NATIONALITY LAW (Law 37/81)

The Portuguese Parliament has approved an amendment to the Nationality Law, which introduces the following changes:

- Applications for nationality through residency are now possible after 7 years of legal

residence (for nationals of CPLP and EU countries) and 10 years (for nationals of other

countries);

- The nationality application requires proof of Portuguese language proficiency, through an exam or certificate;

- Applicants must demonstrate knowledge of the rights and duties associated with

Portuguese nationality, as well as the political organisation of the Portuguese State;

- A formal declaration of commitment to the fundamental principles of the democratic state is required;

- The applicant must have no criminal convictions;

- The applicant must demonstrate the ability to support themselves financially;

- The possibility of acquiring Portuguese nationality through Sephardic Jewish ancestry has been revoked;

- It is also no longer possible to start counting the period of legal residence from the date of submission of the residence permit application, the count now starts from the date the residence permit is actually issued.

The new law will be subject to regulatory implementation within 90 days.

It must still be ratified by the President of the Republic, who may, if deemed necessary, refer it to the Constitutional Court for further review.