Dynamic News

🇪🇸 Spain Speeds Up Residency Application Processing

Spain’s Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration has announced that the process of moving registered residency applications to the “Admisión a Trámite” (admission for processing) stage has been significantly streamlined and accelerated.

The update is expected to bring relief to thousands of foreign nationals who have been waiting for their legal status to be processed, making the residency process faster and more efficient.

‼️ Has your application reached the “En Trámite” stage yet?

EU Launches Legal Action Against Spain Over Passenger Data Rules 🇪🇸🇪🇺

The European Union has taken legal action against Spain over what it says is excessive collection and retention of passenger data.

The EU argues that Spain collects too much information, including payment details and GPS data, and keeps it for longer than necessary.

Spain has been given two months to comply with EU rules, after which further legal action could follow, including possible fines.

‼️ More Immigrants Leaving Portugal, Worker Shortage Concerns 🇵🇹

More immigrants are leaving Portugal due to high rent, low salaries, AIMA delays, and other challenges.

Some TVDE drivers have stopped working, with reports claiming around 1,000 drivers left Lisbon in one week. 🚖

Hotels, restaurants, and elderly care homes also depend heavily on immigrant workers.

Experts warn that Portugal could face worker shortages if more immigrants continue to leave. ⚠️

🇪🇺🇵🇹 EU Directive 123 Now in Force, But It Does Not Allow Free Movement Across Europe

Lisbon — The new EU Directive (EU) 2024/1233 has officially come into force, but experts clarify that holding a Portuguese residence permit does not automatically allow immigrants to move and work freely in another EU country.

The directive aims to simplify administrative procedures, strengthen workers’ rights, and reduce bureaucracy for non-EU citizens living legally in Europe. However, each EU country will still control its own immigration and work authorization rules.

According to immigration specialists, residents in Portugal will still need separate authorization before legally working in countries like Germany, France, or Spain. Experts also warn that working without proper permission could create future problems with residency renewal, immigration status, or citizenship applications.

🚨 New Portuguese Nationality Law Is Official 🚨

⚖️ According to lawyer Andre Lima, Portugal’s new nationality law has now been officially published and will start tomorrow (19).

⛔️Main changes:
▪️The waiting time to apply for citizenship increases from 5 years to 7 years for CPLP and EU citizens.
▪️For people from other countries, the requirement will now be 10 years of legal residency.
▪️Residency time will only count from the date of the Residence Permit/Title, not from the time spent waiting for AIMA.
▪️Children born in Portugal to foreign parents will have stricter requirements.
▪️Applicants may need to show knowledge of the Portuguese language, culture, history, and civic rules.
▪️Criminal records will be checked more carefully.

⚠️ People who already submitted their nationality applications are expected to follow the old law. However, those who have not yet applied may be affected by the new rules.

✔️Many foreigners who were close to completing 5 years of residency may now have to wait longer before they can apply

🚨 Nationality Law Only Affects New Applications 🚨

The Institute of Registries and Notaries (IRN) explained that applications will be judged based on the rules that were in place when they were submitted. This means that people who applied before the new law was approved will still be evaluated under the old rules, including the shorter residency period required in Portugal.

The President of Portugal, António José Seguro, also said that the transition should be handled carefully so that people with pending applications are not unfairly affected by the new law. He stressed that changing the rules for ongoing applications could damage people’s trust in the Portuguese government, both inside and outside the country.

🇵🇹 Portugal Court Rejects Nationality Revocation Proposal ⚖️

Portugal’s Constitutional Court has ruled unconstitutional a proposal to revoke Portuguese nationality from citizens convicted of certain crimes.

Following the decision, the government confirmed it will not move forward with the measure.

Meanwhile, the PSD parliamentary leader stressed the importance of the approved nationality law.

🇬🇧 Poll Shows Growing UK Support for Closer EU Ties 💶

A poll by the Good Growth Foundation found that around one-third of UK citizens would support following European Union rules if it helped reduce the cost of living.

The findings come after Keir Starmer expressed interest in building closer relations with the EU, despite facing pressure from within his own party.

🚨 New Law For Nationality Is Approved 🚨

The President of Portugal, António José Seguro, approved a revised Nationality Law but expressed regret that it lacked broader political consensus and carried ideological influence. The new law increases the time required for foreigners to obtain Portuguese citizenship from 5 to 7 years for EU and Portuguese-speaking countries, and up to 10 years for others.

He supported the law because stricter rules do not harm essential protections like access to healthcare and education, especially for children of immigrants. However, he stressed that ongoing nationality applications must not be affected, warning that this would damage trust in the state.

The law takes effect immediately after publication, but pending cases will still follow the previous rules. The decree was passed by a parliamentary majority after revisions were required due to rulings by the Constitutional Court of Portugal.