Can I spend only 6 months a year in Portugal and get a citizenship?

Residencies & citizenships
1

This is the relevant law.

Without prejudice to the application of special provisions, the residence permit may also be cancelled where the person concerned, without relevant reasons, is absent from the country:
(a) being the holder of a temporary residence permit, six consecutive months or eight interpolated months, in the total period of validity of the authorisation;

My common sense tells me that “in the total period of validity of the authorisation” refers to 2 or 3 years.

But I see that some people think it refers to 1 year, which makes sense considering Portugal’s economy and population drain. If it is 1 year, you can spend half of the year in Portugal for 5 years to qualify for the citizenship assuming you pass the language test, have local ties, etc.

Anyone here ACTUALLY knows which is true?

2

It is my understanding that the 6mos/yr was true until the residency permit time period changed in 2019? Now the permit is 2 years, so the practical application is much more stringent.

PT Absences-2021
PT Absences-2021731×373 212 KB

2 Likes
3

Hi, do these absences apply to travel within EU? How will this be recorded if no passport is stamped on EU borders?
Thanks.

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4

You register at hotels when you travel, you use your credit cards at stores and restaurants, you withdraw cash from bank machines, you post vacation photos online- there are myriad ways to track someone besides scanning a passport at border control.