Updated Friday 30 October 2026. This is a plain-English summary, not legal advice. Check your own case with a lawyer before you file anything.

If you moved to Lagos on a D7 or a digital nomad visa and had “passport in five years” in the back of your mind, that plan has changed. Portugal’s revised Nationality Law has been in force since 19 May 2026. On 29 October 2026 the government approved the regulation that puts it fully into practice. Here’s what changed, who it affects, and how to work out your own timeline.

Table of Contents

The short version

Most non-EU residents now need 10 years of legal residence before applying for citizenship (it was 5).
EU citizens and nationals of Portuguese-speaking (CPLP) countries need 7 years.
Only time with a valid residence title counts. Time spent waiting for AIMA to approve your first permit no longer counts.
New requirements: tests or certificates on Portuguese language, culture, history and national symbols, knowledge of citizens’ rights and how the state works, a solemn declaration of commitment to democratic rule of law, and proof you can support yourself.
Applications already pending on 19 May 2026 stay under the old rules.
The new regulation was approved on 29 October but, as of 30 October, it has not yet been published in the Diário da República. The details of the tests aren’t public yet.

What changed: old rules vs new rules

	Before 19 May 2026	From 19 May 2026
Legal residence needed (most non-EU nationals)	5 years	10 years
Legal residence needed (EU and CPLP nationals)	5 years	7 years
When the clock starts	Could count from the date you applied for your temporary residence permit, if it was later granted	That rule was repealed. Only periods of legal residence count
Breaks in residence	Different counting rules (check with a lawyer)	Periods can be added together, but must fall within a 12-year window for most non-EU nationals (9 years for EU/CPLP, 6 for stateless people)
Language	Sufficient knowledge of Portuguese	Test or certificate covering Portuguese language and culture, history and national symbols
Civic knowledge	Not required	Knowledge of citizens’ fundamental rights and duties and how the Portuguese state is organised
Declaration	Not required	Solemn declaration of commitment to the principles of the democratic rule of law
Self-sufficiency	Not required	Must be able to support yourself

Other changes worth knowing: the special route for descendants of Sephardic Jews has been removed, great-grandchildren of Portuguese nationals get a new route, and the criminal-record test now focuses on effective prison sentences of more than 3 years for serious crimes such as terrorism, violent or organised crime.

Who this affects

D7 (passive income) and digital nomad visa holders

This is most of the international crowd in Lagos. If you’re a non-EU, non-CPLP national (for example American, British, Canadian, Australian, South African), your target is now 10 years of legal residence, not 5. On a typical renewal cycle, that means several more AIMA renewals before you can apply. Keep your permit valid with no gaps.

A note on visa names: the passive-income visa is the D7 on Portugal’s consular checklists. The remote-work visa is the one everyone calls the “D8 digital nomad visa”, but the Portuguese consulate’s own checklist labels it D9 (“exercise of a professional activity done remotely – digital nomads”) and uses D8 for family members accompanying a visa applicant. The label doesn’t change your citizenship clock. What counts is that you hold a valid residence permit.

Golden Visa (ARI) holders

The same 10-year rule applies if you’re a non-EU, non-CPLP national. The big issue for Golden Visa holders is the repeal of the rule that let time count from the date you applied. If your ARI application sat in AIMA’s backlog for a long time, check with a lawyer how much of that time will count for you.

EU citizens

You need 7 years of legal residence. Most EU citizens in Lagos have no practical reason to naturalise, because you already have the right to live and work here. If you do want a Portuguese passport (for example, if your own country lets you hold two), plan on 7 years.

Brazilians and other CPLP nationals

Also 7 years. The law presumes CPLP nationals already speak Portuguese, unless it’s obvious you don’t, but you still need to meet the culture, history and civic requirements.

Spouses, partners and children

Marriage: the route for people married to a Portuguese citizen for more than 3 years still exists. For unmarried partners (união de facto) of more than 3 years, the relationship must first be recognised by a court.
Children born in Portugal: a child born here to foreign parents can now get Portuguese nationality at birth only if one parent has lived here legally for at least 5 years at the time of birth. A separate route lets the government grant nationality to minors born here if a parent has 5 years of legal residence and the child is enrolled in school.
Adoption: nationality for children adopted by a Portuguese citizen is no longer automatic. It now requires a declaration.

Applications already filed

The law is clear: administrative procedures already pending when it came into force on 19 May 2026 are decided under the old version of the Nationality Law. If you filed with IRN on or before 18 May 2026, the 5-year rule and old requirements apply to you. Keep your filing receipt and process number safe.

If you were close to 5 years but hadn’t filed by 18 May, the new rules apply to you.

Where things stand with the regulation

The law gave the government 90 days from 18 May to update the Regulamento da Nacionalidade Portuguesa. That deadline passed in August. On 29 October 2026 the Council of Ministers approved the decree-law that regulates the new law. According to the government’s communiqué, it sets out:

how the tests on Portuguese language, culture, history and institutions will work
how the self-sufficiency requirement is assessed
how the solemn declaration is made
how biometric data is collected
a simpler, more digital process, with public services sharing documents

As of 30 October 2026 it has not been published in the Diário da República (that day’s Série I contains no decree-law). Like any decree-law, it takes effect only once it’s published. Until the text is out, nobody can tell you the test format, pass mark or exact income figure for self-sufficiency. Be wary of anyone quoting those as fact. We’ll update this post when it’s published.

Citizenship (IRN) vs residence (AIMA)

Two different agencies, two different things:

AIMA (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo) handles your residence permit: first permit, renewals, permanent residence. This is your right to live here.
IRN (Instituto dos Registos e do Notariado) handles nationality applications. Naturalisation is granted by the Minister of Justice. This is the Portuguese passport.

Your AIMA permits are the evidence of legal residence that IRN looks at. A residence permit doesn’t lead to citizenship automatically. You have to apply for it separately once you qualify.

How to work out your timeline: checklist

Find your category: EU or CPLP national (7 years) or other nationality (10 years).
Find your start date: the date your first residence title was granted or became valid, not the date you applied. EU citizens: the date you registered your residence.
List every permit and renewal, with start and end dates. Note any gaps where a card had expired.
Add up only the valid periods. They can be split up, but must fall within a 12-year window (9 years for EU/CPLP).
Check whether you filed with IRN by 18 May 2026. If you did, the old rules apply.
Write down your earliest possible filing date and set a reminder a year before it.

What to do now

Keep your residence permit valid. Renew early through AIMA. A gap could cost you time on your citizenship clock.
Keep a folder (digital and paper) of every permit, renewal receipt, card, address registration and tax return.
Start learning Portuguese now. Whatever the final test looks like, it covers language plus culture, history and civics.
Keep proof of income, since self-sufficiency is now a requirement.
Watch for the regulation in the Diário da República before you book a test or pay anyone to file.
Get advice on your specific case, especially if you have gaps, a long AIMA wait, or a pending application. See our list of legal services in Lagos.

New to town? Start with how to get started in Lagos, find a desk in one of the coworking spaces in Lagos, and sort a long-term address with our guide to renting in Lagos.

Not legal advice. This article summarises official sources as of 30 October 2026. Rules and their interpretation can change, so check with a qualified Portuguese lawyer before you apply.

Portugal’s New Citizenship Rules: What Lagos Expats and Nomads Need to Know