But in trying to protect the integrity of that process, Portugal may end up penalising the very people it claims to welcome.
The new proposal would increase the residency requirement for nationality applications from five to ten years for most non-CPLP nationals - and it would apply retroactively, even to those already several years into their legal residence. While meant to curb abuse and restore confidence, the rule is so broad it fails to distinguish passive presence from active participation.
In practice, this means that foreign professionals, entrepreneurs, researchers, and retirees - people who speak the language, contribute economically, raise families, and embrace Portuguese culture as their own - will now be forced to wait a full decade to apply for citizenship. Not because they failed to integrate, but because they hold the wrong passport.
These are residents who didn’t come merely to live in Portugal, but to belong to it. In Lisbon’s public startup incubator alone, over 37% of founding teams are foreign - and they’ve created more than 4,500 qualified jobs in recent years. These aren’t isolated exceptions; they are proof that integration, when based on merit and commitment, generates visible national value.
I am one of them. We moved to Portugal by choice, not necessity. We built a business, created jobs, and made long-term commitments based on the understanding that the legal framework was stable. Shifting the goalposts now sends the wrong message - not just to residents like us, but to future investors, employers, and families considering a similar path.
This isn’t about privilege or shortcuts. It’s about fairness. A one-size-fits-all approach may look impartial on paper, but it erases the real differences between those who integrate deeply and those who do not.
This is not about favouring wealth or education - it’s about contribution and commitment. A fair system should distinguish between residents who invest in the country’s future - economically, linguistically, and culturally - and those who remain detached from its institutions, language, or values. One-size-fits-all ignores that distinction entirely.
Countries like the Netherlands and Singapore - both selective and strict - manage to fast-track citizenship for residents who demonstrate integration through language fluency, long-term contribution, and civic participation. Portugal can do the same without compromising its standards.
A simple solution would be to honour the time already accrued - for instance, 3.5 years, or ~70% of the prior five-year requirement - provided the resident can demonstrate real integration. That includes fluency in Portuguese, stable residency, tax contribution, understanding of civic institutions, and a clear commitment to the country - not only economically, but culturally.
Many rely on private healthcare, don’t burden public systems, and have chosen Portugal to invest their future.
Rewarding these forms of belonging is not dilution - it is alignment. It reflects the best of what Portuguese citizenship should stand for: shared values, mutual commitment, and trust built over time.
Changing the rules midway risks eroding that trust. Portugal still has time to course-correct - and doing so would prove more than any speech ever could.
Pablo Medina Andrade is a tech entrepreneur and legal resident in Lisbon since 2021. He is the co-founder of a global analytics company and a long-term investor in Portugal.
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I don’t understand all this complaining. As a legal resident in our country, you already have more than enough opportunities to achieve your personal and professional goals. If your main reason for coming here was simply to obtain our passport, rather than contributing to our society, it suggests you aren’t truly interested in building a future here. This is exactly why I voted for CHEGA. And let me be clear: this is just the beginning. Next, we will end the Golden Visa program, and after that, the NHR status. Portugal will once again belong to its people. We will reclaim our properties and, hopefully, our businesses as well.
By Bruno from Other on 25 Jun 2025, 13:35
Dear Portuguese friends,
I think there’s often a mix-up when it comes to immigration. It’s really important to tell the difference between legal and illegal immigrants. My son and I are legal immigrants. We had to collect tons of documents and waited more than six months to get our residence visas.
A legal immigrant would never break the laws of Portugal — for many reasons. Most legal immigrants have higher education and good jobs, and when they choose to move to Portugal, it’s not to live off benefits or cause trouble.
We came here to find a new country to call home and live a decent, respectful life. I believe many Portuguese people can relate to that — because a lot of you are also looking for a better place to live.
By Rafael Gatin from Porto on 25 Jun 2025, 20:03
"Portugal will once again belong to its people" ,The Portuguese sold Portugal when it joined the EU ,who do you think pays for all the new infrastructure and subsidies?
By Dave from Algarve on 26 Jun 2025, 11:12
Bruno, this isn’t about giving away passports. It’s about not punishing people who’ve done everything right: learned the language, built businesses, created jobs, paid taxes, and chose Portugal not out of desperation, but conviction.
There’s a huge difference between the unintegrated, low-skilled migrant flows you rightfully criticize - and the small group of founders, academics, artists, and retirees who are already adding value to the country. Let’s not confuse a Bangladeshi Bolt driver who refuses to learn Portuguese with an entrepreneur who employs 20 locals.
What’s being proposed is a tradeoff: permanent stability for those who’ve proven long-term commitment. That strengthens the system, not weakens it.
You say foreigners are taking over businesses. What’s stopping you from creating one yourself? If an educated migrant is building something you’re not, maybe the problem isn’t the migrant.
And please, by all means, end the Golden Visa. It’s precisely that loophole logic, buying rights without ties, that cheapens the system. What we’re defending is the opposite: contribution first, reward later.
Portugal won’t grow by closing doors to the people who help it move forward. The 30,000 who naturalize each year are not the root of your problems, but many are part of the solution.
By John from Lisbon on 26 Jun 2025, 17:50
I am one of the people who chose to move to Portugal on a Golden Visa.
I decided to apply for the GV as the D7 applications were closed, the GV provided an opportunity to invest in my new country of choice, it allowed me to live legally in Portugal, and since I had sold my home immediatly before the pandemic, was for all practical purposes homeless until I could have permission to move to Portugal.
Included in the visa pre-approval, was permission to live in Portugal while my application was being processed.
I moved to portugal in March of 2022. I have passed the A-1 and A-2 language proficiency requirement and continue to take classes in Portuguese to increase fluency.
I pay social security and Portuguese income tax.
I have taken people on wine and culture tours in Portugal.
I have private health insurance and do not burden the Portuguese healthcare system.
Unfortunately for me, after more than 3 1/2 years, I am still waiting for Portugal to finally process my visa and supply a residence card. Due to this I cannot travel in the Schengen Zone and have been forced to discontinue my business of providing food, wine and culture tours in the EU. This means lost income to me, and lost tax income to Portugal.
I am not a freeloader.
I am 77 years old, and because of a backlog in applications and the policy decision of the State to put GV applications to the back of the line, my 3 1/2 years living in Portugal will not count toward the new 10 year requirement. I am not likely to live long enough for a Portuguese passport.
The State made promises to us. It has broken them all. Trust is gone.
By Maxine Borcherding from Lisbon on 27 Jun 2025, 08:36
Firstly, just a note to Comrade Bruno.
I thought that after the downfall of the Salazar regime, which disintegrated Portugal to how it is today. The new generations would have been able to learn and create a new country where human beings could live in peace and harmony.
I'm pretty sure that Comrade Bruno and his family did not have to be dumped in the former colonies. However, those that were forced to go or be dumped in the colonies, look at how these countries flourish, and at the same time the Portuguese government was getting rich by abstracting raw materials that these countries have, while Portugal just continued going down the drain. That's how come the Portuguese are spread throughout the world. They contribute to the growth of countries that have accommodated them without having to take their passports and run away (as someone specified in the comments).
The political parties and the government should have a good look at how the UNITED ARAB EMIRATES AND SAUDI ARABIA (where Cristiano Ronaldo is residing with his family) have created a society whereby the expats (immigrants) contribute to the wealth and the growth of these economies.
Wake people (Portuguese) before it's too late and then point fingers at someone else.
By Baltazar from Other on 02 Jul 2025, 13:14
In my opinion the root cause of the problem are freeloaders on the welfare system. Most illegal immigrants seeking asylum fall into that category
By Will from Porto on 10 Jul 2025, 17:43