Citizenship
Portuguese Citizenship
With Portuguese citizenship you will have all the rights of a Portuguese citizen, in other words, you will be able to live, work and study in Portugal or any other country of the European Union without any immigration restrictions. By having an European passport you will also experience an easier way of travelling and have visas approved.
Who can apply for the Portuguese Citizenship :
- Children and grandchildren from Portuguese
- Adoptive children of portuguese, depending on the adoption circumstances
- Great-grandchildren of Portuguese *
- DescendantS of Sephardic Jews
- Partners who have a stable union with Portuguese
- Underaged children born before their parents had acquired the Portuguese citizenship
- Citizens of any nationality, including Brazilian, who have been living in Portugal for at least 5 years with authorisation of residence.
Observation: These are not the only routes that guarantee Portuguese citizenship. For further information, access the Portuguese Law website or book an appointment with one of our professionals who will answer all your questions.
*Great-grandchildren from Portuguese, according to law, are not able to obtain citizenship since the nationality law only allows them to skip one generation. However, in soma cases, if the grandparent (descendant from Portuguese) is alive, for example, it is possible to apply for their citizenship first so then they can pass it down to the great-grandchildren.
With the Portuguese Citizenship you can:
- Study
- Work
- Travel to Portugal or around Europe whenever and for as long as you wan
- Live in any country of the European Union
- Spouses and partners in stable union and their children can apply to join you in Portugal and, if eligible, there is the possibility of obtaining their Portuguese citizenship.
About
Portuguese citizenship
There are many routes that will allow you to obtain Portuguese citizenship. With it, you will be able to live, travel, study and work not only in Portugal but in any country in the European Union without having to worry about immigration issues anymore. In addition, another advantage of Portuguese citizenship is that partners and spouses in a stable union and their children are able to join you in Portugal and, if eligible, they can even apply for Portuguese citizenship.
The Portuguese nationality can be obtained through attribution or naturalization, also known as acquiring/acquired. Nationality through attribution is the original, obtained by blood, thus the individual who obtains it is considered Portuguese from birth and it can be transmitted to future generations with no legal impediments. In the case of nationality through naturalisation, we are talking about a derivate citizenship where the citizen is considered Portuguese from the time they acquire the citizenship and there are some restrictions that do not allow its transfer in every case.
For children of Portuguese citizens
Underaged children, adult children and adopted children of Portuguese citizens are entitled to Portuguese citizenship by attribution, provided they meet all the requirements.
For grandchildren of Portuguese citizens
Grandchildren of Portuguese citizens can obtain Portuguese citizenship by attribution. Even if the Portuguese grandmother or grandfather has died, the right to citizenship remains, as long as the grandfather or grandmother acquired citizenship before passing away.
For great-grandchildren of Portuguese citizens
Great-grandchildren and even great-great-grandchildren of Portuguese people can obtain nationality by attribution, as there are no generational limits for obtaining citizenship. However, Portuguese nationality law does not allow skipping more than two generations. This means that it is necessary for the child or grandchild of the Portuguese to acquire Portuguese citizenship, and then pass it on to the next generation, reaching the great-grandchild or great-great-grandchild of the Portuguese.
By marriage or stable union
Spouses and partners in a stable relationship with a Portuguese citizen are entitled to Portuguese citizenship by naturalization as long as they meet the requirements of the Portuguese Government.
By time of residence
Foreign citizens of any nationality, including Brazilians, who have legally resided in Portugal for at least 5 years have the right to apply for Portuguese citizenship by naturalization for the period of legal residence.
For those born in Portugal with foreign parents
If a child has foreign parents and is born in Portugal, he is not automatically considered Portuguese. However, that child will be entitled to Portuguese nationality by attribution in certain situations. That is, if you, a Brazilian, live in Portugal and have a child, there is a possibility that he has the right to Portuguese citizenship.
For descendants of Portuguese Sephardic Jews
Descendants or collateral relatives of Sephardic Jews of Portuguese origin who are over 18 years of age or emancipated in accordance with Portuguese law, have the right to apply for Portuguese citizenship by naturalization, provided that they prove that their relative belonged to a Sephardic community of Portugal.
How to obtain Portuguese citizenship?
First, before applying for Portuguese citizenship, you will need to prepare all the documents that will support the application. The documents and requirements differ greatly according to the particular circumstances of each applicant, but, in general, it will be necessary to authenticate some of these documents and provide certificates in full content of birth, marriage and death. It is very important not to have any conflict of information or dates in any of the documents and, if you identify any of these conflicts, that the necessary corrections be made through rectification.
After gathering all the correct documentation, you will finally be able to apply for your Portuguese citizenship. If you choose to start in Portugal, it is good to know that it is compulsory that some processes are submitted to the Conservatória dos Registos Centrais (Central Registry Office) in Lisbon. However, if you choose to apply in Brazil, you will need to schedule an appointment with the Portuguese Consulate that has jurisdiction where you reside.
Upon delivery of the documents to the competent body, you will need to pay the fees and sign the application expressing your desire to obtain Portuguese nationality. After the request, you will have to wait for the analysis of the documentation and the result.
The duration of the nationality process varies according to the type of application. It is important to point out that the documents must be in the required formats and without errors, as, if there are any, this could delay the process for months or even years and, in the worst case, the request could be denied.
How can we help?
As Portuguese citizenship has several routes, it demands a large number of documents and evidence and requires a lot of attention to detail, it is important to have a reliable professional helping. This way, in addition to the chances of success being greater, the process is much easier.
By scheduling an appointment with one of our professionals, we will be able to study your case and offer you guidance on which documents and evidence are needed, assist in the transcriptions, rectifications and authentications of documents, and even in scheduling with the Portuguese consulate or the request at the “Conservatória”. We will go through all procedures and documentation to avoid any doubts or errors.
If you do not meet the requirements to obtain Portuguese citizenship, we can help you find a way to obtain it, or other routes that allow you to work, study, travel and live in Portugal. Schedule an appointment so that we can study your case and find the best route for you.
