Portugal raises citizenship wait to 10 years for Nigerians, Indians and Pakistanis

Portugal has raised the required residency period for citizenship from five to 10 years for nationals of Nigeria, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and other non-EU, non-Portuguese-speaking countries. EU citizens and nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries can apply after seven years, and time spent waiting for a residence permit will no longer count toward the qualifying period. The law took effect on May 19, 2026, amid a backlog of 690,480 citizenship applications as of June 30. Applications filed before May 19 will still be assessed under the former five-year rule.