On May 3, 2026, local time, the Office of the President of Portugal confirmed that the President has promulgated Parliamentary Decree 48/XVI, which amends the Portuguese Nationality Act. The decree is expected to take effect on May 5, following its publication in the official gazette of Portugal, marking a significant adjustment to the Portuguese naturalization policy.
Two Core Changes in the New Law
1. Increase in Required Residency Period for Naturalization
The required period of legal residency for naturalization for applicants from non-Portuguese-speaking countries has been adjusted to 10 years. Citizens of Portuguese-speaking countries may apply after meeting a 7-year requirement.
2. Change in Calculation Point for Residency Time
The starting point for calculating residency for naturalization has been changed to the date of issuance of the first residence permit.
According to reports, the President specifically emphasized when signing the decree that it should be ensured that applications currently in process will not be affected.
• Applications already submitted: In principle, these are not affected by the new law and will continue to be processed under the old rules.
• Applications not yet submitted: Applications submitted after the new law takes effect are expected to be processed under the new rules.
The New Nationality Act
Does Not Affect the Golden Visa and Permanent Residency Policies
This amendment to the Nationality Act only concerns naturalization rules and is independent of the Portuguese Golden Visa system, with no connection between them:
• The investment threshold, application process, and family reunification rights of the Golden Visa remain unchanged, with no adjustments whatsoever.
• The eligibility for investors to apply for permanent residency after holding a residence permit for 5 years is fully preserved; the policy is not affected by this amendment to the Nationality Act, and applications can still be processed as normal.
For those interested in immigrating to Portugal, it is necessary to plan their Portuguese immigration and status layout from a longer-term and more comprehensive perspective. As a member of the European Union, the Schengen Area, and NATO, Portugal has always been one of the European status destinations favored by high-net-worth families. Holding a Portuguese Golden Residence Permit not only allows access to high-quality local medical and educational resources but also enables free travel across 29 Schengen countries, achieving the goal of “one application, the whole family benefits.” It balances multiple core values such as status configuration, asset allocation, children's education, and travel, easily realizing a globalized lifestyle layout.
If you are interested in immigrating to Portugal, you can currently apply for the Portuguese Golden Residence status for three generations of your family by investing in the Portuguese fund investment immigration program, with investments starting from 500,000 EUR, and enjoy fast approval.
In addition, you can also immigrate to Portugal through the Portuguese cultural and artistic donation program. According to the act, applicants only need to invest 200,000 EUR to apply for the Portuguese Golden Residence status for three generations of their family, obtaining an EU passport conveniently at a low cost.
WorldWay——Your Long-term Companion on the Path of Portuguese Status Planning
As a professional immigration agency that introduced the Portuguese Golden Residence program to the Chinese market early on and has continued to cultivate it deeply, WorldWay has accumulated rich experience in the market promotion and customer service of this program and has also witnessed the development history of this program in the Chinese market.
• On September 4, 2012, the Portuguese Ministry of Internal Affairs officially proposed the “Golden Residence Permit Program.” At the end of 2012, the President of Portugal and government officials met with WorldWay senior management to discuss the details of the Golden Residence Act;
• In April 2013, WorldWay, in collaboration with the Embassy of Portugal in China, held the “Portuguese Golden Residence Permit Program Launch Ceremony,” introducing the Portuguese Golden Residence Permit Program to China;
• In 2013, WorldWay launched and organized the “2013 European Immigration Year” nationwide and held “European Property Exhibitions” themed on Europe in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Qingdao, and the trend of European investment immigration swept across China;
• For many years, WorldWay has maintained friendly interactions with the Portuguese government, and senior management of WorldWay has successively met with the President, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Ambassador to China of Portugal, among other dignitaries.
Over the years, WorldWay has continued to cultivate the field of Portuguese status planning, accumulating solid experience in project promotion, policy interpretation, and customer service. Relying on its long-term attention to and deep understanding of the Portuguese Golden Residence policy, WorldWay can provide clients with clearer, more professional, and more customized status planning solutions that better meet their needs, helping them efficiently implement their Portuguese status layout planning.
For more details on Portuguese immigration, please contact: Mainland China: 400-138-2929, Hong Kong, China Customer Service Center: (852)2802 8798