Lisbon, 22 October 2025 – The Portuguese Parliament’s relevant committee begins discussions today on a new draft law on nationality, aiming to change how foreigners become Portuguese citizens.
The proposed law is part of a broader reform, responding to concerns about fairness and integration. Under the new framework, the time a foreign resident must live legally in Portugal before applying for citizenship could be shortened for some, and rules on how that time is counted may change.
One key point: if the residence permit process is delayed by the authorities, that time may be counted toward the citizenship waiting period, according to the draft proposal.
Supporters say the reform will make citizenship fairer and more predictable for long-term residents. Critics argue it must ensure it doesn’t become a “fast track” that undermines the value of Portuguese nationality.
The proposal currently under debate envisaged a transitional regime that would apply from June 19th as the start of the diploma, after the government claimed that the government's program already provided for this measure and that there had been a large number of naturalization requests.
However, the amendments that can be consulted in Parliament do away with this requirement.
The possibility of withdrawing nationality only applies to citizens who maintain their nationality of origin.
Portuguese law does not permit the creation of stateless persons, so this sanction cannot be applied to cases involving countries such as India, China, Pakistan, or Bangladesh, which withdraw the original citizenship of citizens who obtain another nationality.
The debate in parliament is expected to be lively. If passed, the changes could affect thousands of people living in Portugal who hope to one day become Portuguese citizens.