Free tool

Citizenship timeline

Citizenship by residence is a clock, and the clock has rules. Pick a country and the year your qualifying residence starts to see the earliest year you could apply, how many days each year has to count, and what the rule actually says.

Researched from public sources and dated. Not expert-reviewed, not legal or tax advice.

The clock often starts at your residence-permit date rather than the day you arrive, and long absences can reset it. This is planning support, not legal advice.

The calculator is interactive and needs JavaScript. As a rough guide, naturalisation by residence runs from about three years in Canada, Paraguay and Uruguay, through five in France, Colombia and Ireland, to seven in Greece and Malta and ten in Portugal, Spain and Italy. Each country page carries its own sourced timeline.

Country

Qualifying residence starts

Earliest you could apply

2036

Portugal asks for about 10 years of qualifying residence, so starting in 2026 puts the earliest application around 2036. Each year usually needs about 183 days of physical presence to count.

2026Year 1 of 10, needs ~183 days
2027Year 2 of 10, needs ~183 days
2028Year 3 of 10, needs ~183 days
2029Year 4 of 10, needs ~183 days
2030Year 5 of 10, needs ~183 days
2031Year 6 of 10, needs ~183 days
2032Year 7 of 10, needs ~183 days
2033Year 8 of 10, needs ~183 days
2034Year 9 of 10, needs ~183 days
2035Year 10 of 10, clock complete

What the rule actually says

Naturalisation now needs 10 years lawful residence (7 years for EU and Portuguese-speaking CPLP nationals); clock starts from issuance of the first residence card, not the application date Cross-checked with Clark Hill (https://www.clarkhill.com/news-events/news/portugal-nationality-law-changes-2026-residency-rules/). Enacted: Parliament approved 1 Apr 2026, President promulgated 3 May 2026, in force 19 May 2026. Replaces the former 5-year standard.

Get Golden Visa: Portugal Citizenship Law Change (in force 19 May 2026)

See Portugal Compare the fastest routes

A timeline, not a promise. Clocks can start at your residence-card date rather than arrival, long absences can reset them, and language, civics and good-character tests all apply. Researched from public sources and dated; not legal advice.