The government’s approved amendments introduce substantial modifications designed to tighten integration requirements and extend timelines for naturalization. These changes reflect a growing trend in Europe toward stricter immigration and citizenship criteria.

Here are the primary amendments currently paused by the Constitutional Court:

The Minimum Residency Timeline Extension

The most impactful change for most non-EU/CPLP citizens would be the extension of the required legal residence period from the current five years to a full ten years. A slightly faster track of seven years was proposed for citizens of the EU and CPLP nations, raising potential concerns about unequal treatment which the Constitutional Court is now evaluating.

Redefining the "Clock Start" Date

Under the existing law, legal precedent often allowed the five-year count to begin from the date of the initial application submission. The new law explicitly mandates that the clock would only start ticking from the actual date the first physical residence permit card is officially issued. This seemingly minor tweak can add months, sometimes over a year, to the required timeline due to administrative processing delays at AIMA (Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum).

Stricter Integration and Civic Knowledge Requirements

While the A2 level Portuguese language test remains mandatory, the proposed law would introduce a new, comprehensive civic knowledge test. Applicants would need to demonstrate a robust understanding of:

• Portuguese history and national symbols (e.g., the flag, national anthem, key historical figures).

• Core Portuguese cultural values and traditions.

• Adherence to fundamental democratic principles and the rule of law.

Other Key Legislative Shifts

• Sephardic Jewish Citizenship: The special legal pathway for descendants of Sephardic Jews to gain citizenship is set to close entirely for new applicants once this law is enacted.

• Criminal Conviction Threshold: The bar for disqualifying criminal convictions would be lowered to a prison sentence of two years or more, reduced from the current three-year threshold.

• Birthright Citizenship for Children: The law would clarify that children born in Portugal to foreign parents can acquire citizenship if at least one parent has legally resided in the country for a minimum of five years prior to the child's birth.