On May 18, 2026, Portugal officially published a new citizenship law, which has already entered into force.
Lei Orgânica n.º 1/2026, de 18 de maio — amendments to the Portuguese Citizenship Law.
In short:
- The general naturalisation period has been increased to 10 years.
- 7 years for citizens of the EU and CPLP countries, such as Brazil and São Tomé and Príncipe.
- The clock starts from the date the residence permit is issued, not from the date of the application.
At the same time, no transitional period has been provided for individuals who were already living in Portugal and expected to obtain citizenship under the previous rules. Despite this, some investors are already considering preparing legal action to challenge the changes.
Previously, applicants could apply for citizenship after just 5 years. Now Portugal is clearly moving away from one of the fastest routes to an EU passport, and the planning horizon for investors and residents is effectively doubling.
What happens if, during the naturalisation process, you get citizenship of Sao Tome and Principe or another CPLP country?
São Tomé and Príncipe is a member of the CPLP — the Community of Portuguese Language Countries. In theory, this may allow applicants to qualify for a reduced naturalisation period of 7 years instead of 10 in Portugal.
We requested legal opinions from Portuguese lawyers regarding a situation where an individual is already residing in Portugal and later obtains citizenship of São Tomé and Príncipe.
It is important to understand that there is currently no established legal practice for such cases. The first real applications under this scenario are expected to appear only in the coming years at the naturalisation stage. No separate official clarifications or government circulars have been published so far either.
Nevertheless, according to the lawyers’ interpretation, such applicants may be eligible for the reduced 7-year naturalization period. Furthermore, the residency period in Portugal should, in their opinion, be counted from the date of obtaining the first Portuguese residence permit rather than from the moment the new passport is issued.
According to the private opinion of experts, it may also not be necessary to reissue previously obtained Portuguese documents under the new passport. At the same time, it is emphasised that legal practice is still expected to develop, and the authorities’ approach may be clarified further following the release of additional regulations or official guidance.
