Quick Answer
Your passport changes the years and, sometimes, whether you sit an exam at all. Portugal is no longer five years for new applicants: the May 2026 Nationality Law set 10 years of legal residency for most nationalities and 7 years for EU and CPLP nationals. Language proof for Portugal is still CIPLE A2 (or an accepted alternative such as a qualifying PLA course) unless you qualify for an Art. 6(4)-style exemption — nationals of countries where Portuguese is official, not a blanket EU waiver. Spain is 10 years for most people and 2 years for Ibero-American nationals (Venezuelans included), usually with DELE A2 + CCSE unless a language exemption applies. France is typically 5 years with DELF B2 plus examen civique (from January 2026). Italy is typically 10 years with CELI 2 (B1); EU citizens and spouses can be shorter — confirm the current text. This is an editorial summary. Verify with AIMA, the relevant immigration authority, and qualified counsel before you plan dates or skip an exam.
Most “who needs which exam” tables still say Portugal is five years. That was the old standard. After the Nationality Law promulgated in May 2026, new applicants should plan 10 years of legal residency for most nationalities and 7 years if they are EU or CPLP nationals. Transitional rules can apply to files already in progress — they are not a reason to keep publishing five-year tables for Americans, Brits, or Ukrainians.
The other common error is treating EU citizenship as a CIPLE waiver. It is not. A German or French passport can shorten the Portuguese residency clock to seven years. It does not, by itself, replace the language certificate. The language exemption is mainly for nationals of countries where Portuguese is an official language (CPLP / Art. 6(4) style) — and even then, AIMA practice can still ask for extra evidence. Read the matrix, then read the country notes.
How to read this matrix
Each row is a typical naturalisation-by-residency path, not every possible route (marriage, descent, refugee status, Golden Visa quirks). Years are legal residency, not “time since you landed” and not AIMA backlog. Lei Orgânica 1/2024 can still affect when the Portuguese clock starts (often from the first residence application date once the permit is later approved). That is separate from the 10/7-year rule.
- Portugal language: CIPLE A2 (CAPLE) or an accepted alternative such as a qualifying PLA course, unless an Art. 6(4)-style exemption applies.
- Spain language: DELE A2 plus CCSE for most non-natives. Spanish-speaking Ibero-American nationals are generally exempt from DELE; CCSE still applies in almost every case.
- France / Italy: Nationality changes the years less often than in Iberia. France: DELF B2 + examen civique. Italy: B1 Italian, commonly CELI 2.
Nationality matrix (2026)
Portugal and Spain are the two countries where your passport most often changes both the years and the exam. France and Italy are summarised in the comparison table further down.
| Nationality | Portugal years | Portugal language | Spain years | Spain language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States, United Kingdom, Ukraine, India, China, and most other non-EU / non-CPLP / non-Ibero-American passports | 10 years (standard) | CIPLE A2 (or qualifying PLA) | 10 years | DELE A2 + CCSE |
| EU / EEA (e.g. German, French, Dutch, Italian) — Portuguese is not an official language of that country | 7 years | CIPLE A2 still typically required — not an EU language waiver | 10 years | DELE A2 + CCSE |
| Brazil (CPLP) | 7 years | Usually exempt under Art. 6(4) if born in a Portuguese-official country; some lawyers still sit CIPLE. Confirm with counsel | 2 years (Ibero-American) | DELE A2 typically required (Portuguese-speaking) + CCSE |
| Other CPLP (Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe, Timor-Leste, Equatorial Guinea) | 7 years | Usually Art. 6(4)-style language exemption; still 7 years residency | 10 years (Equatorial Guinea: 2 years) | DELE A2 + CCSE unless a specific exemption applies |
| Venezuela | 10 years | CIPLE A2 (or PLA) | 2 years (Ibero-American) | Usually DELE-exempt if born in Venezuela; CCSE still. See the Spanish satellite guide if you still sit DELE |
| Other Spanish-speaking Ibero-America (Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Chile, etc.) | 10 years | CIPLE A2 (or PLA) | 2 years | Usually DELE-exempt; CCSE still. Watch the voseo trap if you do sit DELE |
| Portugal (applying in Spain) / Andorra / Philippines | n/a (already Portuguese) / 10 years if another passport | n/a / CIPLE if required | 2 years | DELE A2 typically required + CCSE (Portuguese / Filipino / Andorran speakers are not automatically Spanish-exempt) |
Ibero-American, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, and Portugal are the usual Spanish 2-year list. Dual nationality, marriage, refugee status, and Sephardic heritage in Spain can change the years — that is a Spanish rule, not a reason to advertise Portugal’s old Sephardic naturalisation path as open. Soft-note: if your file was already in the Portuguese system before May 2026, ask AIMA or counsel about transitional rules. Do not assume five years.
