Portugal nationality backlog hits 690,480 cases, up 38%

Portugal's registry office, the Instituto dos Registos e do Notariado (IRN), had 690,480 nationality applications waiting for a decision on 30 June 2026, Público and ECO reported on 21 October, citing Ministry of Justice data. That is up 38% from about 500,000 pending files in early July 2025.

Foreign residents applying through legal residence in Portugal make up 26% of the queue, according to the ministry. Descendants of Sephardic Jews account for 23%, and marriage or de facto union cases represent 13%. Grandchildren of Portuguese citizens make up about 11% and children born abroad about 10%. The IRN prioritises minors descended from Portuguese nationals.

The data covers only the first six weeks of Lei Orgânica 1/2026, which took effect on 19 May 2026 and raised the residence requirement for citizenship from five years to ten years for most foreign nationals (seven years for EU and Portuguese-speaking countries). Separate figures from Statistics Portugal (INE), cited by ECO, show that foreign residents granted citizenship fell 38% in 2025 to 12,829, from 20,624 in 2024. CNN Portugal reported that the Ministry of Justice is preparing a recovery plan with additional staff.

The IRN nationality queue does not list Golden Visa holders separately and sits apart from the AIMA residence-permit backlog. As of 7 October 2026, Portugal's Golden Visa starts at €500,000 in a qualifying fund, or €250,000 in cultural heritage (€200,000 in low-density areas).