en 
During the procedural hearing of the Minister of Justice in the parliamentary committee on Constitutional Affairs, Rights, Freedoms and Guarantees, Maria José Barros admitted that the increase in the number of requests for nationality is an issue that “worries” the Ministry of Justice.
“In the last six years, more than 1.4 million requests have been filed. Just in comparative terms, in 2022, 300,000 requests were submitted, whereas in 2013, 100,000 requests were not exceeded”, clarified the Secretary of State for Justice.
In response to a question from the PSD, Maria José Barros also gave a brief overview of the platform created last year by the Institute of Registries and Notaries (IRN) for submitting nationality applications. Although the platform's objective is to improve response times, Maria José Barros admitted that there are still difficulties: “The platform's response is not what we would like, and the average waiting times are high”.
At the moment, she added, in relation to urgent requests, responses are being given to requests submitted in the second half of October 2024. Even so, outside the urgent sphere, requests that were made two years ago are still being processed.
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Two years, I've been waiting three years, two months and counting!
By Michael Mattos from Açores on 22 Jan 2025, 18:29
I wish… 30 months and counting
By Richard P from UK on 22 Jan 2025, 18:50
My petition for naturalization was submitted in September of 2022, still waiting for response and I have a Portuguese passport issued by the Portuguese Consulate in San Francisco in 1983, plus I registeted there!
By Luisa Almeids from USA on 23 Jan 2025, 02:29
This article is misleading. I submitted my application for citizenship through marriage in August 2021 and I am still waiting. In August this year it will be 4 years. I am aware of several others in the same situation.
By Anthony Bosman from Other on 23 Jan 2025, 10:16
We submitted our nationality applications and reached the ' completed' stage within 2 months. Why it then takes a further 2 years for the Min Justicia to compllete the process is beyond me!
Why not use the reported excess AIMA capacity to fast track? Or is that beyond the wit of those responsible for this debacle?
By Matthew from Other on 23 Jan 2025, 10:34
Thanks for the comments. Just submitted in September for citizenship thru marriage. Guess 18-24 months is a fantasy…
By John from USA on 23 Jan 2025, 12:29
Everything's get updated because lack of manpower it's taking time anyways you got email address of agent and they replied your your questions which better then the previous days
By Ashok Swar from Other on 23 Jan 2025, 12:32
Only 12 months for me so far. I guess I still have some more time to wait!
By JC from Lisbon on 23 Jan 2025, 13:41
Marriage articles are almost forgotten.. are they not getting paid to do their job. EU needs to take action seriously with this authority. Waiting from 2021 almost 3 years to get my wife her nationality now.
By Riya from Beiras on 23 Jan 2025, 13:44
I submitted my application June 1922, hasn't budged at all, still on "received"
I was told by my attorneys they were working on 2021 applications.
By John Correia from USA on 23 Jan 2025, 13:49
And yet another department that's underperforming. How surprising.
By Lior from Alentejo on 23 Jan 2025, 17:20
My paperwork went in May 2020. I figured covid-19 was the cause of these delays. I wasn't in a hurry but now I think I should contact the consulate to see what's the situation. Thank you for the article.
By J. Cordeiro from Other on 23 Jan 2025, 17:45
I am third generation Portuguese on my father's side and have just gathered all my documentation to submit for application.It looks like it will be a long time before I get approval!
By Steven Mattos from USA on 23 Jan 2025, 18:54
It's been 34 months still waiting,They are not proceeding marriage base nationalities,but we have done wrong, please start processing our art. too,I read there are people even more than 3 years.
By Shelly from Lisbon on 23 Jan 2025, 19:39
That is a looong wait. :)
By Otter 1 from USA on 24 Jan 2025, 02:49
Good morning all at the Newspaper. We are hoping that an office in Madeira is forthcoming, can you ask the the boss of Aima or anyone on the management team for this facility. I feel this would help all the residency application in Madeira, that have been waiting a long time for processing. Have a great weekend.
By Frank Ebsworth from Madeira on 24 Jan 2025, 09:00
I submitted my application in June 2021 and am still waiting to hear back. My wife and two children are all Portuguese citizens.
By Richard from Lisbon on 24 Jan 2025, 09:38
Papers are submitted 4 year still under process.
By Roshan from Other on 24 Jan 2025, 12:13
I submitted in September 2021. I can’t understand why it is taking so long to do this as if you think about this day and age of the modern world we live in, with new technologies, I can only think that the reason it is taking this long is that it’s due to government incompetencies.
By Joanne from Other on 24 Jan 2025, 13:05
I'm about to do for citizenship but worried of government process why is so slow like this they have to make it fast asap somebody have to do something
By Bikki Dangol from UK on 24 Jan 2025, 16:04
I submitted my application 2021. Three years gone, still counting.....
By Yusuf Kanu from Lisbon on 24 Jan 2025, 21:28
3 years and not even budged from the first stage my wife’s parents both Portuguese and living here. You would of thought they would assess those with direct Portuguese links as a quick win but anything g here is slow and governance driven no out of the box thinking. I could turn that around in 6 months
By Stephen from Algarve on 25 Jan 2025, 11:40
2 years is factual inaccurate. It is currently taking 3 years + easily. Citizenship through marriage is at a literal standstill.
By Bill C from Other on 26 Jan 2025, 19:56
Already submitted my documents in 2021 still now awaiting
By Marshal from Other on 27 Jan 2025, 17:03