The year 2024 brought significant changes to immigration legislation and management in Portugal, marking progress and challenges in various areas. Among the main highlights are the changes to the Nationality Law, the launch of a new Migration Plan, and the implementation of measures to reduce delays in the processing of residence applications.
Below, we present the most relevant points of these changes that defined the year 2024.
1. Changes to the Portuguese Nationality Law
At the beginning of the year, on January 5, 2024, Parliament approved important changes to the Portuguese Nationality Law. Among these, the alteration of the timeline calculation rules in naturalization processes based on residence duration stands out, now including the period between applying for the residence permit, addressing undefined situations and benefiting many immigrants.
The Portuguese Nationality Law allows a person who has legally resided in Portugal for a minimum of five years to apply for Portuguese nationality. Until now, this period only began to be counted from the issuance of the first residence permit, often resulting in significant delays due to administrative backlogs in immigration processes in Portugal. Various factors have contributed to these delays in recent years, including COVID-19, the war between Russia and Ukraine, and the restructuring of Immigration Services.
The introduced changes explicitly state that the waiting time for the residence application’s approval will also count toward the five years needed to acquire nationality. With the new wording of Article 15, paragraph 4 of the Nationality Law, it is now established that “for the purposes of counting the periods of legal residence provided for in this law, the time elapsed since the moment when the temporary residence permit was requested, if it is approved, is also considered.”
This change helps mitigate the long-felt injustice by those who waited, sometimes for years, for the approval of their applications and who had to wait for the issuance of the residence permit to become eligible for Portuguese citizenship. Now that the waiting time for the residence application’s approval will also be considered, an unfair gap that affected thousands of people is corrected, sparing them from the administrative delays entirely beyond their control.
2. New Migration Plan
This year is also marked by the presentation of the new Migration Plan by the Government, aimed at modernizing and streamlining migration processes, promoting integration, and attracting international talent. Highlights of the measures include:
- End of the “Expression of Interest”: This regularization mechanism will be replaced by more efficient processes.
- Strengthening the CPLP Agreement: Mobility rules between CPLP countries will be simplified.
- Family and Talent Integration: Prioritizing family reunification and attracting young students and skilled professionals.
- Technological and Human Investment: Investing in software programs and staff training to improve migration services.
3. Deadline Reinforcement and New Mission Structure of AIMA
The AIMA, facing over 410,000 pending processes, has been ordered by the Supreme Administrative Court to meet a maximum deadline of 90 days to decide on residence permits. To tackle delays, the following measures were announced:
- New Mission Structure: Created to address pending processes by June 2025, with the hiring of over 300 professionals.
- New AIMA Service Centers: Opening these centers aims to ensure faster service, facilitating the regularization of immigrants awaiting responses from public services.
- Extension of Document Validity: Immigration documents in Portugal will be valid until June 2025.
- Creation of Immigration and Asylum Court: A new specialized court was established in Lisbon to expedite immigration and asylum processes.
- Protocol Between AIMA and Professional Orders: AIMA signed a protocol with the Bar Association and the Solicitors and Enforcement Agents Order to boost response capacity. This agreement aims to mobilize over 1,200 lawyers and solicitors to handle delayed cases.
4. Context and Challenges for Immigration in Portugal in 2025
The recent changes reflect the global increase in migration flows, driven by international conflicts and economic inequalities. Portugal still faces the effects of the transition from SEF to AIMA, marked by operational issues and structural adjustments.
While legislative and administrative changes represent a significant step, balancing agility, humanity, and efficiency remains central to immigration management in Portugal next year.
If you are facing challenges related to immigration in Portugal, our team is ready to help. Contact us for personalized and effective guidance, ensuring your rights and needs are addressed promptly and efficiently.