Portugal: CIPLE A2, 10 years standard, 7 for EU and CPLP
For most applicants who must prove Portuguese, the language reference remains CIPLE A2 (Centro de Avaliação de Português Língua Estrangeira — caple.letras.ulisboa.pt). The May 2026 Nationality Law changed residency time, not the CEFR level. Pass is 55% overall and 25% in each component — not 50%. Structure and scoring: CIPLE A2 exam structure 2026.
Who still needs CIPLE
Americans, Brits, Ukrainians, most Asians, and most other non-CPLP applicants: plan CIPLE A2 (or a qualifying PLA course) plus 10 years of legal residency. EU nationals who are not from a Portuguese-official-language country: plan CIPLE plus 7 years. Book on the live CAPLE portal — there is no permanent global centre list.
EU / EEA is not a CIPLE waiver
A French, German, or Dutch passport does not replace the language certificate for Portuguese naturalisation. The seven-year clock is a residency discount. The language exemption is a different rule: it is aimed at nationals of countries where Portuguese is official (CPLP / Art. 6(4) style), not at every EU citizen. If a blog tells you “EU = no CIPLE”, treat it as outdated.
Brazilians and other CPLP nationals
Under Art. 6(4) of Lei 37/81, nationals of countries where Portuguese is an official language — including Brazil — are generally legally exempt from the language-proficiency requirement on the residency naturalisation route. Your nationality can satisfy the language condition. You still need the reduced CPLP residency period: 7 years under the May 2026 law (not the old shorter figures, and not 10). Born-in-country nuance matters for some files — confirm with counsel, not a forum screenshot.
In practice, some immigration lawyers still recommend sitting CIPLE so AIMA cannot delay the file over “extra language evidence”. The exemption is law; the certificate is insurance. Portuguese-language guide: cidadania portuguesa 2026 para brasileiros. CIPLE, if you sit it, is European Portuguese (PT-PT), not Brazilian.
Sephardic Jewish route: not an open shortcut
Do not plan Portuguese citizenship as a “0 years / no CIPLE” Sephardic path. That route was heavily restricted and, for practical purposes, closed to new applications after successive reforms. It is not a primary option in 2026. If you already have a historic file or a specialist lawyer says a narrow remnant still applies to you, verify current law — do not treat blog tables that still list Sephardic Portugal as open as current.
Spain still lists Sephardic origin among the groups that can qualify for a shorter Spanish residency period. That is a Spanish rule. It does not reopen the Portuguese Sephardic naturalisation path.
Spain: 10 years, or 2 years if Ibero-American — DELE A2 + CCSE
Most applicants need 10 years of legal residency, DELE A2 (Instituto Cervantes — examenes.cervantes.es), and the CCSE civic test. Ibero-American nationals, plus Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, and Portugal, typically qualify for 2 years. Marriage to a Spanish national can be shorter still. Structure: DELE A2 exam structure 2026. DELE pass canon: 104/200, 30/50 per Grupo, 6.25/25 per skill.
