Less bureaucracy: Portugal will streamline citizenship procedures
Portugal faces a significant challenge in processing citizenship and residency applications. Demand has grown exponentially, causing delays that affect both international investors and people seeking to settle in the country.
In response to this situation, the Portuguese government has taken a series of measures to improve efficiency and reduce waiting times. The aim is to meet applicants' expectations and maintain its position as an attractive destination for foreign investment.
Implementation of a New National Nationality Platform
One of the most notable actions is the creation of a digital platform to expedite the review and decision on citizenship applications.
Developed by the Institute of Registries and Notaries (IRN), this mechanism promises to increase processing capacity by 50%. It uses advanced technology, such as artificial intelligence, to automate tasks that were previously performed manually, reducing redundancies and minimizing the possibility of human error.
In addition, this system will allow applicants to submit documents and track their applications online, reducing the need for in-person procedures.
The platform has already been implemented in the central offices in Lisbon and Porto. Its rollout is expected to continue in other civil registry offices throughout the country. This is key to easing the workload at the central offices.
Automation and Reduction of Bureaucracy
The Portuguese government acknowledges that excessive bureaucracy and reliance on paper documents are factors that slow down citizenship processing times.
The IRN's initiative includes the digitization and automated validation of documents, which significantly reduces the time employees must spend reviewing each application. According to the IRN's own estimates, this change could reduce the average processing time from two hours to just thirty minutes.
This reduction in processing time will allow the IRN to handle a greater volume of cases. In a context where the IRN has registered more than 63,000 citizenship applications in the first few months of 2024 alone, this is essential.
Challenges and Criticisms of the Current System
Despite these improvements, significant challenges remain, especially in relation to the Golden Visa program, which has been the subject of criticism and lawsuits due to long waiting times.
Under Portuguese law, these applications should be resolved within 90 days. However, the backlog of cases, exceeding 400,000 pending applications, has generated a wave of lawsuits from investors seeking to enforce the established legal deadlines.
The chosen path is that of filing an Action for the Protection of Rights, Freedoms and Guarantees, known in Portugal as “Intimação”.
La Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA), responsible for processing Golden Visa applications, has tried to reduce the backlog, but the high number of cases and lack of resources continue to be significant obstacles.
How can we help expedite your citizenship application process?
The combination of an advanced digital platform, the use of artificial intelligence, and the reduction of bureaucracy aims to create a faster and more effective processing procedure.
However, the effectiveness of these initiatives will depend on the Portuguese government's ability to implement these improvements consistently and across the entire territory.
From our offices in Lisbon (Portugal), the AIM Global team is more than ready to advise you, whether through legal channels, or whatever is the best option to resolve your case, without jeopardizing the progress you have made.
Whether you're starting a Golden Visa process or speeding up your application, schedule an appointment now. meeting with usWe are experts in international mobility.
