From "welcome" to "come back later": is Portugal about to wind back the nationality clock?
European Context: A Tale of Two Directions
That stands in stark contrast to the March 2024 reform, which had just made the regime more flexible, and to Germany's course: in 2024 Berlin cut its residency rule from eight to five years, kept the B1 German test but scrapped the demand to give up one's original passport.
Across Europe roughly half the Member States still work with five years — France, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Sweden (for now) and the Czech Republic — while the rest sit between seven and ten and are edging upwards: Finland moved to eight in 2024; Sweden wants to do the same by 2026; Poland is debating ten; and Portugal is now thinking of stepping back from the "friendly" threshold it has long offered.
Interesting Exception: The tide is not one-way, though: in Italy, even under a clearly right-wing government, a June 2025 referendum tried to slash the requirement from ten to five years and failed only because turnout fell short of 50% — proof that "right-wing" does not always equal "tougher" in the citizenship debate.
Portugal's Current Framework
For now Portugal still asks five years, Portuguese at A2 level, a criminal record free of offences carrying more than three years' jail and no civic test or renunciation of the previous nationality. That is objectively lighter than Denmark (nine years, Danish B2 spoken/B1 written, 45-question cultural test), lighter than Finland (eight years unless the applicant can already show B1 in Finnish or Swedish) and lighter than Austria or Italy (ten years), while being a shade stricter than Ireland or Sweden, where there is still no formal language exam — though Stockholm is preparing to introduce one.
The Integration Paradox
Looking at the key criteria, it is clear that simply adding up years does not guarantee integration. Fluency in the language and day-to-day involvement in the community carry far more weight than an administrative clock. Asking only A2 Portuguese can indeed be low; many residents speak English on a daily basis, or only their own language within their community, and stay on the sidelines of local life.
Integration Reality Check: Each person needs a different amount of time to strike roots: someone who arrives keen to integrate, works, pays taxes and puts children in Portuguese schools is often "in" after four or five years, while others, even after ten, barely step out of their linguistic bubble.
Integration shows up in small everyday gestures — chatting in Portuguese at the café, marking 10 June, joining local events or a village club — and also in a mutual, subjective recognition: feeling part of the group and being seen as such.
Legal Uncertainty and Legitimate Expectations
Legislative instability poses another risk. Tweaking the Nationality Act so soon after the last overhaul can breach the principle of legitimate expectation and sow legal uncertainty. Picture a foreign couple who, after six years in Portugal, already speak the language, have well-settled children and pay taxes, but delayed their nationality application because they had to choose between spending €500 at the registry or paying nursery fees. Or someone whose rent has left no spare cash for all the certificates.
That not only breaks individual trust; it broadcasts the message that Portugal is a country where the rules shift with the political wind — the opposite signal a nation needs if it wants to lure investors and talent.
EU Nationality Requirements Comparison
| EU Country | Years of Residence (general rule) | Language Requirement (level) | Civic Test / Interview | Dual Citizenship? | 2024-25 Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 5 (3 with exceptional integration) | German B1 | Einbürgerungstest (33 Qs) | Yes | ↓ cut 8 → 5 |
| Austria | 10 (6 with reinforced integration) | German B1 | History / constitution quiz | No (few exceptions) | — |
| Belgium | 5 | FR/NL/DE A2 | Socio-economic integration proof | Yes | — |
| Bulgaria | 5 (after permanent residency) | Basic Bulgarian | Constitution & anthem interview | No (by default) | — |
| Cyprus | 7 (5 via fast track) | Greek B1 | New cultural test | Yes | — |
| Croatia | 8 (with permanent status) | Basic Croatian | Cultural interview | No | — |
| Denmark | 9 | Danish B2 oral / B1 written | Indfødsretsprøven + ceremony | Yes | — |
| Slovakia | 8 (permanent) | Basic Slovak | History / constitution exam | No | — |
| Slovenia | 10 (last 5 continuous) | Slovene A2 | Civic interview | No (EU citizens exempt) | — |
| Spain | 10 (only 2 for Ibero-Americans, PT, etc.) | Spanish A2* | CCSE test | Yes* (formal renunciation) | — |
| Estonia | 8 (5 permanent) | Estonian B1 | Constitution quiz | No | — |
| Finland | 8** (5 if language B1) | Finnish/Swedish B1 | No formal civic test | Yes | ↑ 5 → 8 in 2024 |
| France | 5 (2 if FR higher-ed.) | French B1 | Assimilation interview | Yes | — |
| Greece | 7 (3 in special cases) | Greek B1 | Pan-Hellenic exam | Yes | — |
| Hungary | 8 (5 spouse / refugee) | Oral Hungarian | Constitution interview | Yes | — |
| Ireland | 5 (1 + 4 pattern) | — (no exam) | No civic test | Yes | — |
| Italy | 10 (4 if EU citizen) | Italian B1 | No written test | Yes | ↓ attempt 10 → 5 (failed) |
| Latvia | 5 (permanent) | Latvian A2/B1 | Anthem & constitution test | Partial | — |
| Lithuania | 10 | Lithuanian B1 | Constitution exam | No | — |
| Luxembourg | 5 (last year continuous) | Luxembourgish A2 oral / B1 listening | "Living Together" course/test | Yes | — |
| Malta | 5 within 7 years | Practical English or Maltese | No civic test | Yes | — |
| Netherlands | 5 | Dutch A2 | Civic integration exam | No (some exceptions) | — |
| Poland | 3 after permanent (~8 real) | Polish B1 | No formal test | Yes | ↑ proposal 3 → 10 |
| Portugal | 5 (A2-level PT) | Portuguese A2 | No civic test | Yes | ↑ draft 6 / 10 years |
| Romania | 8 (5 spouse) | Basic Romanian | Constitution & anthem interview | Yes | — |
| Sweden | 5 | — (B1 & civic test proposed) | — | Yes | ↑ plan 5 → 8 (2026) |
| Czech Republic | 5 (permanent) | Czech B1 | "Czech realities" test | Yes | — |
* Spanish A2 waived for nationals of Spanish-speaking countries.
** Finland keeps a 5-year track for applicants who already meet the language requirement.
Finding the Right Balance
There is room to stiffen the language requirement and build stronger integration channels, yet stretching residency time for those already playing the game, when Germany is moving the other way and even conservative Italy tried to shorten the track, looks like a disproportionate cure.
The real challenge is to strike a compromise that honours the legitimate expectations of people who are already here, protects the legal system's credibility abroad and, without slamming doors, insists on what truly matters: a solid grasp of Portuguese, active participation in the community and a clean criminal slate.
Everything else — whether five, six or ten years — counts for little unless it comes with serious language training and real opportunities to integrate.