Portugal to Introduce Significant Reforms to Citizenship and Immigration Laws

Following the Portuguese elections on 18 May, the government wants to introduce major reforms to the citizenship and immigration laws. 

With that in mind, the Council of Ministers held a meeting yesterday, 23 June, during which a series of proposals concerning immigration and citizenship were approved. 

Immigration was a major issue during the 2025 Portuguese elections, driven by the sharp rise in the number of immigrants in Portugal. In 2023, the foreign resident population surpassed one million, increasing by a third compared to the previous year. This surge, combined with a lack of response from the responsible authorities, such as AIMA (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo), fuelled public debate. 

The proposals will be presented and discussed in Parliament later this week. 

The most significant changes to the citizenship and immigration laws are highlighted below.

The new government will propose to Parliament that applicants for Portuguese citizenship through residency, who currently need to reside legally in Portugal for five years, will instead be required to do so for seven to ten years. A seven-year requirement will apply to citizens of countries where Portuguese is an official language, such as Brasil, Angola, Moçambique, Cabo Verde, and others. A ten-year requirement will apply to citizens of all other countries. 

This new residency requirement begins to count from the date the residence permit is obtained, as stated by António Leitão Amaro, Minister of the Presidency of Portugal. 

Other important changes include stricter requirements concerning knowledge of the Portuguese language, culture, political system, and democratic values. This knowledge will be assessed through examinations. Currently, only knowledge of the Portuguese language is required, either demonstrated by passing the CIPLE exam or by completing a 150-hour PLA course.

In addition, the citizenship application should be accompanied by a personal and solemn declaration of adherence to the democratic rule of law. 

Concerning the applicants' criminal records, the current legislation requires that applicants have not been convicted of a crime punishable in Portugal by a prison sentence of more than 3 years, and this new proposal wants to make citizenship unfeasible for those convicted of any custodial sentence. 

Regarding individuals born in Portugal to at least one foreign parent, that parent must have legally resided in the country for a minimum of three years; otherwise, the child will not be granted Portuguese citizenship at birth. Besides, the parents must formally express their wish for the child to acquire Portuguese citizenship, as citizenship will no longer be granted automatically.

This proposal is one of the most controversial proposals of this new government. It consists of a mechanism for losing Portuguese citizenship for those who will be condemned to at least five years in prison.



This mechanism will apply only to naturalised citizens who have held Portuguese nationality for less than ten years, excluding citizens by origin. It will always be applied as an ancillary penalty, imposed by a judge following legal proceedings, based on a case-by-case assessment of the seriousness and circumstances, and only for crimes of a particularly serious nature. For example, crimes against the Portuguese state or serious offences against individuals, such as murder and rape.

Regarding job-seeker visas, when someone wishes to come to Portugal to work without an employment contract or a job offer, the scheme will remain in place, but only for highly qualified positions. The roles covered will be defined by a government directive. 

It will be developed in partnership with higher education institutions and their representative organisations. A proposal similar to the one agreed with Portuguese companies — the Green Lane agreement — was formally signed on 1 April 2025 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This Green Lane is characterised by the granting of work visas within 20 days to foreign nationals contracted by Portuguese companies based outside Portuguese territory.

In the case of higher education institutions, the aim is to attract foreign investors, professors, and students to Portugal, with AIMA establishing a dedicated department to handle these visas.

This new proposal introduces a requirement of at least two years of residency in Portugal to proceed with the family reunification process. Also, only minors can achieve this status in Portuguese territory. Other family members need to be outside Portuguese territory for their request to be considered. 

The criteria will increase; they are: adequate accommodation, sufficient means of subsistence. 



Integration requirements for applicants and their families, including language learning and knowledge of Portuguese constitutional values.

The government intends to maintain the exemption from an AIMA opinion for these visas, but a report from the Internal Security System's Border Coordination Unit (UCFE) is now required. 



CPLP residence permits in Portugal now require a prior consular visa and can no longer be requested with a tourist visa or visa exemption.

The creation of this unit had already been discussed in Parliament under the previous government, elected in 2024. 

This new unit will be responsible for controlling entry at airport borders, inspecting foreigners and immigrants in the entire Portuguese territory, and carrying out the removal of foreign nationals who do not comply with the rules.

It will be called the National Unit for Foreigners and Borders (UNEF) and will operate within the Public Security Police (PSP).

There are other reforms that the Portuguese government wants to implement, such as:

• Abolition of the extraordinary naturalisation programme for descendants of Portuguese Sephardic Jews.
• New restrictions on the naturalisation process through Portuguese ancestry are limited to great-grandchildren.

For tailored advice regarding nationality or residency applications, considering these proposed changes, please contact us. We are here to offer you our help.