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Citizenship for Children Born in Portugal: What the 2020 Nationality Reform Changed
The 2020 amendments to Portugal's Nationality Law reduced the residence requirement for children born in Portugal to acquire citizenship from five years to just one year of legal parental residence.
On 11 November 2020, amendments to the Portuguese Nationality Law (Law no. 37/81) entered into force, following publication in the Diário da República. The reform, enacted through Law no. 2/2020 and related regulatory changes, significantly broadened access to Portuguese citizenship for children born in Portugal to foreign parents.
Under the new rules, a child born on Portuguese territory now automatically acquires Portuguese nationality at birth if at least one parent has been legally resident in Portugal for one year – previously, the requirement was five years. This shift recognises the reality of families who are already integrated and contributing to Portuguese society, even if their residence history is relatively recent.
The reform also clarified and slightly eased the rules for grandchildren of Portuguese citizens born abroad, and for spouses of Portuguese nationals, by placing more emphasis on the existence of effective ties to the Portuguese community (language, residence, children, marriage duration) instead of rigid formal criteria alone.
For foreign families living in Portugal – including Brazilians, Angolans, Ukrainians, British, Americans and many others – the 2020 changes are particularly significant. A child born in Portugal can now become a Portuguese (and EU) citizen far more quickly, with all the associated rights to live, study and work across the European Union. This also gives parents a stronger long-term anchor in the country.
For investors and long-term residents considering whether to bring their families, this reform shifts the calculation: if the family moves and regularises its status, a future child born in Portugal may secure EU citizenship comparatively early, while parents can later apply for naturalisation after five years of legal residence.
It is important to note, however, that the one-year residence must be legal and properly documented. Irregular stay or pending applications without a granted status are not enough. This reinforces the importance of early and correct immigration regularisation.
Official source: Diário da República, amendments to Law no. 37/81 (Portuguese Nationality Law), published 11 November 2020 (https://dre.pt)