Citizenship application stuck at IRN: what you can do

"I applied two years ago and the status hasn't moved. Is something wrong?" In most cases, no. The queue is simply very long. Here is what the numbers say, what you can check yourself and what is worth doing while you wait.

How long is the queue

The Registry and Notary Institute (IRN), which decides nationality applications, had 690,480 pending cases on 30 June 2026, according to figures reported by Público. A year earlier there were about half a million. Only 26% of the queue are foreigners living in Portugal who applied on the basis of legal residence. Another 23% are descendants of Sephardic Jews and 13% applied through marriage or civil union.

The Ministry of Justice says IRN gives priority to minors who are descendants of Portuguese citizens. In practice that means residence-based applications are not first in line. According to INE, 12,829 foreign residents obtained Portuguese citizenship in 2025, 38% fewer than the year before.

Which rules apply to your application

The nationality law changed in 2026 (Organic Law 1/2026, in force since 19 May 2026). For most foreigners the residence requirement went from 5 to 10 years, and 7 years for nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries and the EU. There is also a new test on Portuguese culture, history and basic rights.

The key point if you are already waiting: applications filed at IRN before 19 May 2026 are assessed under the old 5-year rules. A long wait does not move you to the new rules. Our guide How long do I need to live in Portugal to get citizenship explains the new rules in detail.

How to check the status yourself

The Justice portal has an online service, "Consultar estado do processo de nacionalidade", where you can see the stage of a nationality application without going to a registry office. Keep the receipt you were given when you applied: it has the details you need to look the case up. If a lawyer or solicitador filed for you, they can see it through the professional channel, since online submission of nationality applications is reserved for lawyers and solicitadores.

A status that stays the same for months is normal at the moment. What matters is any change that asks something of you.

What actually helps while you wait

Answer any request quickly

If IRN asks for a missing or updated document, that request is the one thing that can stop your case. Reply within the deadline in the notice and keep proof that you did. Make sure IRN can reach you: if you moved, tell them your new address.

Keep your residence permit valid

The application does not replace your residence permit. Renew it with AIMA on time, as if you had not applied at all. Our guide on AIMA appointments and renewals covers how.

Keep your language proof safe

If you are not from a Portuguese-speaking country, the A2 Portuguese certificate is part of the file. Keep the original and a copy. More in the A2 language requirement.

If the delay is far beyond normal

You can complain about delays in a public service to the Provedor de Justiça (the Ombudsman), free of charge. Some applicants whose decision is very overdue go further and take IRN to an administrative court through a lawyer, asking the court to order a decision. That costs money and is not right for every case, so ask a nationality lawyer first.

What does not help

• Filing a second application for the same route: it joins the end of the queue.
• Paying anyone who promises to get you ahead in the queue without explaining how.
• Letting your residence permit lapse because "citizenship is coming".

In short

A long wait is the norm right now, not a sign your case is lost. Check the status online, answer any IRN request quickly, keep your residence permit valid and plan in years rather than months.

General information, not legal advice. Nationality rules changed in 2026 and are still being put into practice; confirm anything you rely on with IRN or a nationality lawyer.