on July 2, 2025

Portuguese nationality: applications increase, delays too

on July 2, 2025

Nacionalidade portuguesa: pedidos aumentam, atrasos também

The current scenario for Portuguese nationality is one of overload and uncertainty. According to the Union of Registry and Notary Workers (STRN), the estimate is that 700 thousand processes await analysis — many of them impacted by proposed changes to the law.

See the main data:

About 30% of pending orders are for the naturalization of immigrants.
Others 30% correspond to requests via the Sephardic route.
Most of the remaining orders come from Portuguese descendants.
IRN services still analyze processes filed in 2021.
The average age of IRN employees is 60 years, with a chronic lack of staff replacement.
Pressure is increasing on conservatories, especially in summer months, when many emigrants seek to resolve pending issues.
In 2023, 41,393 people obtained Portuguese nationality; in 2020, this number was almost 60 thousand — that is, there has been a decline in recent years.

The government's current proposal includes, among other changes, the extinction of naturalization through Sephardic means and the increase in the length of residence required for naturalization (from 5 to 7 or 10 years, depending on the case). The expectation is for more delays and greater pressure on public services. Read the full article on here.