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Portugal lets you hold its nationality alongside another one. What changed on 19 May 2026 is how long it takes to get there. This booklet explains the routes, the new waiting periods and how Portugal compares with its neighbours.
Not legal advice. This booklet reflects the law as published up to 31 October 2026. Some rules under Organic Law 1/2026 still depend on implementing regulations, and some details are still being interpreted. Confirm with the IRN (Instituto dos Registos e do Notariado) or a Portuguese lawyer before you file.
Dual citizenship means you are a full national of two countries at once. Portugal has accepted multiple nationality since its 1981 nationality law (Lei n.º 37/81). Becoming Portuguese does not require you to give up your current passport, and Portugal does not strip nationality from people who hold another one.
Whether you can keep both depends on the other country too. Portugal says yes; your home country has to say yes as well. Chapter 6 lists common cases.
A Portuguese passport is an EU passport. It gives you the right to live, work and study in any EU and EEA country and Switzerland, and to vote in Portuguese and European elections.
Portuguese law separates attribution (you are treated as Portuguese from birth, for example a child of a Portuguese citizen) from acquisition (you become Portuguese later, through marriage or naturalisation).
Child of a Portuguese citizen. No residence in Portugal needed. Birth is registered with the Portuguese civil registry.
Grandchild of a Portuguese national. Must show effective ties to the Portuguese community. Whether the new civic test applies is not yet settled. Great-grandchildren have a new route, which in general requires legal residence in Portugal.
Spouse or recognised partner of a Portuguese citizen: 3 years if the couple has a Portuguese child, 6 years otherwise. Ties to the community are assessed.
7 years of legal residence for EU and CPLP nationals, 10 years for everyone else. A2 Portuguese plus the new civic requirements.
Descendants of Portuguese Sephardic Jews. Closed to new applicants by the 2026 law.
Organic Law 1/2026 was published in the Diário da República on 18 May 2026 and took effect on 19 May 2026. Applications filed before that date continue under the previous rules. Holding a residence permit with five years already accrued does not, by itself, protect you.
| Topic | Before 19 May 2026 | From 19 May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Residence for naturalisation (non-EU, non-CPLP) | 5 years | 10 years |
| Residence for EU and CPLP nationals | 5 years | 7 years |
| When the residence clock starts | Could include time waiting on a pending application | Counted from issue of the residence permit |
| Language | A2 Portuguese | A2 Portuguese (unchanged) |
| Civic and cultural knowledge | Not required | Test of culture, history, rights and duties, plus a declaration of adherence to democratic principles. Applies once the regulation is published. |
| Sephardic descent route | Open (tightened in 2022) | Closed to new applicants |
| Children born in Portugal to foreign parents | Broad route after short parental residence | Narrowed; cumulative conditions must be met at the time of application |
| Pending applications | Applications filed before 19 May 2026 are decided under the old law. | |
Open questions. How earlier residence time is counted for people still waiting on AIMA, and whether the civic test applies to grandchildren, are not yet settled. Treat these points as open until IRN guidance is published.
For a non-EU applicant moving on a D7, D8 or Golden Visa, the 2026 law roughly doubles the time from arrival to passport. The chart shows an illustrative path. Permit wait and processing times vary a lot case by case.
Portugal used to be one of the fastest EU countries to naturalise in. After 2026 it sits in the slower group for most non-Europeans, though it still accepts dual nationality without conditions.
| Country | Standard residence | Shorter tracks | Language | Dual nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal | 10 yrs | 7 yrs EU/CPLP; descent and marriage routes | A2 | Allowed |
| Spain | 10 yrs | 2 yrs for Ibero-American, Portuguese and some others; 1 yr by marriage | A2 + CCSE test | Limited |
| Italy | 10 yrs | 4 yrs EU; descent narrowed in 2025 | B1 | Allowed |
| Greece | 7 yrs | Shorter for some family cases | B1 + exam | Allowed |
| France | 5 yrs | 2 yrs after French higher education | B2 (from 2026) | Allowed |
| Germany | 5 yrs | 3-year fast track removed in 2025 | B1 | Allowed since 2024 |
| Ireland | 5 yrs | 3 yrs by marriage | None | Allowed |
| Netherlands | 5 yrs | 3 yrs with Dutch partner | A2–B1 | Generally no |
Comparison figures are summary rules for orientation only. Each country has exceptions and its own rules on counting residence.
Portugal never asks you to renounce. The risk sits with your current country. Check its rules before you apply.
| Country | Keeps citizenship if you become Portuguese? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Yes | US citizens still file US taxes worldwide. |
| United Kingdom | Yes | No restriction on dual nationality. |
| Canada | Yes | No restriction. |
| Australia | Yes | Allowed since 2002. |
| Brazil | Yes | CPLP country: 7-year track in Portugal. Confirm your case with the Brazilian consulate. |
| South Africa | Yes | Prior-permission rule has been challenged in court; check its current status. |
| India | No | Indian citizenship ends; OCI card is an option. |
| China | No | Does not recognise dual nationality. |
| Japan | Limited | Adults are expected to choose one nationality. |
Answer in order. Stop at the first question that matches you.
Yes. Portugal allows multiple nationality. Your other country must also allow it; see Chapter 6.
Only if your nationality application was filed before 19 May 2026. Accrued residence alone does not keep the old 5-year rule.
Under the new law, the clock starts when the residence permit is issued. How earlier waiting time is treated is still being clarified, so get advice on your own case.
Yes. Golden Visa residence still counts toward naturalisation, but the requirement is now 10 years for non-EU, non-CPLP nationals, and the A2 language and civic requirements apply.
Yes, the route remains. You must show effective ties to the Portuguese community. Whether the new civic knowledge test also applies is not yet settled.
No. Portuguese citizens can live anywhere. Residence is only required to qualify through naturalisation.
Prepared 31 October 2026. Not legal advice.
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The Law Office works closely with Portuguese Registries Office - Conservatoria dos Registos Centrais, Conservatoria dos Registos Civis, the Immigration Border Agency, embassies and consulates. We represent clients from around the world who have the right to claim the Citizenship due to their relationship with Portugal.
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Avenida António Augusto de Aguiar, N. 183 1º Esq, 1050-014, Lisboa, Portugal
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