Portugal Citizenship Study Guide 2026

What Portuguese citizenship requires since 2026

Portuguese nationality law is the Lei da Nacionalidade (Law 37/81). It was changed by Lei Orgânica n.º 1/2026, published on 18 May 2026. The changes entered into force the next day, 19 May 2026.

To be naturalised (naturalização), you must meet all of these conditions when you apply:

• Be an adult under Portuguese law.
• Have lived legally in Portugal for at least 7 years if you are a citizen of an EU country or a Portuguese-speaking country, or 10 years if you are a citizen of any other country.
• Prove, through a test or a certificate, sufficient knowledge of the Portuguese language and culture, history and national symbols.
• Know the fundamental rights and duties of Portuguese citizens and the political organisation of the Portuguese State.
• Make a solemn declaration that you adhere to the principles of the democratic State based on the rule of law.
• Have no conviction with an effective prison sentence of more than 3 years for the serious crimes listed in the law, and pose no threat to national security or defence.
• Not be subject to UN or EU sanctions, and be able to support yourself.

Separate periods of legal residence can be added together, even if they were interrupted, as long as they fall within the maximum time span set by the law. Nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries are presumed to know the language unless it is clear they do not.

The new knowledge test

The law says knowledge must be proven by a test or a certificate, but it does not set the format. It gave the Government 90 days to update the Nationality Regulation (Regulamento da Nacionalidade Portuguesa), where such details are set. The official pages we checked do not yet describe the number of questions, the time allowed or the pass mark. Check justica.gov.pt and the Institute of Registries and Notary (IRN) for the latest information before you apply.

Other routes and pending applications

• A foreign spouse married to a Portuguese citizen for more than 3 years can acquire nationality by declaration. In a de facto union (união de facto) of more than 3 years, a court must first recognise the union.
• A child born in Portugal to foreign parents can be Portuguese by origin, if they declare they want to be, when one parent had lived legally in Portugal for at least 5 years at the time of the birth.
• Applications that were already pending on 19 May 2026 are decided under the old version of the law.
• Naturalisation is decided by the Minister of Justice.

National symbols and public holidays

The Constitution names three national symbols and the official language:

• The flag is the one adopted by the Republic created by the Revolution of 5 October 1910.
• The national anthem is 'A Portuguesa'.
• The official language is Portuguese.

The flag

The flag is divided vertically into dark green and scarlet red, with the green next to the pole. Where the colours meet there is the national shield, with a white border, on a yellow armillary sphere, which the commission that designed the flag called a lasting symbol of the nation's spirit of adventure. The green and red colours go back to the republican revolt of 31 January 1891. A decree of 19 June 1911 set the design of the flag.

The anthem

'A Portuguesa' has music by Alfredo Keil and words by Henrique Lopes de Mendonça. It became the march of the 31 January 1891 revolt and was banned by the monarchy. After the 1910 revolution it returned, and the decree of 19 June 1911 made it the national anthem. The official version was approved in 1957.

Public holidays

The Labour Code lists 13 mandatory public holidays:

The Constitution: principles, rights and duties

The current Constitution was approved on 2 April 1976, two years after the revolution of 25 April 1974. It has been revised several times; the English text published by Parliament is the seventh revision (2005).

Founding principles

• Portugal is a sovereign Republic based on the dignity of the human person and the will of the people (Article 1).
• It is a democratic State based on the rule of law, with separation and interdependence of powers (Article 2).
• Sovereignty lies with the people (Article 3).
• Portugal includes the mainland and the archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira (Article 5).
• The State is unitary. The Azores and Madeira are autonomous regions with their own statutes and self-government bodies (Article 6).
• The people exercise power through elections that are universal, equal, direct, secret and periodic, and through referendums (Article 10).

Rights and freedoms

Social rights

• Everyone has the right to work, and workers have rights such as fair pay, rest and safe working conditions (Articles 58 and 59).
• The National Health Service is universal and general, and tends to be free (Article 64).
• The State must ensure universal, compulsory and free basic education (Article 74).

The Ombudsman (Provedor de Justiça) is an independent body appointed by the Assembly of the Republic. People can complain to the Ombudsman about public authorities. The Ombudsman makes recommendations but cannot make binding decisions.

President, Parliament, Government and courts

Portugal is a semi-presidential republic. The President of the Republic is head of state and the Prime Minister is head of government.

The President of the Republic

• Elected by direct, universal and secret vote of Portuguese citizens aged 18 or over.
• Term of 5 years, with only one consecutive re-election.
• Appoints the Prime Minister and can dismiss the Government.
• Can dissolve the Assembly of the Republic or call it to an extraordinary meeting.
• Promulgates laws and can veto them for political reasons or because they may be unconstitutional.
• Can ask the Constitutional Court to check a law before it is promulgated.
• Together with other bodies, declares a state of siege or emergency, war or peace.

The Assembly of the Republic (Parliament)

• The Constitution allows 180 to 230 Members; there are currently 230.
• Members are elected for 4 years (one legislature) from party or coalition lists in each constituency.
• Seats are shared by proportional representation, using the d'Hondt method.
• Members represent the whole country, not only their constituency.
• Any Portuguese citizen over 18 can stand, except groups excluded by electoral law such as judges, active military personnel and diplomats.

The Government and the courts

The Government is led by the Prime Minister, who is appointed by the President. The courts are independent. The Constitutional Court decides whether laws respect the Constitution.

Key moments in Portuguese history

Founding and independence

Guimarães is often called the place where Portugal was born. UNESCO links it to the emergence of Portuguese identity and language in the 12th century. In 1128, at the battle of São Mamede, Afonso Henriques defeated the army of his mother, Dona Teresa. He went on to become Portugal's first king.

On 15 August 1385 the Portuguese defeated the Castilians at Aljubarrota. King João I built the Monastery of Batalha to fulfil a vow made for the victory.

The Age of Discoveries

In the 15th and 16th centuries Portuguese navigators explored the oceans. In Lisbon, King Manuel I commissioned the Jerónimos Monastery (begun in 1502), which also honours Prince Henry the Navigator. The Tower of Belém commemorates the expedition of Vasco da Gama. The monastery is decorated in the rich Manueline style.

The Republic

On 5 October 1910 a revolution ended the monarchy and created the Republic. The first republican Constitution was approved on 21 August 1911, and Congress elected Manuel de Arriaga as the first President of the Republic.

Dictatorship and the Carnation Revolution

For 48 years Portugal was ruled by a dictatorship, with censorship of everything that was published. On 25 April 1974 the Armed Forces Movement (MFA) ended it. Just after midnight, the song 'Grândola, Vila Morena' by José Afonso was played on the radio as the signal for the troops to move. Captain Salgueiro Maia led a column from Santarém to Lisbon. People handed red carnations to the soldiers, who put them in their rifles, which is why it is called the Carnation Revolution.

The new Constitution was approved on 2 April 1976. In the same year António Ramalho Eanes won the first presidential election held in democracy.

Portugal in Europe

• Portugal joined the European Union on 1 January 1986.
• It has used the euro since 1 January 1999 and has been part of the Schengen area since 26 March 1995.
• The capital is Lisbon, and Portugal elects 21 Members of the European Parliament.
• Portugal has held the presidency of the Council of the EU four times, most recently in the first half of 2021.