Portugal simplifies citizenship law: who is eligible?

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Portugal is changing the rules for obtaining citizenship and making naturalization easier for Brazilians in the country. According to the new rules established by Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the President of Portugal, foreigners now have the option to include their waiting time for residency in the total duration of residence required for citizenship. This rule will come into effect after publication in the official government newspaper "Diário da República." Previously, to be eligible for citizenship, foreigners had to prove that they had lived in Portugal for at least five years in legal status. Now, with the inclusion of the waiting time for residency, this rule becomes more flexible.

The difference between a residence permit and a visa is that a visa can be obtained before arriving in Portugal for work or study, while a residence permit grants the right to legally reside in the country. Using this permit allows foreigners to live in Portugal for a certain period. Previously, the process of obtaining a residence permit could take up to two years, and this time was considered lost.

However, with the new rules, this time is now taken into account.

Furthermore, the new law also applies to children who have been recognized as adults, as well as to the descendants of Sephardic Jews expelled from Portugal in the 15th century. According to the law, these changes will take effect only one month after publication in the Diário da República.

These changes follow last year's amendment to the rules allowing immigrants from countries of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), such as Brazil, Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe, and East Timor, to obtain an automatic one-year visa to reside in Portugal. However, this provision has been challenged by the European Union, claiming that it violates the Schengen Agreement rules on free movement within the bloc for 90 days.

Currently, about 100,000 Brazilians live in Portugal under the CPLP rules. However, expert estimates on immigration phenomena suggest that the total number of Brazilians residing in Portugal could be twice as high. This has led to a 50% increase in cases of xenophobia against Brazilians from 2017 to 2021, according to data provided by the Commission for Equality and Combating Racial Discrimination.

Brazilians make up between 4% and 8% of Portugal's population, which currently stands at 10.4 million people.