Guide
Portuguese citizenship after the 2026 rewrite: what Article 6 now requires
By Covered Abroad Research Desk · Last verified July 2026
The 2026 change: 7 or 10 years, not 5
For years the headline number for Portuguese naturalisation was five. The consolidated Lei da Nacionalidade (Law 37/81, as republished by Lei Orgânica 1/2026) now reads differently. Article 6(1)(b) requires legal residence in Portuguese territory of:
- at least 7 years — for nationals of countries whose official language is Portuguese (the CPLP states) and for citizens of EU member states;
- 10 years — for nationals of all other countries.
If you planned a Portugal move around the old five-year figure — and much of the internet still repeats it — the law you will actually apply under says something else. Always read the consolidated text as it stands on the day you file.
Source: Lei da Nacionalidade (Lei 37/81, texto consolidado), artigo 6.º — Diário da República, read 6 September 2026.
The other Article 6 requirements
The residence clock is one item on a cumulative list. Article 6(1) also requires the applicant to:
- be of legal age under Portuguese law;
- prove — by test or certificate — sufficient knowledge of the Portuguese language and culture, history and national symbols (nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries are presumed to meet the language part unless the lack is manifest);
- know the fundamental rights and duties of Portuguese nationality and the political organisation of the state;
- make a solemn declaration of adherence to the fundamental principles of the democratic rule of law;
- have no final conviction to an effective prison sentence of more than 3 years for the serious crime categories the law lists — terrorism, violent and highly organised crime, crimes against state security, or aiding illegal immigration;
- pose no danger to national security or defence, and not be under UN or EU restrictive measures;
- have the capacity to ensure their own subsistence.
Source: Lei da Nacionalidade, artigo 6.º, n.º 1 — texto consolidado, read 6 September 2026.
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Check my policyHow the years are counted — and the marriage route
Two mechanics worth knowing sit elsewhere in the law:
- Interpolated residence counts. Article 15 lets you sum all periods of legal residence, consecutive or not, provided they fall within a maximum window of 6, 9 or 12 years — depending on whether you are stateless, a CPLP/EU national, or a national of another country.
- Marriage and de-facto unions. A foreigner married to a Portuguese national for more than three years can acquire nationality by declaration during the marriage; a de-facto union of more than three years opens the same route after judicial recognition.
Stateless applicants have their own four-year naturalisation clock under Article 6(3).
Source: Lei da Nacionalidade, artigos 3.º e 15.º — texto consolidado, read 6 September 2026.