Portugal's government has proposed significant changes to immigration and citizenship laws that could affect expats planning to move or already living in the country.
Immigration lawyer Ana Teresa Pereira joins us to explain what these proposals mean and the timeline for potential implementation.
The key proposed changes include extending citizenship eligibility from 5 to 10 years of residency for most countries (7 years for Portuguese-speaking nations), adding cultural and historical knowledge requirements beyond basic language skills, and new restrictions on family reunification processes.
However, these are still proposals requiring parliamentary approval and presidential sign-off, with a realistic timeline extending into autumn 2025.
Takeaways
Government proposed increasing citizenship residency requirement from 5 to 10 years (7 for CPLP countries)
Additional cultural and historical knowledge tests proposed beyond current A2 Portuguese requirement
Family reunification changes include 2-year residency requirement before bringing spouses
Job seeker visas proposed to be limited to highly qualified professionals only
Proposed retroactive application date of June 19th, 2025 creating uncertainty for current applicants
Laws still require parliamentary discussion, presidential approval - timeline likely autumn 2025
D7 "accompanying visa" strategy may offer alternative to family reunification challenges
Current citizenship applications taking 1-2 years to process with significant backlogs
People eligible now considering rushing applications before potential changes take effect
Citizenship for children born in Portugal would require parents to have 3 years residency
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Immigration Changes
01:57 Key Changes in Citizenship Requirements
04:49 Execution and Timeline of New Laws
09:41 Challenges in Citizenship Application Process
14:50 Impact on Family Reunification19:58 Job Seeker Visa and Other Changes
23:55 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
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