Portugal Just Killed Our 5-Year Passport — Our Honest Take After 4 Years

Portugal's new Nationality Law is officially law. President António José Seguro signed it on May 18th. The 5-year citizenship promise is dead. The clock now starts from your residence card issuance, not your application. And there's no grandfathering for residents who hadn't already submitted before May 19th. A few weeks ago we did a full state-of-Portugal video covering NHR, the housing market, and the new tax regime. This one is focused on one thing only — the new Nationality Law that just became official, what changed in the final version, the lawsuit that 500+ Golden Visa holders are organizing against the Portuguese state, and our honest take after almost 4 years living here. We're Eric and Josien. We moved to Portugal in June 2022. We own our home in Ericeira. Our kids were born here — and we got their Portuguese passports just in time. We covered the original proposal back in June 2025, and the parliament vote in October 2025. Now the law is real, and we're sitting with what it actually means. This isn't a legal explainer — Fresh Legal Group already did the technical breakdown and we'll link Zev's interview below. This is the family take. We'll cover the final rules, the lawsuit that's brewing, why the EU passport actually matters more than people realize, where else you'd go if a 5-year EU passport was your goal, and the honest answer to "would we still move here today, knowing what we know now?" If you're mid-move, mid-application, or just expat-curious — this is the one to watch. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Resources mentioned in this video: 🔗 Fresh Legal Group (Zev Fischer's full breakdown of the new law) – https://fresh-legal.com 🔗 Diário da República — full text of Lei Orgânica n.º 1/2026 – https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/detal... 🔗 The Portugal News — Golden Visa holders lawsuit coverage – https://www.theportugalnews.com/news/... 🔗 IMI Daily — Constitutional Court challenge analysis – https://www.imidaily.com/europe/golde... 🇵🇹 Learn Portuguese with Carla – https://journey.portuguesewithcarla.c... ---------------------------------------------------------------- Grab our 5-Day Lisbon Itinerary: https://www.nationswithoutborders.com... ---------------------------------------------------------------- MERCH 🧢 https://www.nationswithoutborders.com... -------------------------------------------------------------- OTHER RECOMMENDED RESOURCES: 🐦 Travel Insurance through SafetyWing – https://safetywing.com/?referenceID=2... 🛟 GigSky eSim – https://plans.gigsky.com/R95B7N/2CTPL... 🛟 Saily eSim – Get 15% off with code "NWB15": https://bit.ly/3NH0ugg 🤑 LunchMoney – Personal Finance for nomads & expats: https://lunchmoney.app/?fp_ref=nwb ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ CONNECT WITH US: Our Website: https://www.nationswithoutborders.com Instagram:   / nationswithoutborders   -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHAPTERS: 0:00 Intro 1:15 What's Actually In the Final Law 4:00 The Lawsuit: 500+ Golden Visa Holders Are Fighting Back 6:00 Why the EU Passport Actually Matters (vs. Permanent Residency) 8:30 If a 5-Year EU Passport Is the Goal — Where Else Could You Go? 10:15 Would We Still Move to Portugal Today? Our Honest Take 12:45 Should YOU Still Move? Who This Still Makes Sense For 14:30 Conclusion -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you’re new here: welcome to Nations Without Borders! We're Eric and Josien with our 2 children – an international family sharing our journey as digital slowmads and expats who've found our home base in Portugal. On this channel, you'll discover real-life insights into life in Portugal, and the joys and challenges of expat life with kids. We provide practical tips on traveling the world as a family, working remotely, and finding family-friendly adventures wherever we go. Most of all, this is our family's journal, documenting what it's like building a life abroad as a mixed international family (American, Dutch, Portuguese). We share our personal experiences, lessons learned, and even our mistakes, so you can make informed decisions and explore life beyond borders. IMPORTANT: this is a family channel where we share our personal experiences. There is absolutely no room for hate or disrespectful comments here. We will not hesitate to delete hurtful comments and block profiles from our channel.