Portugal changes citizenship rules: Brazilians will need 7 years of residency.

The new Portuguese Nationality Law It came into effect this Tuesday (19) and directly alters the conditions for Brazilians residing in the European country to apply for Portuguese citizenship. The changes were published in the Diário da República on Monday (18) and affect thousands of people.

The main change is the increase in the minimum residency period required. Citizens of the CPLP (Community of Portuguese Language Countries). (Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries)Those from the group that obviously includes Brazil now need to prove seven years of legal residency in Portugal to apply for citizenship. Previously, the requirement was five years. For foreigners outside the CPLP (Community of Portuguese Language Countries) and the European Union, the minimum required time has increased to 10 years.

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Children of foreigners born in Portugal are also affected.

The new law changes the rules for children born in Portugal to foreign parents. From now on, these children will only be recognized as Portuguese citizens after five years of living in the country. Previously, parents could apply for citizenship based on parentage, a possibility that no longer exists under the current legislation.

Those who have already started the process will not be affected.

The IRN (Institute of Registries and Notaries), linked to the Portuguese Ministry of Justice, confirmed that the new rules only apply to applications submitted from this Tuesday onwards. Processes initiated up to Monday (18) The previous rules apply.

The agency warned, however, that online service platforms have registered a significant increase in access after the changes were approved last month. "Due to this large volume of access, technical difficulties may occur in processing applications after they are submitted," stated the IRN.

Citizenship by descent remains unchanged.

Brazilian descendants of Portuguese They are not impacted by the new rules. The process of obtaining citizenship by descent, for children and grandchildren of Portuguese citizens, remains unchanged and can be requested even by those who have never lived in Portugal.

Data from the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicates that 513 Brazilians lived in Portugal in 2023..