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2024 Update to the Nationality Regulation: Aligning Rules with Recent Legislative Changes
The April 2024 update to Portugal's Nationality Regulation aligned administrative procedures with Law 1/2024, clarifying documentation requirements and residence time counting.
On 10 April 2024, Portugal published an update to the Nationality Regulation in the Diário da República, aligning administrative procedures with the significant legislative changes introduced by Law no. 1/2024. This update clarified documentation requirements, processing rules and conditions for counting residence time toward naturalisation.
Among the most notable adjustments, the regulation explicitly incorporated the rule that residence time is counted from the date of submission of the initial residence permit application, provided the application is ultimately approved. The update also improved procedural clarity for naturalisation through marriage, descent and minor children.
For foreign nationals seeking citizenship—particularly long-term residents from Brazil, the UK, the US, Canada and Israel—these updates bring predictability and administrative coherence. Applicants can better understand their eligibility timeline and the documentation necessary to prove residence, integration and legal status.
The updated regulation ensures that the nationality process is aligned with current realities in the immigration system, reducing ambiguity and emphasising fairness.
Official source: Diário da República, update to the Nationality Regulation, 10 April 2024 (https://dre.pt)