When does my five-year period start for Portuguese nationality?

[PTbound (A L)]

@Nomad12

My understanding is that IRN will ask AIMA if the GV applicant has a legal residency at the time of processing.

This topic has been covered many times on this forum, yes. For example:

@seagu77

Just want to repeat once more time. At the moment, the practice is the following: you need to have valid residence card at the time of citizenship application and at the stage 4 when IRN will check that requirements. IRN does not treat the law. IRN asks AIMA and takes contagem de tempo as a proof. IRN even does not know what type of visa you have been at. If you will not have a valid residence card when IRN asks AIMA, AIMA replies “does not meet the requirements”. Period.