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Unprecedented Rise in Portuguese Nationality Applications

4 July 2023

There has been a remarkable surge in applications for Portuguese nationality, amounting to a staggering 37% increase compared to the previous year, reaching a total of 74,506. This record-breaking figure, the highest in the past four years, was disclosed by SEF - the Immigration and Borders Service.

According to Lusa, the Immigration, Borders, and Asylum Report (RIFA) reveals an intriguing shift in the trend of declining applications for Portuguese nationality. In 2022 alone, a remarkable 74,506 requests for opinions were filed, representing a substantial surge of 37.2% compared to 2021.

Out of the total applications for nationality, which amounted to 74,506, SEF issued 64,040 opinions. Notably, 63,129 opinions were positive, while 911 received unfavourable outcomes.

The majority of individuals who applied for Portuguese nationality in the past year hailed from Israel (20,975), Brazil (18,591), and Cape Verde (3,662), as highlighted by RIFA.

SEF underscores that approximately two-thirds of the applications pertain to Portuguese nationality by naturalisation, while a quarter are linked to marriages or de facto unions.

In terms of nationality acquisition through marriage or de facto unions, significant interest was observed from citizens of Brazil (9,435), Venezuela (1,536), and Cape Verde (900), according to SEF.

"In this type of process, there is a considerable number of foreign citizens residing outside the national territory who apply for nationality at the Portuguese embassies and consulates in their respective countries of residence. Notably, within SEF's jurisdiction in this field, 14,993 opinions were issued, with 14,854 being positive and 79 unfavourable opinions," states RIFA in its report.

You can click on this link to view the complete report and confirm that the number of foreign residents in Portugal has been increasing since 2017. Back then, there were slightly over 420,000 foreign residents, and this number has now increased to over 780,000. The largest group of foreign residents are Brazilians (almost 240,000), followed by citizens from the United Kingdom (approximately 40,000) and Cape Verde (almost 37,000).

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Immigration Law Update: Major Changes for CPLP Citizens

21 February 2025

On Friday, 14 February 2025, Law No. 9/2025 came into effect, introducing amendments to Law No. 23/2007 of 4 July, which governs the legal framework for the entry, stay, exit, and removal of foreign nationals from Portugal. For context, Law No. 9/2025 introduced amendments to seven articles, aiming to facilitate and simplify the entry and stay of citizens from the Member States of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP) in Portugal. The CPLP (Community of Portuguese Language Countries – Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa) is an international organisation comprising countries where Portuguese is an official language. Its primary objectives are to promote cooperation in political, economic, and cultural areas among its member states while fostering the Portuguese language and cultural exchange. Among the amendments, Article 75, paragraph 2 is particularly noteworthy. It states: When the applicant is covered by the CPLP Agreement and holds a short-stay visa or has legal entry into the national territory, they may apply for a temporary residence permit. In practical terms, this means that citizens who enter Portugal legally can apply for a temporary residence permit without the need for a visa. They simply need to enter the country as tourists, as is the case for citizens of CPLP member states. Tourist stays are limited to a maximum period of 90 days. Citizens from countries that are not members of the CPLP can still apply for a temporary residence permit; however, they must first obtain the appropriate visa . Temporary stay visas are intended for individuals planning to stay in Portugal for more than 90 days but less than one year. Various types of temporary stay visas are available to accommodate different purposes, such as medical treatment, family reunification, employment, study, and seasonal work. These visas are formally classified as E1 Visa, E2 Visa, and so forth. The member states of the CPLP include: The Republic of Angola The Federative Republic of Brazil The Republic of Cape Verde The Republic of Guinea-Bissau The Republic of Equatorial Guinea The Republic of Mozambique The Portuguese Republic The Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste

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