Portuguese Nationality Law Updates Confirmed for 2024

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Last month, we told you that Portuguese Citizenship Law changes were on the way. There has been some delay, but they’re still coming. To find out about the latest on these Portuguese Nationality Law updates, read on.

Portuguese Nationality Law Updates Receive a Green Light

Our Portuguese Nationality Law story left off with the Portuguese Parliament passing draft bills that went before the President for his approval. Instead of rubber-stamping them, the Portuguese President referred them to the country’s Constitutional Court, Tribunal Constitucional (TC). 

The President doesn’t have any issue with the legal alterations redefining the length of time Portuguese Golden Visa applicants had to wait before applying for citizenship. Golden Visa applications have been taking as long as 2 years. Authorities want to appease investors by including this within the 5-year qualifying period for citizenship.

What concerns the Portuguese President is the Sephardic Jew aspect of the legal drafts. Article 6 stipulates that descendants of Sephardic Jews who want to naturalize must prove they belong to a community of Portuguese origin and “have legally resided in Portuguese territory for a period of at least three years, consecutive or interpolated.” 

The President believes this could “aggravate the situation of Israeli hostages in Gaza who have pending requests for the granting of Portuguese nationality.”

TC delivered a majority verdict in favour of the Portuguese Parliament. Contrary to the President’s view, they didn’t find the decree to be unconstitutional. 

The TC President José João Abrantes claims the proposed law “does not harm the legitimate expectations of nationality applicants, nor does it directly jeopardize the lives of its recipients, or the dignity of the human person.”

These draft bills now return to the Portuguese President. He’s now expected to sign them off within a matter of weeks rather than months. Then they’ll appear in the Official Gazette and become law.

The Green Perspective on Portuguese Citizenship Law Developments

Our Portuguese Residency by Investment specialist Jon Green has been keeping a close eye on events unfolding in Portugal. “Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa taught law at the University of Lisbon,” explains Green. 

“So, you would expect him to apply due diligence to any legal proposals.” “He did with this nationality law decree and the court overruled him, which is good news for investors.”

“But what is still unclear is exactly when the five-year countdown to citizenship from residency begins. There’s also some dispute over whether this will apply to current Portuguese Golden Visa holders as well as future ones. All will come out when the legal change takes effect, so it’s a case of wait and see.”

Taking the Carpe Diem Approach to Getting Portuguese Nationality

The long-term availability of the Portuguese Golden Visa  is uncertain. That’s why we recommend applying soon to ensure you fall under the current and flexible conditions. So, don’t delay and contact RIF Trust today.