Portugal Citizenship Law Change 2025: What the Constitutional Court Review Means for Golden Visa Investors

Overview: What Changed and Why the Law Was Frozen

After months of political debate, the Portuguese Parliament approved a reform to the Citizenship Law on 28 October 2025. The proposal would:

• Extend the standard residence requirement for citizenship from 5 to 10 years for most applicants;
• Introduce a 7-year track for CPLP nationals and EU citizens;
• Add new requirements on civic knowledge, clean criminal record, and proof of sufficient means.

On 11 November, the decree was sent to the President for promulgation. But on 13 November, the Socialist Party (PS) invoked Article 278(4) of the Constitution and announced it would request a preventive review from the Constitutional Court.

This move is extremely rare—only the third time in over four decades of parliamentary history—and it immediately suspends the law. Until the Court rules, there is:

• no presidential signature,
• no publication,
• no entry into force.

Result: for now, the current 5-year citizenship rule remains in force, even though a 10-year model has been approved at parliamentary level.

Is the New Law in Force? How the Preventive Review Works

The short answer: no. The law is formally suspended for preventive review.

On 13 November, the Socialist Party (PS) announced it would use a rarely invoked tool: a preventive constitutional review of the Nationality Law under Article 278(4) of the Constitution. This:

• blocks the President from signing the decree until the Court rules;
• prevents publication and entry into force during the review;
• keeps the current 5-year regime fully applicable.

The request from PS is expected to be formally filed in the week of 18 November. Once received, the Constitutional Court has up to 25 days to issue a ruling.

Until that happens, the “10-year citizenship” headlines are political, not operational. Naturalisation continues to be processed under the existing 5-year law.

If You’ve Already Applied for Citizenship

If you have already filed a complete citizenship application under the current law, the expectation—based on public statements and legal practice—is that your case will continue under the existing 5-year rule.

In practical terms:

• Completed files already submitted should stay under the current regime.
• Future applications (filed after any new law comes into force) would follow the new 7- or 10-year timeline, if the reform is ultimately upheld.

The absence of a clear, written transition / grandfather clause is one of the main constitutional concerns and is likely to be at the heart of the Court’s review.

Permanent Residency After 5 Years: Your Safety Net

One constant in this moving landscape: Permanent Residency (PR) after 5 years remains on the table and is now more strategically important than ever.

After five years of legal residence under the Golden Visa, you can generally choose between:

1. Regular Permanent Residency (general regime)
   • Lower fees.
   • Typically requires evidence of effective residence.
   • Each family member has an independent PR card.
2. Investment Permanent Residency (for Golden Visa holders)
   • Higher fees, but no strict full-time presence requirement.
   • Designed for international investors with limited physical stay.
   • Again, each family member receives an independent PR permit.

Under the investment PR route, the PR card is valid for about five years, renewable; A2 Portuguese is required, but there are no new investment obligations and no full-time residence requirement.

This can allow you to:

• secure long-term Portuguese residency and EU mobility;
• potentially liquidate your qualifying investment once PR is granted;
• continue—if you wish—towards citizenship under the new timeline, if and when it is confirmed.

For a deeper dive on how regulated funds fit into a resilient long-term plan, see: “Secure Steps for Portugal Golden Visa Funds”.

What Happens Next at the Constitutional Court?

The process now sits with the Constitutional Court (Tribunal Constitucional).

Once the PS request is formally submitted, there are two main paths:

• The Court finds parts of the law unconstitutional
  • Parliament will need to amend or remove those provisions;
  • or reconfirm them by a two-thirds vote.
  • This would delay the reform and may force changes to transitional rules and timelines.
• The Court upholds the law
  • The decree returns to the President, who can sign or veto it;
  • if signed, the new citizenship timelines would enter into force after publication.

Until the Court rules, the 5-year citizenship rule remains applicable for naturalisation. The reform itself was approved with 157 votes in favour (PSD, Chega, IL, CDS-PP, JPP) and 64 against (PS, Livre, PCP, BE, PAN).

In parallel, AIMA has accelerated the scheduling of biometric appointments for Golden Visa applicants who had been waiting since 2022-2025, many now being called for the first half of 2026. For now, dependants are often not yet being scheduled, and this is being monitored closely.