Who is exempt from DELE
Citizens of Spanish-speaking Ibero-American countries are generally exempt from DELE. CCSE still applies to virtually everyone. Brazilians on the 2-year Spanish route usually do need DELE, because the language exemption tracks Spanish as a native/official language, not the Ibero-American residency discount. Always confirm exemption status with the registro civil or consulate — do not skip DELE on a blog’s say-so.
Venezuelans
Venezuelans are Ibero-American: plan 2 years of legal residency in Spain, not 10. If you were born in Venezuela, DELE is usually not required; CCSE still is. If you still sit DELE (doubt about the exemption, or you want the diploma anyway), use the Spanish-language satellite: DELE A2 para venezolanos en España (2026).
The voseo trap
DELE A2 is Castilian exam Spanish: tú / usted, not vos. If you grew up with Rioplatense or Central American voseo (Argentina, Uruguay, parts of Paraguay and Central America), the oral and writing papers will punish vos conjugations you use every day. Venezuelans generally use tú, so this is less of a trap — but any candidate who mixes voseo into a Cervantes paper is giving away A2 points. Drill tú forms before you sit, even if your Spanish is fluent at home.
France: 5 years, DELF B2, examen civique
Standard naturalisation is typically 5 years of continuous, habitual residence. From January 2026 the language bar for naturalisation is DELF B2 (or another accepted B2 certificate such as TCF IRN at the matching level) — not B1. You also need the examen civique. They are two different exams. Nationality does not usually waive B2 the way CPLP can waive CIPLE. Structure: DELF B2 exam structure 2026.
EU citizens still naturalising in France follow French nationality law, not a pan-EU shortcut. Shorter routes exist (spouse, some service paths) — treat them as exceptions and confirm with the préfecture. Do not use a Portuguese five-year table as a France analogue; France kept five years and raised the language level instead.
Italy: CELI 2 (B1), 10 years standard — shorter routes with caution
Italy expects B1 Italian, commonly shown with CELI 2 (CVCL, Università per Stranieri di Perugia). The Prep2Go / CVCL pass path is about 60% overall with written and oral block minima — not a flat 70%. Structure: CELI 2 exam structure 2026.
Typical residency cited in Italian guides: 10 years for most non-EU applicants, often 4 years for EU citizens, and shorter still for spouses of Italian citizens. Those figures move in commentary and in case law. Treat them as a starting map, not a filing date. Confirm the current testo unico and your questura / counsel before you count years.
Four-country comparison (years and exams, 2026)
| Country | Standard years | Reduced years (typical) | Language exam | Civic extra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal | 10 (most nationalities, May 2026 law) | 7 (EU and CPLP). Transitional files: verify with AIMA. Sephardic: not an open new-applicant route | CIPLE A2 (55% + 25% floors) or qualifying PLA, unless Art. 6(4)-style exemption | Possible future civic test (TNIC) — CIPLE remains today’s language requirement |
| Spain | 10 | 2 (Ibero-American, Andorra, Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Portugal); 1 often cited for spouses | DELE A2 unless Spanish-speaking Ibero-American exemption | CCSE (almost everyone) |
| France | 5 | Shorter spouse / exceptional routes — confirm | DELF B2 (from Jan 2026) | Examen civique (from Jan 2026) |
| Italy | 10 (most non-EU) | Often 4 for EU citizens; shorter for many spouses — confirm | CELI 2 / other listed B1 (~60% CVCL path) | Integration / civic elements vary by procedure — confirm |
Conservatória, IRN, registro civil, and préfecture fees are not quoted here as fixed euro amounts. They change by year and by office. Budget for official fees, translations, and criminal-record certificates — then check the live tariff, not this article.
Americans, Brits, and Ukrainians: stop using five-year Portugal tables
If your passport is US, UK, or Ukrainian, Portugal is a 10-year residency plan for new naturalisation-by-residency applicants, plus CIPLE A2 (or PLA). It is not five years. Spain is 10 years plus DELE A2 and CCSE. France is 5 years plus DELF B2 and examen civique. Italy is typically 10 years plus CELI 2. Dual nationality with a CPLP or Ibero-American country can change the Iberian cells — that is a second passport, not a rumour.
