Portugal announces proposal to change Nationality Law and Foreigner Law
The Portuguese government presented, at a meeting of the Council of Ministers, proposals to change the Nationality Law and the Foreigners Law. According to legal expert Isabel Comte, from Martins Castro, the measures do not yet have legal effect since the content needs to be transformed into a bill, approved by Parliament and sanctioned by the President of the Republic. In the meantime, the current rules remain valid.
Check out the main points of the proposals:
- End of the Sephardic regime: naturalization by descent from Sephardic Jews would be terminated.
- Expansion of citizenship by ancestry: would include great-grandchildren of Portuguese people in the right to nationality.
- Minimum residence time increased:
- 7 years for CPLP citizens
- 10 years for foreigners from other countries
- New naturalization criteria:
- Mandatory Portuguese language test
- Assessment of the country's culture, history and political system
- Declaration of adherence to democratic values
- Possibility of loss of nationality: for those sentenced to more than 5 years in prison.
The proposals have not yet become law, but it is important to act soon
If you are eligible for Portuguese nationality, the best time to act is now. Avoid being impacted by possible changes: click here and request your free analysis with Martins Castro.
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