Citizenship wait times doubled, expired documents extended again // Portuguese air base’s role in Iran bombing // Police boss among arrests as neo-Nazi group smashed

Portuguese news in English on Wednesday, June 25, 2026.

Apologies Portugal Weekly is a day later than normal. As flagged last week, I was going to take the week off while on vacation but some really big and important stories broke.

Government moves to double citizenship wait times

The government says it will double the waiting time for many foreigners to apply for citizenship, restrict family reunion visas and introduce rules to allow naturalised Portuguese to be stripped of their citizenship for certain crimes, Público reports. But there is good news for those still awaiting renewal of documents, with the current exception to be extended again into October.

If the right-leaning parliament approves the Social Democratic Party’s (PSD) proposed changes, foreigners from most countries would have to legally reside in the country for 10 years before applying, with a seven-year wait for those from Portuguese-speaking countries. It would also block anyone sentenced to five or more years in prison from applying and require “sufficient understanding” of the language and culture, a test about rights and duties, and a “personal and solemn” declaration to adhere to constitutional principles.

Babies born in Portugal to foreign parents would only be granted citizenship after their parents had been legalised for three years. Also among a raft of measures agreed to in the Council of Ministers on Monday was a proposal to open up citizenship to grandchildren of Portuguese citizens. There were almost 41,400 foreigners granted Portuguese citizenship in 2023, down about 5000 from the year before. Brazilians were by far the most common recipients, followed a long way behind by those from Cape Verde, Ukraine, Angola and Guinea-Bissau.

Presidency Minister António Leitão Amaro. Photo: República Portuguesa.

Changes could be retroactive

Presidency Minister António Leitão Amaro, said the proposals would be introduced to parliament in the “coming days”, Diário de Notícias reports. He said the changes would apply to applications submitted after June 19, at which point some of the proposed changes had been laid out in parliament, to avoid a rush on applications.

Family reunion visas out, stripping nationality in

The proposals would limit applications made in Portugal for family reunion visas to children. Other relatives would need to apply outside the country and only after their loved one had spent at least two years fully legalised in Portugal, along with existing obligations. Residents with “golden visas” and visas for “highly qualified” jobs would be the other exceptions, Público reports.

The change that has raised the most legal doubts is the push to allow the stripping of Portuguese nationality as an “additional sanction” for some serious crimes. Leitão Amaro said it would apply to those sentenced to more than five years in prison for a range of crimes including terrorism, sprying, murder, rape and other serious offences against people. It would only affect dual citizens who became Portuguese less than 10 years before the conviction. Addressing widespread concerns the measure would be unconstitutional, Leitão Amaro said making the punishment additional and not automatic ensured article 30 of the constitution would be “impeccably” adhered to. Some legal experts told Expresso the move “shocked” them and they had “doubts” over constitutionality but admitted the document “could” permit it, so long as it relies on a judge’s decision, without political motivation.

Expired documents valid into October

For the many foreigners holding expired or soon-to-be-expired residency documents, June 30 has loomed large as the last day of a longstanding exception. The law dating from the pandemic recognising expired documents as valid will be extended until October 15.

You can read more from Reuters, in English, and the official announcement from the government, in Portuguese.