Portugal has witnessed a dramatic rise in citizenship applications, with over 1.4 million requests submitted in the past six years—a nearly fourfold increase. This growing interest reflects a broader trend of foreigners seeking to establish deeper roots in the country, whether through residency, ancestry, or naturalization.
However, the rapid increase in demand is putting a serious strain on the system. Despite the introduction of a digital platform by the Institute of Registries and Notaries (IRN) aimed at streamlining the process, application delays remain a major concern. According to government officials, even urgent applications submitted in late October 2024 are still being reviewed, suggesting that priority requests are no longer being processed as promptly as expected.
The bottleneck appears to be largely due to insufficient staffing. Reports from the Registry Notary Workers Union indicate that the offices responsible for handling citizenship matters are operating with 34% fewer staff than required. As a result, an estimated 500,000 applications are currently pending review.
The situation has become so intense that applicants at Lisbon’s Central Registry Office were reportedly lining up as early as 5 a.m. in mid-2024, with many bringing their own chairs to wait in long queues. On most days, the limited number of service tickets—just 60—would be gone within minutes of the office opening.
In 2023 alone, the IRN recorded an all-time high of 230,000 citizenship applications. While the demand shows no sign of slowing down, it's clear that the system is struggling to keep pace. Officials have acknowledged the urgency of the issue, but for now, applicants may need to brace for extended waiting times as the government works to improve capacity and efficiency.
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