I'm a highly qualified IT engineer from India who recently acquired the EU Blue Card. I wish to move to Portugal to start my own business there after completing a year in Spain. I've heard that EU has launched new rules for Blue Card holders. What are my options to get Portuguese citizenship under these new rules?
There is nothing to prevent an EU Blue Card holder from obtaining Portuguese nationality, provided he/she has been legally residing in Portugal for at least five years. Therefore, if you wish to acquire Portuguese nationality by residency, you will have to legally reside in Portugal for five years.
It is a fact that the European Commission recently reached a political agreement on new rules that are yet to be applied on highly skilled migrant workers and EU Blue Card holders. The new rules regarding mobility between EU states state that Blue Card holders and their family members will be able to move to a second Member State based on simplified mobility rules (which are still not known at this point) after 12 months of employment in the first member state, also referring that periods of time spent working in different member states will also be taken into account, facilitating easier access to the EU long-term resident status. However, this political agreement will still need to be adopted as an EU directive and member states will have two years to transpose the new rules into national law. Also, regarding citizenship, each member state has its own set of rules. In Portugal’s case, and as per the current legal framework, you will be able to apply for citizenship once you are a resident for five years in Portuguese territory, independently on the kind of residence permit you hold. Nevertheless, once the new EU rules are formally adopted, the mentioned legal framework might be subject to changes.
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