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Portugal tightens citizenship rules and doubles residency requirement
Portugal tightens citizenship rules and doubles residency requirement

Euronews

time24-06-2025

  • Politics
  • Euronews

Portugal tightens citizenship rules and doubles residency requirement

Portugal has announced a tightening of its immigration and naturalisation laws, including doubling the minimum period of legal residency required for most foreigners to apply for citizenship to 10 years. Individuals from Portuguese-speaking countries such as Brazil and Angola will face a wait of seven years to obtain citizenship, while those from other nations must wait 10 years. Cabinet Minister António Leitão Amaro justified the measure on Monday by citing the "requirement of an effective connection, of belonging to the national community". "We are significantly strengthening the requirements for access to citizenship, naturalisation, in line with the guidelines we were already included in the government's programme," he said. Under current rules, foreigners in Portugal must show adequate knowledge of the Portuguese language, have no previous convictions of more than three years in jail, and must not be considered a threat to national security. The new regulations mean such individuals must also demonstrate familiarity with Portugal's culture, have not served any effective prison sentence, and declare their backing for the country's democratic principles. Other immigration regulations, like those governing the issuance of residence permits for relatives of legal immigrants, would also be tightened, and there will be a provision allowing naturalised Portuguese who commit serious crimes to be stripped of their citizenship, according to Amaro. Regarding family reunification, immigrants will have to be legal resident in Portugal for two years to bring relatives into the country, and the family members must be minors. Portugal has been caught up in the rising European tide of populism, and the anti-immigration Chega party won the second-most seats in elections last month — making it the head of the parliamentary opposition to the new centre-right minority government. Chega had pushed for tougher immigration measures and made citizenship reform a key pillar of its election campaign, and is expected to back the planned decree. Portugal's population of about 10.5 million includes at least 1.5 million legal foreign residents, according to its migration and asylum agency (AIMA). Brazilians are the largest group, with more than 450,000 residents. Economic data aggregator Pordata statistics show that 141,300 people were naturalised in 2023 — a 20% decrease from 2022. The government said in January more than 400,000 applications were pending.

Portugal joins European countries in tightening citizenship pathways
Portugal joins European countries in tightening citizenship pathways

Business Standard

time24-06-2025

  • Politics
  • Business Standard

Portugal joins European countries in tightening citizenship pathways

Portugal will double the minimum period of legal residency required for most foreigners to apply for citizenship, the government said on Monday, in a move expected to affect hundreds of thousands of applicants. Cabinet minister Antonio Leitao Amaro said the new requirement would extend the current five-year rule to 10 years for most applicants, with a shorter seven-year threshold for those from Portuguese-speaking countries such as Brazil, Angola and Mozambique. The stricter timeline is part of a wider set of changes to Portugal's immigration and naturalisation laws, which also include new criteria related to integration and public safety. New rules on family reunification and crime Leitao Amaro said the government would also revise rules around family reunification for legal immigrants and introduce provisions to strip naturalised Portuguese citizens of their citizenship if they commit serious crimes. 'We are significantly strengthening the requirements for access to citizenship, naturalisation, in line with the guidelines already included in the government's programme,' said Leitao Amaro during a press briefing. To qualify under the new law, applicants must: • Have resided legally in Portugal for 10 years (or 7 years if from a Portuguese-speaking country) • Show knowledge of Portuguese culture, rights and duties of citizens • Declare support for the fundamental principles of a democratic state • Have no criminal convictions that resulted in an effective prison sentence • Demonstrate knowledge of the Portuguese language Under the current system, naturalisation applicants must reside in Portugal for five years, demonstrate language proficiency, have no sentence of more than three years in prison, and not be considered a threat to national security. Push from far right influences citizenship debate The planned decree is expected to pass with support from the far-right Chega party, now the main opposition bloc following the March 2025 election. The party has pushed for tougher immigration measures and made citizenship reform a key demand. Portugal's population of around 10.5 million includes over 1.5 million legal foreign residents, according to AIMA, the migration and asylum agency. Brazilians form the largest group, with over 450,000 residents. Economic data aggregator Pordata figures show that 141,300 people were naturalised in 2023—a 20% drop from the previous year. In January, the government said more than 400,000 applications were pending. Tighter rules across Europe Portugal is not alone in tightening citizenship and residency rules. Germany ended its fast-track citizenship route in May 2025. All applicants must now reside in the country for five years, unless they are married to a German citizen, in which case they can apply after three years of residence and a two-year marriage. Finland increased its general residency requirement from five to eight years in October 2024, and introduced stricter conditions for time spent outside the country during this period. Italy narrowed its citizenship-by-descent rules in April 2025. Applicants must now have a parent or grandparent born in Italy to qualify, ending eligibility through more distant ancestry. United Kingdom introduced new guidance that makes it 'extremely unlikely' for individuals who entered illegally—such as via small boats—to be granted British citizenship, even after 10 years of residence.

