Nationality Law: Time for Nationality Determination Begins from Date of Resident Card Application

Attention Immigrants in Portugal: Your Path to Citizenship Just Got Easier

Send Your Query Now: Portugal Immigration Affair

Portugal's Citizenship Law has been officially ratified and made public in the Diário da República. Following a ruling by the Portuguese Constitutional Court, the President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, gave his approval to the amended Portuguese Citizenship Law.

This recent alteration is poised to greatly benefit numerous immigrants residing in Portugal. In mid-January, the Portuguese Parliament passed an amendment to Article 15 of the Portuguese Nationality Law, which redefines the calculation of residency periods for nationality applications. The amendment, promulgated on February 24th, now includes the time elapsed since the submission of the temporary residence permit application as part of the residency period considered for nationality requests.

The precise wording of the amendment as published in the Diário da República states:

"For the purposes of counting legal residence periods provided for in this law, the time elapsed from the moment the temporary residence permit was requested shall also be considered, provided that it will be granted.."

This change aims to facilitate the naturalization process for immigrants by allowing the period since the submission of their residence application to count towards the required residency period of at least five years. This adjustment is particularly significant for those individuals who have been awaiting the issuance of their residence permit before initiating the official countdown toward their eligibility for Portuguese nationality.

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Portugal Immigration Affair