In Portugal, the rules for obtaining nationality are laid down in Law no. 37/81, of October 3, and DL no. 237-A/2006, of December 14, with the exception of specific situations regulated by specific legislation.
The law therefore provides for the possibility of acquiring nationality by will, by adoption and by naturalization.
In turn, Article 6 of Law 37/81, of October 3rd, reveals that, for the purposes of the Portuguese government granting Portuguese nationality, by naturalization, the requirement inherent to residence in Portuguese territory for a period of five years is of particular importance [see Article 6(1)(a), (2)(a) and (5)(c) of Law 37/81, of October 3rd].
Thus, it can be concluded that obtaining resident status in Portugal not only allows its holders to travel to countries belonging to the Schengen Area, but also to obtain Portuguese nationality.
As it happens, the Minister for the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, António Leitão Amaro, indicated this month that if the Social Democratic Party wins the elections on May 18, 2025, he will propose changes to the Nationality Law, namely an increase in the minimum period of residence in Portugal.
Usually, and especially in particularly sensitive matters, legislative changes include a transitional regime in order to safeguard legal security and the legitimate expectations of citizens who had intended to benefit from a given legal regime that was subsequently changed.
In addition, given the housing crisis in Portugal, as in other European countries, there is an imminent possibility of restrictive rules on the acquisition of real estate assets by non-residents.
For example, Spain is considering restrictions on the purchase of real estate by non-resident foreigners, including a potential 100% tax on properties purchased by people outside the European Union; in Australia, a two-year ban on foreign investors buying homes in the country came into force on April 1st.
Given this framework and the fact that Portugal’s path in this matter is still uncertain, we predict that the status of resident in Portugal will become increasingly more important.