# Absence limits for PT citizenship

**URL:** <https://community.nomadgate.com/t/absence-limits-for-pt-citizenship/71397>\
**Category:** Portugal Golden Visa\
**Tags:** portugal\
**Created:** [May 13, 2025, 12:00pm UTC](https://community.nomadgate.com/t/absence-limits-for-pt-citizenship/71397 "2025-05-13T12:00:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![5ar](https://community.nomadgate.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/5/ad7895/32.png) [@5ar](https://community.nomadgate.com/u/5ar)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2025, 12:00pm UTC](https://community.nomadgate.com/t/absence-limits-for-pt-citizenship/71397/1 "2025-05-13T12:00:03Z")

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Hi,

I am trying to find correct info about absence limits during 5 years of residence for Portuguese citizenship.  
As EU citizen, I have got CRUE. I would like to obtain PT permanent residence and citizenship.

Can someone confirm following:

" The law allows for absences under the rule of “interpolated residence” (residência interpolada), but with strict limits:

- You cannot be outside Portugal for more than six consecutive months at any one time;
- You cannot be outside Portugal for more than eight non-consecutive months per year;
- You must have 5 five years of legal residency during the past 15 years, so if you spent more than the expected months at some point, you wouldn’t need to restart the count, unless it was more than 15 years before the application date."

So if I got this correctly, if I for example, visit Portugal twice per year for 2 months +1 day I would meet the requirements for Citizenship? I’d be absent less than 6 consecutive months and less than 8 months per year.

I found that info here:

> **[Portuguese Citizenship Path: Naturalization through Residency](https://anchorless.io/blog/living/portuguese-citizenship-path-naturalization-residency)**
>
> Explore the Portuguese citizenship naturalization process through residency. Step-by-step guide for easy naturalization.

Thanks!

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**Author:** ![tkrunning](https://community.nomadgate.com/user_avatar/community.nomadgate.com/tkrunning/32/9053_2.png) [@tkrunning](https://community.nomadgate.com/u/tkrunning)\
**Post date:** [May 14, 2025, 8:23pm UTC](https://community.nomadgate.com/t/absence-limits-for-pt-citizenship/71397/2 "2025-05-14T20:23:40Z")

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I’ll preface this by saying I never looked into the specifics for EU citizens living in Portugal (with a CRUE, not a residence permit).

However, I think the following information is a bit misleading:

> [@5ar](#):
>
> - You cannot be outside Portugal for more than six consecutive months at any one time;
> - You cannot be outside Portugal for more than eight non-consecutive months per year;

These points look like a misunderstanding of the renewal requirements for those on any _residence permit_ except for ARI (Golden Visa), which are supposed to be that within the validity of the permit (which is 2 or 3 years depending on if it’s the first or later permits). So you can at most be outside Portugal for 6 months in one go or 8 months total in 2 or 3 years. It’s **not per _year_**.

Note, these limits are checked when the residence permit is renewed—not when you apply for citizenship. For citizenship the requirement is simply five years of _legal residence_.

However, since you don’t need a residence permit as an EU citizen (just the CRUE document), there’s also no check of whether you have stayed a certain number of days in Portugal. I also don’t think there’s any check of time spent in Portugal once you apply for your [permanent residence card](https://aima.gov.pt/pt/nacionais-ue-e-familiares/nacionais-ue/certificado-de-residencia-permanente-para-nacionais-ue) after 5 years either.

So my guess is that there’s simply no check of time spent in Portugal when applying for citizenship. As long as you’ve remained a legal residence for five years you should be good.

If anyone else has any practical experience to share, please weigh in!