Portugal tightens naturalisation rules, doubles residency requirement
Portugal tightens naturalisation rules, doubles residency requirement

Straits Times

time23-06-2025

  • Politics
  • Straits Times

Portugal tightens naturalisation rules, doubles residency requirement

LISBON - Portugal's centre-right minority government, under pressure from the far right to reduce immigration, said on Monday it would double to 10 years the amount of time most foreigners need to be legally resident in Portugal before applying for citizenship. Cabinet Minister Antonio Leitao Amaro said other immigration rules, such as those governing the issuance of residence permits for families of legal immigrants, would also be tightened, and there would be a provision stripping naturalised Portuguese who commit serious crimes of their citizenship. The Iberian country of around 10.5 million people has experienced a significant increase in immigration in recent years and the tightening of requirements to obtain Portuguese citizenship was a central theme in last month's election, in which the far-right Chega became the main opposition party. The decree is yet to be sent to parliament, but it is expected to be approved with Chega's support. "We are significantly strengthening the requirements for access to citizenship, naturalisation, in line with the guidelines we were already included in the government's program," Leitao Amaro told reporters. He said that the 10-year period will apply to most foreigners, but immigrants from Portuguese-speaking countries such as Brazil, Angola or Mozambique will have a 7-year period. Under existing rules, aside from the five years of residency, foreign citizens must demonstrate sufficient knowledge of Portuguese, no previous sentences of more than three years in prison and must not constitute a threat to national security. Portugal will now require that they also show familiarity with Portuguese culture, the rights and duties of citizens, declare support for the fundamental principles of a democratic state, and have not served any effective prison sentence. According to economic data aggregator Pordata, in 2023, the last year for which final data is available, 141,300 foreigners were naturalized, 20% less than in 2022. The government said in January that more than 400,000 applications were being processed. The migration and asylum agency AIMA estimates that more than 1.5 million foreign citizens were legally residing in Portugal as of the end of 2024. Brazilians are the largest group, with over 450,000 legal immigrants. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Portugal Golden Visa: Government Plans To Enhance Incentives
Portugal Golden Visa: Government Plans To Enhance Incentives

