Some applicants for citizenship must submit documentary evidence of effective ties to Portugal and/or the Portuguese community, and the State Attorney may oppose the granting of citizenship if such ties are either too few or too weak. Portuguese citizenship by marriage. You can acquire Portuguese citizenship through marriage after three years of being married to a Portuguese citizen, or three years of legally recognized cohabitation. Residency by marriage. It is not yet clear how the UK’s vote to leave the EU will impact the rights of UK citizens living in or planning to move to Portugal. Your choices will not impact your visit. Civil Union Law . Portugal relaxed its citizenship laws in 2006 with the amendment of the Portuguese Nationality Act, approving Portuguese citizenship eligibility for non-EU nationals after six years of residence, while Portuguese citizenship by marriage is available after three years. Portuguese Citizenship via Marriage Citizenship Acquisition and Wish-Effect. Full details of costs are also available here. If your spouse is a Portuguese citizen, you can apply for Portuguese citizenship through marriage after three years. If you later divorce, your citizenship is not revoked. Portuguese nationality law permits foreigners to acquire citizenship by: You can acquire Portuguese citizenship through marriage after three years of marriage to a Portuguese citizen, or three years of cohabitation. Citizenship applications take varying times to process. However, written consent of both parents is required for those aged under 18. Moreover, new forms of reacquisition were enacted. During this five-year period, it is not necessary to live continuously in the country. The advantages of the Portugal Golden Visa include visa-free travel across the Schengen states, the right to live and work in Portugal, the ability to include each qualifying family member within the residence program, and the possibility to apply for Portuguese citizenship once you held your Golden Visa for at least five years. NOTE: These settings will only apply to the browser and device you are currently using. There is no requirement for any prior period of residence in Portugal, although the applicant must provide documents proving an effective connection to the Portuguese community. Furthermore, according to the Civil Registry Code marriage is one of the events that is mandatory for Portuguese citizens to register in Portugal - even if living abroad. Under the Portuguese Nationality Law number 37/81, citizenship is based on the principle of ius sanguinis, although with this new amendment there are changes towards the principle of ius soli that facilitate the access to citizenship based on this principle, and can be acquired through descent, marriage or naturalisation. Foreigners married to a Portuguese national for three years or longer can apply for Portuguese citizenship. Example 2. Portuguese permanent residence is available after five years of residence, while citizenship is available after six years, or three years if claiming citizenship by marriage. Under the Portuguese Nationality Law number 37/81, citizenship is based on the principle of ius sanguinis, although with this new amendment there are changes towards the principle of ius soli that facilitate the access to citizenship based on this principle, and can be acquired through descent, marriage or naturalisation. Application procedure. We're an English-speaking law office located in Lisbon, Portugal. And then your parents could, as the children of now official Portuguese citizen, and then You could, as the child of a now Portuguese citizen. Many of the rights given to Portuguese permanent residents are the same as Portuguese citizenship benefits. citizenship through naturalization: this is a commonly used method by all those who legally reside in the country for a number of years.. citizenship through marriage: after marriage with a national for a number of years, foreigners can acquire Portuguese citizenship.. citizenship by adoption: an option for minors who can acquire citizenship if they are adopted by a Portuguese national. No formal residency in Portugal is demanded; however, sufficient knowledge ofthe Portuguese language and active ties with the Portuguese community are still required. Portugal allows dual citizenship, allowing foreigners to gain Portuguese nationality without having to give up the citizenship of their home country. When a candidate is married to a Portuguese citizen, a wish-effect is the relevant pathway. While residents can stay in Portugal indefinitely by continually renewing their permanent resident, there are certain added Portuguese citizenship benefits to entice foreigners to take on the Portuguese citizenship application process. In the case of Luxembourg, Portuguese citizens accounted for the largest share, followed by French, Italian and Belgian citizens, in the case of Hungary EU nationals acquiring citizenship were almost exclusively Romanians. If you are an Australian citizen wanting to marry a Portuguese citizen resident in Portugal, you must contact the Portuguese Civil Registry office nearest to your fiancée’s Portuguese residential address, to obtain information with regards to the appropriate requirements. We offer a full scope of services assisting international clients, mainly in Citizenship, Residency, Tax, Investment and Real Estate Law. Expatica uses technology such as cookies and scripts to personalize content and ads, provide social media features, and analyze our traffic. I am a US citizen. One of the most attractive options is the ability to apply for permanent residency and citizenship after 5 years without the need to reside in Portugal. Portuguese citizenship grants the right to settle, work, and study in all EU countries and allows visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 186 destinations worldwide. Dual Citizenship Portugal Allowed. Those acquiring citizenship by descent or birth are Portuguese by origin if they are a child: Amendments to Portuguese nationality law mean the following can also claim citizenship by descent as a child: If you have lived in Portugal for six years, you can apply for Portuguese citizenship if you meet