In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of applications for Portuguese citizenship.
According to data from the Portuguese Ministry of Justice, over 1.4 million applications have been submitted in the past six years. By comparison, the number of applications did not exceed 100,000 in 2013, 74,500 in 2022, and 198,000 by the end of 2023. These figures include both initial applications for residence permits and requests for residency card renewals.

Over 63,000 applications for Portuguese citizenship were submitted in the first four months of 2024 alone, and by the end of the year, this figure rose to 230,000. These record-breaking numbers have further exacerbated the backlog in processing migration-related applications.

Contents:

  1. Reasons for Delays
    1. Outsourcing
  2. Reasons for the Increased Interest in Portugal

Reasons for Delays

From 2019 to 2024, the number of applications for Portuguese citizenship increased almost fivefold. However, the existing staff capacity was not prepared to handle such a workload. According to trade unions, the number of personnel responsible for processing these applications is 34% below the required level, leading to an accumulation of pending cases.

In February 2023, the Institute of Registries and Notaries (IRN) launched an online platform for submitting citizenship applications. However, to date, only 28,800 applications have been processed through this system. As a result, processing times now extend to six months or more, even for urgent requests.

Moreover, full digitization in Portugal is still incomplete, and many processes rely on manual paperwork and form-filling. According to immigration authorities, over 500,000 applicants have been waiting nearly two years for their cases to be reviewed.

Outsourcing

To address the shortage of specialists and reduce processing times, Portuguese consulates have turned to outsourcing, delegating the handling of applications to visa processing centers.

However, this practice is not always effective. For example, in Brazil, which accounts for up to 35% of all applications for Portuguese citizenship, the consulate relied on the services of VFS Global. It was later revealed that applications processed through this company took around 200 days to complete, sparking dissatisfaction among Brazilians and even leading to an improvised protest outside the consulate.

Brazilian frustration is largely tied to the fact that they are allowed visa-free entry to Portugal, but for extended stays, they require a visa obtained through a simplified procedure. Previously, this process took no more than a month, but it now exceeds six months.

Reasons for the Increased Interest in Portugal

Amid less favorable economic prospects in third countries, many of their citizens are seeking more stable nations for work and residence. Since Portugal once had colonies like Angola, Mozambique, East Timor, Goa, and Brazil, the Portuguese-speaking diaspora in these countries is significant and benefits from certain preferences when applying for Portuguese citizenship.

Every year, citizens of former colonies make up 25% to 38% of all submitted applications.

Portugal is generally open to foreigners and offers several programs that facilitate obtaining residence permits or citizenship:

  • The Golden Visa program. While this program exists in other countries, Portugal’s version allows individuals to stay in the country for just seven days per year and apply for citizenship five years after obtaining residency. Applications for this program increased significantly after Spanish authorities announced they would end their equivalent program in April 2025.
  • Simplification of the naturalization process. In January 2024, the Portuguese Parliament approved changes to the citizenship law, allowing residency duration to be counted from the date of application for a residence permit rather than from the date it was granted. This enabled many applicants, who previously had to wait an additional 2–6 months, to file their applications in the first half of 2024.

In summary, this sharp surge in applications may be temporary and could show signs of decline by the first half of 2025. However, given the number of pending cases, no significant reduction in processing times is expected before the middle of this year.