Portugal 2025 Immigration Reforms: What's Really Changing (And What Isn't)

On 23 June 2025, the Portuguese Council of Ministers approved a proposal - not a law - to reform the country's immigration framework. This proposal must now go through Parliament, where it will be debated, possibly amended, and only then voted on.

The changes are aimed primarily at irregular immigration, not the Golden Visa (GV) program. For investors and GV stakeholders, it’s crucial to understand both the scope and the limits of what’s been proposed.

Portugal 2025 Immigration Reforms - Measure 1: A New Police Unit for Immigration Control (UNEF)

The proposal includes the creation of a new unit inside the Public Security Police (PSP)—the Unidade Nacional de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras (UNEF). This body would:

• Enforce immigration laws within Portugal

• Control border access at airports

• Handle the deportation of individuals in irregular status

UNEF would take over the powers currently held by AIMA in certain areas. However, the exact scope and legal safeguards will depend on how Parliament decides to legislate this change.

Portugal 2025 Immigration Reforms - Measure 2: Stricter Nationality Rules

This is the most significant—and most widely discussed—component. The proposal aims to increase the threshold for naturalization, with key changes including:

• Extended residency requirement: from 5 years to 7 or 10, depending on the applicant’s origin.
  

• Mandatory integration elements: including proven knowledge of the Portuguese language, culture, political system, and democratic values.
  

• Children born in Portugal: will only acquire citizenship at birth if one parent has 3+ years of legal residence and formally requests nationality.
  

• Lineage-based citizenship: now limited to third-degree descendants (great-grandchildren) with proof of effective ties to Portugal.
  

• Closure of the Sephardic Jewish route: no new applications will be accepted.
  

• Possible revocation of citizenship: for dual nationals convicted of serious crimes within 10 years of naturalization (requires court ruling).
  

These proposed measures are not targeting Golden Visa applicants. The government's stated goal is to reduce misuse of the nationality system and enhance genuine integration.

Portugal 2025 Immigration Reforms - Measure 3: Visa Adjustments and Entry Restrictions (Less Relevant to Investors)

While the proposal also includes changes to work visas, CPLP residence pathways, and family reunification rules, these are not directly relevant to Golden Visa holders or investment-based migration. We’ve omitted these for clarity and focus.

Portugal 2025 Immigration Reforms - Measure 4: Residence Permit Backlog Relief

Roughly 280,000 residence permits are set to expire on 30 June 2025, due to pandemic-era extensions. The proposal grants a final extension until 15 October 2025.

From 1 July 2025, applicants can submit renewal requests online or in person. A provisional certificate valid for 6 months will be issued while awaiting the new residence card.

What About the Golden Visa?

While the naturalization requirement might change in law from 5 to 7 years, this has not been approved, and it does not specifically mention Golden Visa holders.

Moreover, history provides a useful lesson: In February 2023, the government announced it would end the Golden Visa. Yet the regime continued unchanged until October, when actual legal amendments were finally approved. And even then, new applications remained possible. The same approach may apply here—deliberate and gradual.

In practice, many GV applicants already face delays that stretch timelines beyond five years, so the difference may be procedural more than legal in the short term.

Final Takeaway

• No laws have changed yet. We are still at the proposal stage.

• The focus is clearly on irregular immigration, not investment-based residency.

• GV holders should not assume immediate changes or restrictions.

• Processing delays already make naturalization timelines longer in practice than on paper.
  

📌 Visit our blog or follow us on LinkedIn for updates as the proposal moves through Parliament and for clear analysis focused on Golden Visa investors and international clients.