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Citizenship Clock

On 19 May 2026, Lei Orgânica 1/2026 changed Portuguese naturalization: 10 years of legal residence for most nationalities (7 for EU and CPLP citizens), counted from the issuance of your residence card — not from when you applied. Time spent waiting on AIMA no longer counts.

Last verified 29 July 2026 against the official text (Diário da República). Applications filed with the IRN on or before 18 May 2026 keep the old 5-year regime.

Your citizenship Date your first Portuguese residence card was (or will be) issued Did you already file a citizenship application with the IRN on or before 18 May 2026?

What else you'll need by then

Proof of knowledge of Portuguese language, culture, history and the democratic system — the test format and level are still undefined; the implementing regulation is due around 16 August 2026. We'll update this page the day it publishes.
A clean criminal record within the law's exclusion rules; a solemn declaration of adherence to democratic rule-of-law principles (16+).
Note: permanent residency at 5 years is unchanged — many people's real goal (living in Portugal indefinitely) does not require citizenship at all.

Information tool, not legal advice. A Constitutional Court challenge to parts of the law's retroactivity is pending; individual cases (interrupted residence, prior periods, minors) need an advogado. Cumulative-residence windows in the statute can affect interrupted stays.