Portuguese Golden Visa holders must wait 10 years for citizenship. The Portuguese legislators voted to amend the Immigration Law and extend the waiting time for residents to become citizens. EU and Lusophone citizens must wait 7 years; all other nationalities must wait 10 years for the Portuguese passport instead of the previous five years. 

It means that Portuguese Golden Visa holders have to wait twice as long, ten years instead of five, to obtain citizenship.

According to experts, the naturalisation timeline is 10 to 13 years for investor immigrants. Also, children born in Portugal can only obtain citizenship if at least one of the parents has been residing for at least five years in the country. Another new requirement is the language, culture, history, and national symbols.

Moreover, residents who have served more than two years in prison can not apply for Portuguese citizenship. Citizens sentenced to prison terms of more than four years may have their citizenship revoked. 

The new law protects the residents who have already applied for naturalisation, but not the residents who have not started their application for citizenship. 

One of the competitive advantages of the Portugal Golden Visa was the relatively fast naturalisation. Compared to other EU nations with Golden Visas, the ten-year waiting time is long. Only in Latvia must the investors wait ten years for citizenship. In Greece, the waiting time is seven years, in Hungary, eight years. 

There is one advantage that remains: the minimal physical residence requirement. It is still enough to stay seven days in the first year, 14 days in the subsequent two-year periods. 

Does this new legislation change the European residency by investment market? 

Definitely. The ultimate goal of immigration is always to obtain citizenship. The certificate of citizenship and the passports guarantee the rights of the applicants and allow all the benefits of an EU citizenship. If the waiting time doubles for the naturalisation, the investors will go after the more affordable residency by investment visas and the faster citizenship processes. 

Do you want to become a citizen of the European Union through a residency by investment program? Discus Holdings Ltd’s experts are ready to find the best solution for you and your family. Ask for a consultation here!