According to Portugal government, IRN has still 230,000 pending nationality applications, most of them from Brazilians who apply based on descent, marriage, or five years of residency. Between 2015 and 2023, Portugal granted around 250,000 nationalities, averaging 30,000 per year. Processing delays, which can exceed two years, have impacted new applications. In September, the IRN launched a online nationality platform to speed up processing by 50% and reduce bureaucracy. In the last six years more than 1.4 million applications have been submitted. The current processing time of nationality applications takes anywhere from 24 to 30 months. Article 27 of Regulation of Nationality law specifies a decision should be made in 105 days with a 60 day extension.
Easiest Country
Portugal has been considered the easiest country to obtain citizenship through descent and investment. A second nationality can offer benefits such as travel freedom, job opportunities, and tax advantages. While many countries have strict requirements, others allow for faster naturalization through descent, investment, or residency. Currently, 16% of Portugal’s population holds citizenship but was not born in the country, according to data from the Migration Observatory.
AIMA Begins Counting
AIMA is already applying the new Nationality Law rules, counting the residence period from the residence permit application rather than its approval. The change, approved in March 2024, reduces the impact of long wait times. Even without regulatory changes, the counting now starts at submission, including for Golden Visas. This allows more applicants to move forward with nationality requests, restoring confidence in the system.
Accelerating Golden Visas
Portugal has began accelerating golden visa processing in Jan 2025 by replacing its paper-based system with a digital one, addressing a backlog of 45,000–50,000 golden visa applications. This change follows investor lawsuits over years-long delays, particularly for biometric appointments. Under the new system, appointments will be scheduled within 30 to 90 days, and documents in English, Spanish, and French will be accepted without translation. Since its launch in 2012, Portugal’s golden visa program has generated over €7 billion, mainly attracting Chinese, Brazilian, and U.S. investors. The demand from Americans for trips to Portugal continues to grow, with the country now being the second most desired destination.
Portugal Gains
Portugal stands to gain with the closing of golden visa program in Spain this April, but in the future Portugal may follow same path sooner or later. While Spain may lose competitiveness and drive away investors, Portugal sees an opportunity to attract this capital raised through golden visas. Industry experts highlight that the country is well-positioned to welcome foreigners without compromising housing access for Portuguese residents. In Oct 2023, Portugal scrapped real estate investments for securing golden visa. Despite this, the golden visa program still open – the investment fund, cultural and artistic donation route are still popular among foreigners.
