Portugal citizenship test and Portuguese nationality, explained

Since 19 May 2026, Portugal’s Nationality Law, as amended by Organic Law No. 1/2026, asks most applicants to prove, «by test or certificate», sufficient knowledge of the Portuguese language and culture, history and national symbols. They must also know fundamental rights and duties and the political organisation of the State, and sign a solemn declaration of adherence to the democratic rule of law. Naturalisation now takes 7 years of legal residence for citizens of Portuguese-speaking countries and the EU, and 10 years for everyone else.

The test is not running yet. The Government approved the decree-law that regulates it on 29 October 2026, but it had not been published by the time we checked. The format, fee, pass mark and start date are still unknown. We will update this site on the day it is published. Until then, you can practise the five themes with our free practice test.

What the law requires

Article 6(1) of the Nationality Law	What it requires
(b)	7 years of legal residence (Portuguese-speaking countries and EU) or 10 years (other countries)
(c)	Prove, «by test or certificate», sufficient knowledge of the Portuguese language and culture, history and national symbols
(d)	Sufficient knowledge of fundamental rights and duties and of the political organisation of the Portuguese State
(e)	A solemn declaration of adherence to the fundamental principles of the democratic rule of law
(f) to (h)	No prison sentence of more than 3 years for certain serious crimes, no threat to national security, no UN or EU sanctions
(i)	Ability to support yourself

Nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries, such as Brazil, Angola or Cape Verde, are presumed to know the language (Art. 6(10)). They still have to pass the culture, history, symbols, rights and institutions part. More detail is in our guide to the Portugal citizenship test.

Who has to take the test

Situation	Test needed?	Language (A2) needed?
Residents applying for naturalisation: EU, UK, US, India, Nepal and all other non-Portuguese-speaking countries	Yes	Yes
Residents applying for naturalisation: Brazil and other Portuguese-speaking countries	Yes	Presumed
Grandchildren of a Portuguese citizen by origin (no residence in Portugal required)	Yes (Art. 1(3))	Yes, unless national of a Portuguese-speaking country
Great-grandchildren with 5 years of legal residence in Portugal	Yes (Art. 6(8))	Yes, unless national of a Portuguese-speaking country
Spouses and partners of Portuguese citizens (more than 3 years)	Not required by the law	Not required by the law
Applications pending on 19 May 2026	No (old law, Art. 7(2))	Old rules

For spouses, the Public Prosecutor can still oppose the application for lack of genuine ties to Portugal if the marriage or partnership is 6 years old or less and there are no Portuguese children in common (Art. 9).

How Portuguese nationality works now

• Counting residence. Only legal residence counts. Periods can be added together if they fall within 9 years (Portuguese-speaking countries and EU), 12 years (others) or 6 years (stateless people) (Art. 15(3)). The 2024 rule that counted time from the date you applied for your first residence permit was revoked.
• Where to apply. The IRN (Institute of Registries and Notary) decides nationality applications. The Justice portal explains how to submit an application and lets you check its status.
• Fees (IRN table updated 28 July 2026): naturalisation of an adult €250; attribution of nationality to an adult, for example a grandchild, €175; nationality certificate €50. The fee for the new test is not known yet.
• Waiting times. The IRN had 690,480 pending applications on 30 June 2026, according to figures reported by Observador. In July 2026 the head of the IRN spoke of a backlog of about three years for residence-based applications (DN Brasil).

Portuguese language: A2 and CIPLE

If you are not a national of a Portuguese-speaking country, you need to prove Portuguese at a basic level. Today, the Nationality Regulation (Art. 25) accepts several A2 proofs. The best known is CIPLE, the A2 exam of CAPLE (University of Lisbon): three parts, about 2 hours, a 55% pass mark and a €95 fee in 2026. An A2 certificate from a Portuguese as a Host Language (PLA) course is also accepted, as are some school and IEFP certificates. Details, in Portuguese: CIPLE guide and CIPLE dates.

What is still unknown

Until the decree-law is published, nobody can say:

• who will run the test, and where, in Portugal and abroad;
• the format, number of questions, time limit and pass mark;
• the fee and how to book;
• the language or languages of the test;
• whether there will be an official question list or study guide;
• which certificates can replace the test, since the law says «test or certificate»;
• what exemptions apply for age, illiteracy or disability.

How to prepare now

1. Take the 20-question practice test in English, with explanations.
2. If you read Portuguese, use the 25-question simulado and the explained questions.
3. Read the Portuguese Constitution, which covers rights and duties and the organs of the State.
4. If you need A2 Portuguese, book CIPLE early, because results take several weeks.

About this site

Teste de Cidadania is an independent study site. It is not affiliated with the IRN, AIMA, the Portuguese Government or any exam provider. Our questions are written by us from the law and the Constitution; they are not official questions. Every page lists its sources and the date we checked them. Always apply through the official IRN channels.