Portugal’s citizenship applications currently face significant backlogs, with estimates ranging from over 25,000 pending at consulates (due to staff shortages) resulting in potentially 700,000 cases awaiting analysis due to increased demand filed with IRN. The uncertainty over new citizenship legislation in legal limbo, increasing the residence period to 10 years has caused spike in applications received.
As of Nov 25, 2025, over 25,000 birth certificates pending integration with IRN. hat IRN service currently having a ratio of more than 17,500 cases to process per registrar , a number that tends to increase, especially considering the proximity of the holiday period. The number of cases that lawyers submit through the online application is around 3,000 per month.
According to the STRN, there is currently a shortage of 266 registrars, and the 120 trainees now in preparation will not be ready to begin work until the end of 2026, The Portugal News reports. The union data highlights a deficit of 1,867 registry officers, noting that only half of the 240 recently advertised positions have been filled, due to the lack of attractiveness of the careers.
the rise in new application numbers is prevalent throughout Portugal, “in online submissions, made by lawyers and solicitors, and in person, at the various service points: central registry office, Porto Central Archive and other Civil Registry Offices throughout the country.”
Some sources suggest time to get citizenship will stretch to 15 years in Portugal.
