Portugal’s Citizenship Reform fails those who chose to belong

By Pablo Medina Andrade (Co-founder of a global analytics firm, legal resident in Lisbon since 2021)

Portugal is preparing to reform its nationality law – a legitimate goal: ensuring citizenship is earned by those with real connection, not acquired through mere bureaucracy.

But in trying to protect the integrity of that process, Portugal may end up penalising the very people it claims to welcome.

The new proposal would increase the residency requirement for nationality applications from five to ten years for most non-CPLP nationals – and it would apply retroactively, even to those already several years into their legal residence. While meant to curb abuse and restore confidence, the rule is so broad it fails to distinguish passive presence from active participation.

In practice, this means that foreign professionals, entrepreneurs, researchers, and retirees – people who speak the language, contribute economically, raise families, and embrace Portuguese culture as their own – will now be forced to wait a full decade to apply for citizenship.

Not because they failed to integrate, but because they hold the wrong passport. These are residents who didn’t come merely to live in Portugal, but to belong to it.

In Lisbon’s public startup incubator alone, over 37% of founding teams are foreign – and they’ve created more than 4,500 qualified jobs in recent years. These aren’t isolated exceptions; they are proof that integration, when based on merit and commitment, generates visible national value.

I am one of them. We moved to Portugal by choice, not necessity. We built a business, created jobs, and made long-term commitments based on the understanding that the legal framework was stable. Shifting the goalposts now sends the wrong message – not just to residents like us, but to future investors, employers, and families considering a similar path.

This isn’t about privilege or shortcuts. It’s about fairness. A one-size-fits-all approach may look impartial on paper, but it erases the real differences between those who integrate deeply and those who do not. This is not about favouring wealth or education – it’s about contribution and commitment.

A fair system should distinguish between residents who invest in the country’s future – economically, linguistically, and culturally – and those who remain detached from its institutions, language, or values. One-size-fits-all ignores that distinction entirely.

Countries like the Netherlands and Singapore – both selective and strict – manage to fast-track citizenship for residents who demonstrate integration through language fluency, long-term contribution, and civic participation. Portugal can do the same without compromising its standards.

A simple solution would be to honour the time already accrued – for instance, 3.5 years, or ~70% of the prior five-year requirement – provided the resident can demonstrate real integration.

That includes fluency in Portuguese, stable residency, tax contribution, understanding of civic institutions, and a clear commitment to the country – not only economically, but culturally.Many rely on private healthcare, don’t burden public systems, and have chosen Portugal to invest their future.

Rewarding these forms of belonging is not dilution – it is alignment. It reflects the best of what Portuguese citizenship should stand for: shared values, mutual commitment, and trust built over time.

Changing the rules midway risks eroding that trust. Portugal still has time to course-correct – and doing so would prove more than any speech ever could.

Pablo Medina Andrade is a tech entrepreneur and legal resident in Lisbon since 2021. He is the co-founder of a global analytics company and a long-term investor in Portugal.