A clear guide to Lei Orgânica n.º 1/2026, in force since 19 May 2026: the new residency periods, when the clock starts, the added civic requirements, and what all of this means for Golden Visa holders.
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Current as of 5 August 2026 This article reflects Portugal’s Nationality Law as amended by Lei Orgânica n.º 1/2026, in force since 19 May 2026. The Government has been given ninety days from the publication date to issue an updated Nationality Regulation (Regulamento da Nacionalidade), which is expected by 16 August 2026 and may add operational detail on how the new civic knowledge test is administered. This article will be updated when that regulation is published. Verify current requirements with a qualified Portuguese immigration lawyer before making any application decisions. |
The Portugal Citizenship Law 2026 came into force on 19 May 2026, and it changed the rules for becoming a Portuguese citizen in three material ways. Lei Orgânica n.º 1/2026, the statute that amended the Portuguese Nationality Law (Lei n.º 37/81), replaced the long-standing five-year residency requirement with a ten-year rule for most applicants and a seven-year rule for nationals of EU and CPLP countries. It also changed when the residency clock starts, added a civic knowledge test to the naturalisation process, and closed the Sephardic Jewish descent route to new applicants.
This piece walks through the current rules in plain terms. What Lei Orgânica n.º 1/2026 actually says, when it applies to you, who it protects, and what Golden Visa applicants and existing residence-permit holders need to understand as of today.
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The five-year rule that shaped Portugal’s Golden Visa marketing for over a decade is gone. Under the current law, most non-EU nationals now face a ten-year residency period before they can apply for citizenship, with the clock starting from the day their first residence permit is issued. |
What changed, and when it took effect
The Portugal Citizenship Law 2026 was approved by Parliament on 1 April 2026 by a two-thirds majority. President António José Seguro promulgated it as Decree n.º 48/XVII on 3 May 2026. The statute was published in Diário da República n.º 95/2026, Série I, on 18 May 2026, and under its own Article 8, entered into force the following day, 19 May 2026.
That final date matters. Nationality applications formally submitted to the IRN (Instituto dos Registos e do Notariado) on or before 18 May 2026 continue to be processed under the previous five-year rules. Applications filed from 19 May 2026 onward are governed by the new law. That transitional cutoff is set out in Article 7.º(2) of Lei Orgânica n.º 1/2026 and has been widely confirmed in authoritative legal commentary.
The core change: how long you now need to live in Portugal
Under the previous law, most foreign nationals could apply for Portuguese citizenship after five years of legal residence. That threshold has been replaced with two figures.
For nationals of European Union member states and of Portuguese-speaking (CPLP) countries, the required residency period is now seven years. CPLP members include Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe, Timor-Leste, and Equatorial Guinea.
For all other foreign nationals, including Americans, British, Canadians, Australians, South Africans, Chinese, and every non-EU non-CPLP citizen, the required residency period is now ten years. This is the group most Portugal Golden Visa investors fall into. The change is substantial: the residency horizon for citizenship has doubled.
The other core change: when the residency clock starts
This is the change that has caused the most confusion, and it matters as much as the years figure. Under the previous law, administrative practice generally counted residency from the date the first residence application or manifestation of interest was submitted. Under Lei Orgânica n.º 1/2026, the clock now starts from the date your first residence permit is actually issued, not from when you applied.
For anyone whose Golden Visa application has spent time in the AIMA processing queue (and many have spent a year or more), this is a meaningful loss of ground. Waiting time that would previously have counted toward the residency period no longer does. The practical effect is that the ten-year headline figure is often eleven or twelve years from the moment of first application to citizenship eligibility.
The Portugal Citizenship Law 2026 at a glance
| Dimension | Before 19 May 2026 (Old Law) | From 19 May 2026 (New Law) |
| Residency period for most nationals | 5 years | 10 years |
| Residency period for CPLP and EU nationals | 5 years | 7 years |
| When the residency clock starts | Date of first residence application | Date first residence permit issued |
| Portuguese language requirement | A2 level (CIPLE or equivalent) | A2 level (unchanged) |
| Civic knowledge requirement | Not required | New: culture, history, rights, duties, political organisation |
| Declaration of adherence to democracy | Not required | New: solemn declaration required |
| Sephardic Jewish descent route | Open to new applicants | Closed to new applicants |
| Great-grandchild descent route | Not available | New: with 5 years Portugal residence |
| Applications pending on 18 May 2026 | N/A | Processed under OLD 5-year rules (Artigo 7.º.2) |
The comparison above sets out every major dimension. It’s worth walking through the ones most Golden Visa applicants ask about.
The new civic knowledge and language requirements
The A2 Portuguese language requirement itself is unchanged. Applicants still need to demonstrate A2-level proficiency, typically through the CIPLE exam administered by CAPLE at the University of Lisbon, or through completion of an accredited Portuguese course. Our guide to the A2 Portuguese language test covers what the exam involves and how most adults reach a pass.
What is new is a broader civic knowledge requirement. Under Article 6 of the amended law, applicants must now also demonstrate sufficient knowledge of Portuguese culture, history, national symbols, and of the fundamental rights, duties, and political organisation of the Portuguese State. There is also a new requirement to sign a solemn declaration of adherence to the fundamental principles of the democratic rule-of-law State.
