Maltese Residents in Portugal Now Face 7-Year Wait Before Applying for Citizenship

Portugal has extended the period of legal residence required before most residents can apply for citizenship, under an amendment to the country's Nationality Law that took effect on 19 May 2026. The change affects golden visa investors and other non-EU residents who had expected to qualify after five years.

Key facts

• Lei Orgânica n.º 1/2026 was published in Diário da República on 18 May 2026 and took effect the following day.
• The required legal residence period rises from five to 10 years for most non-EU citizens.
• Nationals of European Union member states and Portuguese-speaking countries face a seven-year threshold.
• Applicants who filed a nationality application on or before 18 May 2026 may still qualify under the previous five-year path.
• The golden visa programme remains active, but direct real estate investment is no longer a qualifying route.

What is changing?

The amendment to the 1981 Nationality Law raises the residency requirement for naturalisation to 10 years for most non-EU citizens. EU and CPLP (Portuguese-speaking countries) nationals face a shorter seven-year period.

The law also restates existing naturalisation requirements: adulthood, basic knowledge of the Portuguese language and culture, and a clean criminal record.

When do the new rules start?

The law was published in Diário da República on 18 May 2026 and became effective on 19 May 2026. The new period is calculated in the same way as the old five-year period — from the start date of legal residence under a valid residence permit — so only the length of the wait has changed, not the counting method.

Who is affected and who keeps the old timeline?

The deciding factor is the date a nationality application was formally filed, not the date someone became eligible or simply held a golden visa. Applications submitted on or before 18 May 2026 remain governed by the former five-year rule, according to legal commentary cited in the report. Those filed from 19 May 2026 fall under the new seven- or 10-year thresholds.

One legal source cited in the report goes further, suggesting protection applies only to applicants who had already submitted their nationality filing — not those who merely held a golden visa or had accumulated five years of residency without filing.

How do you prove which timeline applies?

The report lists documentation that can evidence a filing date before the cutoff:

• The nationality application receipt issued by the Conservatória or IRN, showing the submission date and process number.
• Electronic filing timestamps, payment confirmation receipts and courier proof of delivery.
• Any written acknowledgment from the nationality authority confirming receipt before 19 May 2026.

An AIMA residence-renewal protocol number supports residency history but does not, on its own, prove a nationality application was filed before the cutoff. The two filings are tracked separately.

What is happening with AIMA processing?

AIMA, Portugal's immigration and asylum agency, continues to process residence permit renewals and biometric appointments more slowly than applicants expect, the report says. No official 2026 figure for pending cases was available at the time of writing, but advisors report ongoing delays across renewal and first-appointment stages.

The report advises applicants to build buffer months into their timelines, since a missed biometrics appointment or delayed renewal can push naturalisation eligibility back further.

Which investment routes still qualify?

The golden visa programme remains active, but direct real estate investment was removed from the qualifying routes in earlier reforms and the 2026 nationality amendment did not reopen it. Qualifying investment fund options remain open, alongside capital transfer and job creation routes.

What about children who turn 18?

Minor children included as dependents on a parent's golden visa hold a different legal status once they turn 18. Dependent status under family reunification generally covers minors and certain qualifying adult children, not automatically every adult child indefinitely.

Under the old five-year timeline, this was rarely a problem. The extended 10-year wait for most non-EU citizens changes that calculation for families with teenagers: a child who was 12 when a parent secured a residence permit could turn 18 before the family naturalises under the new window. The report suggests reviewing each child's status well before that birthday, and notes planning options such as filing earlier where grandfathering may apply or exploring independent residency routes.

What this means for travellers

Golden visa holders and applicants should confirm the exact date their nationality application was filed and keep the supporting documentation, since that date determines whether the five-year or the seven- to 10-year path applies. Families with dependent children approaching adulthood should review each child's status before the child turns 18.

The report notes that Portugal's revised timeline still compares favourably against Malta and Greece once total costs and residency obligations are weighed. No further changes to the nationality timeline have been announced.