Why are nationality processes taking so long?
One of the most common questions today is about the processing time for Portuguese nationality applications. In many cases, the initial expectations do not match the actual timelines, which often leads to uncertainty during the waiting period. To address the community’s main concerns, we have launched a special series both on our blog and across our social media channels.
Currently, some applications may take several years to reach completion. This situation is not necessarily linked to an issue with an individual case, but rather to a broader context within the Portuguese system.
According to recent data from the Ministry of Justice, there are nearly 700,000 pending applications across the registry offices. This high volume directly impacts processing speed.
Processing times depend mainly on two key factors: the continuous influx of new applications entering the system and the administrative capacity of the Institute of Registries and Notaries (IRN) to review them.
This imbalance between demand and capacity explains why timelines have extended in recent years.
It is important to highlight that delays do not indicate any irregularity or issue with your application. Each case continues to move forward within an overall extended queue. If the Registry Office requires additional information or documentation, Martins Castro will contact the applicant to provide guidance and support. Therefore, if there are no updates, it means the application is progressing according to the current review queue.
At the same time, Martins Castro actively takes all possible measures to defend the rights of the Luso-descendant community, including in-person follow-ups at registry offices, formal petitions to ensure legal deadlines are respected, legal action to accelerate processing when applicable, and challenges to unconstitutional aspects of the law.
According to the most recent update, the current review dates at the registry offices are as follows:
Lisbon
Sephardic applicants (Art. 6.7): first half of May 2021
Minor children (Art. 2): first half of September 2022
Spouses (Art. 3.3): second half of February 2026
Porto
Sephardic applicants (Art. 6.7): second half of May 2022
Click here to view the full list.
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