The practical format of the civic knowledge test, including how it will be administered, what documents can evidence it, and what the pass standard will be, has not yet been finalised. That detail will come in the updated Regulamento da Nacionalidade, which the Government is required by the statute itself to publish within ninety days of Lei Orgânica n.º 1/2026, so by 16 August 2026. Until then, the operational mechanics are unsettled, though the substantive requirement is clearly in the law.
Who is protected, and who is not
The transitional rule in Article 7.º(2) creates a clear line. Anyone who filed a formal nationality application with the IRN on or before 18 May 2026 is processed under the previous rules. Their file continues on the old five-year framework, regardless of when it is eventually decided.
Anyone who did not file by that date is under the new law. This is where a common misconception has caused difficulty. Holding a Portuguese residence permit before 19 May 2026 does not, on its own, protect you. Many Golden Visa investors who had already been resident for four or five years before the law changed have assumed their existing status would carry them across. It does not. The transitional rule protects applications, not residencies. If you had not filed a nationality application by 18 May 2026, the new seven or ten year period applies to any application you now submit.
Whether prior residency time actually counts toward the new clock for existing residence-permit holders is currently disputed. Lei Orgânica n.º 1/2026 contains no transitional provision for this scenario, and it is the subject of an ongoing collective legal action brought by more than five hundred Golden Visa holders. The forthcoming updated Regulamento da Nacionalidade may clarify the position. For now, the safest working assumption is that the new law’s rules apply in full.
What this means for Golden Visa applicants
For anyone at or considering the Portugal Golden Visa stage today, the practical implications of the Portugal Citizenship Law 2026 are these.
The residency programme itself is unchanged. The seven-day annual minimum stay still applies. The €500,000 CMVM-regulated fund investment remains the main qualifying route. Family reunification for Golden Visa holders continues to be one of the most inclusive family arrangements of any European programme. What Lei Orgânica n.º 1/2026 changes is not the residency, but the citizenship pathway that sits at the end of it.
Permanent residency after five years is also unchanged. This is a genuinely important point that has been under-reported. The 2026 law affects citizenship eligibility, not permanent residency eligibility. Golden Visa holders can still apply for permanent residency after five years of legal residence, which ends the renewal cycle, removes the obligation to maintain the qualifying investment, and delivers an indefinite right to live in Portugal. For many Golden Visa investors, that five-year outcome is the actual goal, and it remains reachable on the same timeline as before.
For those whose long-term goal is Portuguese citizenship, the new ten-year horizon is real. It asks for a longer commitment to Portugal, and honestly, more patience. For families thinking a generation ahead, that horizon is not the obstacle it first appears. A child who is eight when the first residence permit is issued becomes eligible to apply for citizenship at eighteen, precisely when university and career decisions come into view. Our read on the generational case for EU citizenship for children walks through why that alignment matters.
What is still to be settled
Lei Orgânica n.º 1/2026 is the primary law. It is in force. But the practical mechanics of applying it require an updated Regulamento da Nacionalidade, the implementing regulation. That is the document that will set out how the new civic knowledge test is administered, what documents evidence the recalculated residency period, and how the transition is managed in specific edge cases.
Article 4 of the statute requires the Government to publish the updated Regulamento within ninety days of Lei Orgânica n.º 1/2026, so by 16 August 2026. As of the date of this article, that regulation is expected imminently. When it is published, this piece will be updated to reflect any changes to operational practice. In the meantime, applicants approaching a citizenship application should be aware that some administrative details are still being clarified, and should work with a qualified Portuguese immigration lawyer who is tracking the position in real time.
A note on primary sources
The facts in this article are based on the primary source, Lei Orgânica n.º 1/2026 as published in Diário da República on 18 May 2026, together with the Presidency of the Republic’s promulgation note dated 3 May 2026 and the parliamentary record of Decree n.º 48/XVII. Legal commentary has been drawn from qualified Portuguese law firms and specialist immigration advisers. Where operational detail remains unsettled pending the updated Regulamento, this article says so plainly rather than presenting speculation as fact.
Where to start
If you are early in your Portugal Golden Visa research and want to understand how the current citizenship rules affect your specific circumstances, our guide to permanent residency vs citizenship at the five-year mark covers the decision most Golden Visa holders eventually face. Our guide to the A2 Portuguese language test walks through the language requirement. And our overview of why Portugal sits alongside this piece for the broader context. When you are ready to talk specifics, get in touch for a relaxed, no-pressure conversation.
Elite Golden Visa provides immigration case management for Portugal’s residence-by-investment route. We are not a law firm or a regulated financial adviser. We do not provide investment, legal or tax advice; where appropriate, we introduce clients to independent, regulated professionals. Information on this site is general and subject to change. Capital at risk.
This article is current as of 5 August 2026 and will be updated when the amended Regulamento da Nacionalidade is published. Nothing in this article constitutes legal advice. Individual nationality applications should always be assessed by a qualified Portuguese immigration lawyer.
