Portuguese Citizenship Applications Quadruple in Six Years, Processing Delays Persist

Over the past six years, Portuguese authorities have received more than 1.4 million applications for citizenship, reflecting a significant surge in demand from foreigners seeking Portuguese nationality.

This sharp rise was highlighted during a procedural hearing of the Minister of Justice by Secretary Maria José Barros, who expressed concerns about the increased workload this has created.

“In the last six years, more than 1.4 million requests were submitted. In comparative terms alone, in 2022, 300,000 requests were submitted, whereas in 2013, the number of requests did not exceed 100,000,” Barros stated.

Citizenship Application Processing Time Exceeds Two Years

During the hearing, Barros also shed light on the inefficiencies of a platform introduced by the Institute of Registries and Notaries (IRN) last year, which was designed to streamline citizenship application processing. However, the platform has struggled to achieve its intended goals, contributing to prolonged delays.

As Barros explained, even urgent applications filed in the second half of October 2024 are still being processed, suggesting that such requests are not being given priority. This delay, she noted, could be due to bottlenecks within the system.

“The platform’s response is not what we would like, and the average waiting times are high,” she admitted.

The rise in citizenship applications has been a consistent trend over the past two years. In 2023 alone, the IRN processed a record-breaking 230,000 applications for Portuguese citizenship.

Staffing Shortages Blamed for Citizenship Processing Delays

Government officials have pointed to staffing shortages as a primary cause of the backlog, with nearly 500,000 applications currently stuck in processing. The Ministry of Justice acknowledged that the surge in cases has overwhelmed the existing resources, hindering their ability to manage applications efficiently.

“The high number of cases filed led to an overload of available resources, which had an impact on the processing of cases,” the Ministry of Justice explained.

In May 2024, the long queues at the Lisbon Central Registry Office highlighted the magnitude of the issue. Applicants reportedly began lining up as early as 5 a.m., with some bringing chairs to wait for their turn. The office’s 60 daily service tickets were often exhausted within minutes of opening.

The Registry Notary Workers Union has also voiced concerns about the situation, revealing that staffing levels are currently at 34 percent below the required capacity to handle the volume of applications.

Fabio Silva, an employee at the Registry Office, described the extreme measures he and his colleagues have taken to accommodate the demand. “I start work at 5 a.m.; otherwise, candidates would not get the service they are asking for,” Silva stated.

Despite attempts to modernize the process with new technologies, the delays and insufficient resources continue to frustrate applicants and staff alike, leaving many questioning when the system will be able to handle the growing number of requests effectively.

By fLEXI tEAM