Ukrainian temporary-protection time in an EU state does not automatically become citizenship time in Portugal or Spain. Count only lawful residence that the nationality law actually recognises, then confirm with counsel.
Official portals (source of truth)
- CIPLE / CAPLE: caple.letras.ulisboa.pt — sessions, inscrição, results. Not a static PDF of centres.
- DELE / Instituto Cervantes: examenes.cervantes.es — DELE dates, centres, CCSE.
- DELF: France Éducation international / local Alliance Française. Examen civique is a separate civic QCM — not a language diploma.
- CELI 2: cvcl.it (Università per Stranieri di Perugia).
Portuguese nationality procedure sits with AIMA / Conservatória — not with CAPLE. Passing CIPLE does not file your citizenship application. Filing fees and document lists belong on the official checklist, not in a language-exam article.
If you do need the exam
Once the matrix says you sit a test, stop collecting nationality charts and start a format drill. Use the structure guides above, then a timed readiness check on the practice exam hub — not a guess from Duolingo streaks. CIPLE fails people on the 25% listening floor; DELE fails people on Grupo 2; DELF B2 fails people on the note éliminatoire; CELI 2 fails people who studied for a mythical 70% and ignored block minima.
Frequently asked questions
Is Portugal still 5 years for citizenship? Not for new applicants under the May 2026 Nationality Law. Plan 10 years of legal residency for most nationalities and 7 years if you are an EU or CPLP national. Transitional rules may apply to files already in progress — verify with AIMA or counsel. Do not use a five-year table for Americans, Brits, or Ukrainians.
Do EU citizens skip CIPLE for Portuguese citizenship? No. EU/EEA nationality is not a blanket language exemption. It typically shortens residency to 7 years. Language exemption is mainly for nationals of countries where Portuguese is official (CPLP / Art. 6(4) style). EU nationals generally still need CIPLE A2 or an accepted alternative.
Do Brazilians need CIPLE A2? Often no on the Art. 6 residency route if you are a national of a Portuguese-official-language country, but you still need 7 years of legal residency under the May 2026 CPLP rule. Born-in-country nuance and AIMA practice matter. Some lawyers still recommend the certificate. Confirm with counsel. Guide: /blog/ciple-a2-cidadania-portuguesa-brasileiros-2026.
Can I still use the Portuguese Sephardic Jewish route with no CIPLE and 0 years? Do not plan on it. The Portuguese Sephardic naturalisation path was heavily restricted and is not an open route for new applications after the reforms. Verify current law if you have a historic file; do not treat it as a primary 2026 option.
Do Venezuelans get Spanish citizenship in 2 years? Venezuelans are Ibero-American, so the usual residency discount is 2 years, not 10. DELE is often exempt if you were born in Venezuela; CCSE still applies. Confirm your file. Spanish-language DELE guide: /blog/dele-a2-venezolanos-espana-nacionalidad-2026.
What is the CIPLE pass mark? 55% overall and at least 25% in each component (Reading+Writing, Listening, Speaking). Not 50%. The certificate does not expire.
What is the CELI 2 pass mark? About 60% overall on the CVCL path, with written and oral block minima — not 70%. Confirm the current grid with your centre.
Does France still accept DELF B1 for citizenship? Not for standard naturalisation from January 2026. Plan DELF B2 (or an accepted B2 equivalent) plus examen civique, typically after 5 years of residence.
Related guides
EU language-rule changes: Europe language requirements 2026. CIPLE: exam structure. DELE: exam structure. DELF B2: exam structure. CELI 2: exam structure. Brazilians (PT): CIPLE e cidadania. Venezuelans (ES): DELE A2 para venezolanos. Timed readiness: practice exam.
Last updated 12 August 2026. Editorial summary of typical naturalisation-by-residency paths in Portugal, Spain, France, and Italy. Verify with AIMA / immigration authorities and qualified counsel. Do not file on the basis of this matrix alone.