Portugal Moves Toward 10-Year Citizenship Wait for Nigerians

Portugal has approved regulations intended to implement its amended Nationality Law, which increases the minimum legal residence period for citizenship from five years to 10 years for Nigerians and other nationals outside the EU and Portuguese-speaking countries. EU citizens and nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries have a seven-year pathway. As of November 2, 2026, the implementing decree had not yet been confirmed as published in Portugal’s official gazette, so some administrative details remain unclear. Applicants will also need to meet requirements covering Portuguese language, culture, history, civic responsibilities and financial independence. The changes come as Portugal faces a backlog of more than 690,000 citizenship applications. The new rules also remove a provision that counted time spent waiting for a residence permit toward citizenship eligibility.

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