Portugal raises citizenship wait to 10 years for Nigerians, Indians, Pakistanis.
Its implementing regulations were approved by the Council of Ministers on October 29, 2026.
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By Nkiruka Nnorom Nigerians seeking Portuguese citizenship will now wait 10 years as Portugal doubles its residency requirement.
1/2026, raised the qualifying period from five years to 10 years for nationals of Nigeria, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and other non-EU, non-Portuguese-speaking countries. Citizens of European Union countries and Portuguese-speaking nations, including Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe and Equatorial Guinea, will qualify after seven years. The government also scrapped a 2024 rule that allowed waiting time for residence permits to count toward citizenship. The law, passed by parliament on April 1 and signed by President António José Seguro on May 3, took effect on May 19, 2026.
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