Lei Organica 1/2026
Portuguese law in force since 19 May 2026 that doubled the residency-to-citizenship horizon.
Last refreshed: 11 July 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
How much longer must non-EU residents wait for Portuguese citizenship now?
Timeline for Lei Organica 1/2026
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Nomads & CommunitiesWhat is Lei Organica 1/2026?
How long must residents live in Portugal before applying for citizenship now?
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Background
Lei Orgânica 1/2026 was published in Portugal's Diário da República on 18 May 2026 and took force the next day, amending the Nationality Law (Lei 37/81). It raised the residency-to-citizenship requirement from five to seven years for CPLP and EU citizens, and from six to ten years for everyone else, and abolished the Sephardic-Jewish descent naturalisation route.
The law applies only to applications filed on or after 19 May 2026, leaving earlier filings under the old timetable. Its implementing regulation, the Regulamento da Nacionalidade, is still unpublished, due around mid-August under a 90-day drafting deadline.
Whether that regulation restarts the residency clock, as promised when the law passed, decides how long today's D8 visa arrivals wait for a passport.