The Institute of Registries and Notaries (IRN) has clarified that Portugal’s newly introduced Nationality Law will only apply to fresh citizenship applications, not those already submitted before its approval.
According to the IRN, as reported by Executive Digest, nationality applications are assessed based on the date they are submitted, meaning earlier applications will continue to be processed under the previous legal framework.
This implies that applications filed before the new law came into effect will still benefit from the former rules, including shorter residency requirements for eligibility.
The IRN stated that, “nationality applications are counted, for the purposes of applying the law, from the date of their submission,” adding that pending cases will not be subjected to the revised criteria.
In addition, President António José Seguro has stressed the importance of a smooth administrative transition to avoid unfair treatment of applicants affected by the legal change.
He noted the need to ensure continuity, saying it is necessary to “ensure that pending processes are not – effectively – affected by the legislative change, which would constitute an undesirable breach of trust in the State, both internally and externally.”
The clarification comes amid public concern over how the new law could impact thousands of ongoing citizenship applications in Portugal.
