República, Portugal's official gazette. The government has not given a publication date. The text is not public yet either, so the language test level, the format of the culture test and the income amount will become known once the gazette prints them.

Until then the existing procedure applies, with an official language level of A2 (a basic level on the European scale: simple everyday conversations, forms, the shop and the pharmacy). In practice, residence-based applications have spent these months running into the absence of new rules. The law calls for new checks, and there has been nothing to run them under.

How long does Portuguese citizenship take now?

The decree does not change the residence period, which is already fixed by law. The key numbers look like this:

The most expensive detail is hidden in the counting method. The clock runs from the date printed on the first residence card, and time spent waiting for that card no longer counts. Someone who gets a card in January 2027 can apply for citizenship in January 2037, even if they arrived and filed long before. Months in the queue simply vanish from your record.

The law gave no transition period to people partway through the old term. Someone with 6 years of residence who did not file before May 19, 2026 now waits another 4 years. It stings, but that is the correct math.

What happens to applications already filed?

Applications pending on May 19, 2026 are decided under the previous version of the law. They keep the 5-year term and the old conditions. The new exams and periods do not reach those cases, so nothing needs to be refiled.

The other half of the story is the queue. Citizenship applications go to IRN (Instituto dos Registos e do Notariado, the registry and notary agency), while residence cards come from AIMA (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo, the integration, migration and asylum agency). AIMA turned three on October 29, and the same day the government appointed César Teixeira as its new head. According to the minister, the agency's service volume is up 60% on last year, with 185,000 people seen in person and 500,000 call-center interactions. What to do if your card still has not arrived is covered in our piece on court cases against Portugal's migration agency.

What does this mean for you in practice?

• You filed before May 19, 2026. The old rules govern your case. Keep your proof of filing and follow the file.
• You live in Portugal but have not applied. Count 10 or 7 years from the date on your first card. Document your income: tax returns, contracts and several years of statements will be needed in any case.
• You are only planning a move. Getting a card faster now means getting a passport faster. Choosing the right basis and filing a clean application saves years. The options are on our Portugal residence permit page.
• You hold a golden visa. The 10 years apply to you too, because investor status offers no separate road to a passport. Investment routes and timing are worth checking against the same calendar.
• You have a criminal record. A prison sentence of three years or more closes the door on citizenship.

What else did the new law change?

The special regime for descendants of Sephardic Jews is closed, ending one of the best-known short routes to a Portuguese passport. The old path of applying through a child born in the country has gone too: a parent now needs 5 years of residence with a card first. The state application fee stands at $280 (250 euros).

There is good news as well. Portugal still does not ask you to give up your existing citizenship, and the passport remains an EU passport: the right to live, work and study anywhere in the union without separate permits. The price went up, but the product did not get worse.

How do you prepare for the exam and the income test?

The details will arrive with publication, but the groundwork is already clear. Start on the language early: hold at least an A2 certificate and keep going, since the bar is unlikely to stay a formality. You will need to know the history, symbols and structure of the state well enough to answer without prompting, which makes this the rare case where a series about kings counts as homework.

On income the logic is simple: stability matters more than a single large sum. Portuguese tax returns, clear contracts and regular account activity speak for themselves. It is also worth getting to grips with taxes in Portugal, because 10 years of residence means 10 tax returns.

Our services for Portugal

We support the whole route, from the first residence permit to the citizenship application, with locally licensed lawyers.

Our country overview is on the Portugal page, and daily life is covered in our guides to Lisbon and Porto.

What are the alternatives if 10 years is too long?

Portugal remains a strong choice for people who genuinely want to live in Europe. If your real goal is a second passport rather than a life in Lisbon, compare other roads. Citizenship of Paraguay and citizenship of Argentina run through residence in South America, while citizenship of Turkey is granted for property investment. None of them brings an EU passport, but there are far fewer years to count.

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