Forbes

time08-06-2025

  • Business
  • Forbes

Portugal Golden Visa: Government Plans To Enhance Incentives

Ferragudo in the Algarve. Portugal—the government wants to enhance its golden visa program for expats. The Portugal Golden Visa program, one of Europe's most sought-after residency-by-investment schemes, is poised for significant improvements. With a 72% surge in approvals last year, the government is now considering ways to make the program even more attractive. Proposed changes include potential tax incentives, such as a 20% flat tax on local income and a ten-year exemption on most foreign income. Portugal's Minister of the Presidency, Antonio Leitao Amaro, said in an interview reported by Bloomberg that his government was considering making its golden visa scheme more attractive to foreigners. Portugal's golden visa program offers residency in exchange for a minimum investment of $572,780 (€500,000) and has seen a 72% increase in approvals over the past year, with Americans among the top recipients, according to information from the country's immigration agency, AIMA. The government approved a record number of applicants, 4,987 more than the previous year. This is partly because EU golden visa programs are rare and sought-after. Amaro did not provide specifics, but the idea is to enable new Portuguese residents to benefit from a 20% flat tax on local income and a ten-year exemption on most foreign income. Unlike other EU countries, Amaro said that there are no plans to end the golden visa program in Portugal. He added that AIMA is working on clearing a backlog of almost 45,000 golden visa applications that are currently awaiting review. Portugal's Golden Visa program is one of the most popular globally and one of the few remaining in Europe. In 2024, The Netherlands ended its golden visa scheme. Since the start of the Ukraine war, the U.K. and Ireland ended their programs in 2022 and 2023 due to heightened security concerns. However, the lure of such investment programs is difficult for governments to ignore, as it boosts much-needed government coffers by attracting investment overseas. The U.K. has recently announced that it is considering opening a new golden visa program, but only if it benefits specific sectors critical to the country's economic recovery. Spain abolished its golden visa program in April after months of consideration and protests by locals about rising house prices, as well as concerns from the EU about the use of Spain's golden visa program. Spain plans to welcome 1 million foreign workers to legally reside in the country, including the regularization of undocumented foreign workers, but not through the Golden Visa program. Like many EU countries, it is facing a severe housing shortage. It is improving the situation for residents by severely limiting the use of Airbnb for short-term rentals and introducing a 100% tax on foreign real estate buyers. This policy may reduce the friction between Spanish locals and tourists, which has led to extreme mass demonstrations; activists are planning more protests this month as the Summer tourist season gets underway. Golden visa and passport initiatives come under criticism because opponents argue that such programs enable affluent individuals to effectively purchase residency or citizenship, thereby fostering a system that favors the wealthy and contradicts the EU ideal of equal treatment for all. Malta's High Court recently declared the Malta Golden Visa scheme to be illegal. Critics are also concerned about their potential use in money laundering and ties to criminal networks, prompting countries such as the U.K., Ireland, and later Malta to halt their issuance to Russian and Belarusian applicants in response to the conflict in Ukraine. From an economic perspective, critics argue that the financial input generated primarily serves the interests of a privileged few while driving up property prices and making homes less accessible to locals—an issue that contributed to Spain's decision to scrap its golden visa policy in April 2025. Portugal has always been a firm favorite for expats due to its livable and vibrant cities, favorable climate, and the fact that other EU nations are tightening restrictions on residency by investment. If the Portuguese government sweetens the program's offering, it's apparent demand will remain higher than ever.

Portugal considers sweetening incentives for Golden Visa program
Portugal considers sweetening incentives for Golden Visa program

Economic Times

time06-06-2025

  • Business
  • Economic Times

Portugal considers sweetening incentives for Golden Visa program

Live Events Less than two months after Spain scrapped its golden visa due to concerns about its effect on the housing market, Portugal is considering whether to sweeten its golden visa program and make a special tax regime for expatriates even more of the Presidency Antonio Leitao Amaro said in an interview that the measures being discussed would aim to bolster foreign investment and lure global talent to Portugal's declining to provide specifics, he said the goal was to burnish Portugal's image as an 'investment destination.'(Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates)Portugal's golden visa, among the most popular in Europe, offers non-Europeans a fast-track to residency through options including a minimum €500,000 ($572,780) investment in eligible funds. New Portuguese residents may also be eligible for a 20% flat tax on local income and a ten year exemption on most foreign to the golden visa and tax programs, Amaro said that the government is looking into organizing them in 'a more effective and economically efficient way' while ensuring that any changes are 'economically and socially fair.'Portugal's approach stands in contrast to not only Spain, which scrapped its golden visa program in April over complaints that it was driving up housing prices, but also to other European nations. Malta, Ireland, the Netherlands and Greece have all either ended or tightened the rules around their golden visa or equivalent programs in recent has risen for Portugal's golden visa, which only requires participants to spend about a week per year in the country. Golden visa approvals also rose 72% last year to a record 4,987 from the previous year, according to the country's immigration agency AIMA. Since the program launched in 2012, Americans have been among the top three recipients of golden visas along with Chinese and Brazilian whose center-right government won a second mandate in an early election last month, said there were no plans to scrap or 'demonize' the golden visa. That's a reversal from the previous socialist government, which removed real estate investment as a basis for golden visa eligibility in 2023 as a way to fight speculation in the housing market, where prices have surged to record highs. It previously threatened to scrap the program entirely.'There's no plan to end it. It's not on the table,' said Amaro. He said AIMA is working on clearing a backlog of almost 45,000 golden visas applications currently awaiting review.'We expect that by the end of the year this process will be largely taken care of,' he added.

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