Portuguese citizenship for services to the State
Article 6(9) of Portugal's nationality law lets the Government grant citizenship to foreigners who have rendered, or are called to render, relevant services to the State. Citizenship by residence, marriage or ancestry follows other rules.
Residence period
Срок проживания
7–10 years waived
7–10 лет не нужны
State fee
Госпошлина
€250
250 €
Language exam
Экзамен по языку
not required
не требуется
Citizen from
Гражданин с
date of registration
даты регистрации
When you need Portuguese citizenship for services to the State
Years in the country are not your ground
Years of legal residence, marriage and Portuguese ancestry lead to citizenship elsewhere in the law. This page covers one ground: relevant services to the State.
You have served Portugal or been asked to
The rule covers services already rendered and services a foreigner is called to render. Either way, a Portuguese department has to document them.
Portuguese is not your language yet
This ground waives the residence period and the language and culture test. Knowledge of civic rights, duties and the political system still applies.
You want to keep your current citizenship
Portuguese law does not ask you to give it up. Your home country's law decides whether it keeps you as a citizen.
What Portuguese citizenship for services to the State requires
Article 6(9) of the Nationality Law, in the version in force since 19 May 2026, says the Government “may grant” citizenship to foreigners “who have rendered or are called to render relevant services to the Portuguese State”. The decision belongs to the Minister of Justice and is discretionary. Applications already pending on that date continue under the previous wording; files lodged since follow the rules below.
What this ground waives
- Legal residence: seven years for European Union nationals and nationals of countries where Portuguese is an official language, ten for others
- A test or certificate in Portuguese language, culture, history and national symbols
What still applies
- Adult age under Portuguese law
- Sufficient knowledge of civic rights and duties and of the political system
- A solemn declaration of adherence to the democratic rule of law
- No final, actual prison sentence over three years for the listed serious crimes
- No threat to national security or defence
- No restrictive measures of the United Nations or the European Union
- Means to support yourself
How the services are proven
The implementing regulation asks for a document issued by the competent department, chosen by the nature of the services. No single body certifies them, and no published list of what counts was found.
Fee and timing
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| State fee, adult applicant | €250 |
| Refund if rejected at the outset | none |
| Initial review by the central registry | 30 days |
| Opinion on the conditions | 45 days |
| Regulation deadline for the minister | none set |
| Citizenship begins | date of registration |
The same article makes naturalisation free on three other grounds only, so this one pays the standard fee. More of our residence and visa services are in Immigration & Visas.
Sources: Nationality Law no. 37/81 as republished by Organic Law no. 1/2026, arts. 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 12, 19, 27, and that Organic Law, arts. 7 and 8 (Diário da República); Nationality Regulation, arts. 24 and 27, 2022 republication (Diário da República); registry fees, art. 18 (registry fee schedule).
Stages of work
Documenting the services
We will pin down the service itself, past or promised, and identify the department whose field it falls in. Its document is the core of the file.
Assembling the application
Birth certificate and criminal record certificates from Portugal, your country of birth, your country of nationality and every country you have lived in since the age of criminal responsibility, with translations.
Initial review — 30 days
The Central Registry Office checks the file and, if it finds grounds for rejection at this stage, gives you 30 days to respond. A rejection then means the fee is not refunded, so the file should go in complete.
Security checks and opinion
The police and migration authorities report, within 30 days unless extended; an opinion on the conditions follows within 45. If it is negative, you have 30 days to answer, and we will draft that answer.
Minister's decision
The file then goes to the Minister of Justice. The regulation sets no deadline for this step, and the decision is discretionary.
Registration, then the family
A positive decision is registered automatically, and you are Portuguese from that date. Minor children, and adult children who lack legal capacity, can then acquire it by declaration; a spouse follows the marriage rule.
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