the following requirements: You can submit the citizenship application yourself or through a suitable proxy. A South Western European country located on the Atlantic Coast of the Iberian peninsula is a country where citizenship by marriage is practised and fast-tracked. You become eligible after three years of being married to a Portuguese citizen or three years of legally recognized cohabitation. You don’t need to live in Portugal for this time. This is a special Portuguese visa program designed to attract foreign investment into Portugal. Who can apply for Portuguese citizenship? Portuguese nationality law is the legal set of rules that regulate access to Portuguese citizenship, which is acquired mainly through descent from a Portuguese parent ( mother, father, grandfather ), naturalisation in Portugal or marriage to a Portuguese citizen. There is no requirement to have had any prior period of residence in Portugal although the applicant is required to provide documents proving an effective connection to the Portuguese community. MALTA This island country located in the Mediterranean Sea, South of Sicily, Italy and a member of the European Union is another country that allows citizenship by marriage. Some people become eligible for citizenship through marriage to a Portuguese citizen, some through naturalization, and others through the residency-by-investment program (ARI – Autorização de Residência para Atividade de Investimento), commonly known as the Portugal Golden Visa. Please note: WhatPassport.com is a trading name of Philip Gamble and Co. Ltd. Philip Gamble and Co. Ltd is registered in the UK with the Office of the Immigration Service Commissioner (OISC) under No. Not quite. By marriage If you are married to a Portuguese citizen you may obtain Portuguese citizenship after five years as long as you make your declaration while you remain married. The success of the application is not guaranteed. The applicant must also speak some Portuguese. Resident VISA for European Union Citizens, The D7 Visa – Portuguese Residence VISA for Pensioners. Or you can apply for residency, and you need to go to the consulate and apply. If you are an Australian citizen wanting to marry a Portuguese citizen resident in Portugal, you must contact the Portuguese Civil Registry office nearest to your fiancée’s Portuguese residential address, to obtain information with regards to the appropriate requirements. Portuguese citizenship by marriage - Any person married to a Portuguese citizen for at least five years can obtain Portuguese citizenship by request. If married to a Portuguese citizen, it is possible to apply for citizenship after three years of marriage. I married a Portuguese citizen and have been married for more than 3 years. This site uses functional cookies and external scripts to improve your experience. In normal circumstances acquiring Portuguese citizenship take a long time and procedures. An application for naturalisation can be submitted by anyone over the age of 18; parents of minors must submit the application on their behalf. Portuguese nationality can be acquired by original assignment, which is recognized at the date of birth or by acquisition, which will produce effects from the registration date. Passport eligibility depends upon Portuguese citizenship. The application needs to made to the Portuguese Ministry of Justice (Instituto dos Registos e do Notoriado – IRN). If you are a foreign resident and you want to become a Portuguese citizen, you must have lived in Portugal for six years, including one year with permanent residency. Certain other categories of foreigners can acquire Portuguese citizenship sooner, such as residents of former Portuguese colonies. I am older than 18 and one of my parents (or both) has Portuguese citizenship. Descendants of Portuguese Sephardic Jews expelled from Portugal in the 16th century can acquire Portuguese Sephardic citizenship if they can demonstrate belonging to a Sephardic community of Portuguese origin. Have sufficient knowledge of the Portuguese language (proven with a certificate or test); Have not been convicted of a crime punishable by a jail sentence of three years or more. This guide looks at who can get Portuguese citizenship, the main differences between citizenship and permanent residence, conditions for dual citizenship, how to apply for citizenship, as well as what fees need to be paid. VERY IMPORTANT: In light of the recent COVID-19 outbreak we are are committed to maintain a healthy and safe environment for both employees and customers. If you divorce or separate at a later date, your Portuguese citizenship will not be revoked. For this purpose, the following requirements shall be fulfilled: But it might, if they are, and they are willing to register themselves with Portugal. However, those married to a Portuguese citizen can apply for naturalization more quickly. There are several ways for you to obtain a dual citizenship. Knowledge of language can help. individuals who lost their citizenship through the will of a legal representative, e.g., those whose family moved abroad and took another citizenship when they were children; individuals who have lost their citizenship but never acquired the citizenship of another country; women who lost their citizenship through marriage to a foreign national; those who lost their citizenship by voluntarily acquiring foreign citizenship before the Portuguese Nationality Act of 1981. What do I need to do? The Law Office works closely with Portuguese Registries Office - Conservatoria dos Registos Centrais, Conservatoria dos Registos Civis and other smaller and peripherical locations where registries are also achieved. Portugal Lawyer. You may change your settings at any time. The Portuguese Golden Visa program speeds up the process for foreign investors from non-EU/EFTA countries to obtain a Portuguese residence permit and claim Portuguese citizenship by investment. I wish to obtain Portuguese citizenship. born in Portuguese territory or abroad to a parent who has acquired Portuguese nationality after the birth of the child; with at least one grandparent of Portuguese nationality who is sufficiently familiar with the Portuguese language; born in Portuguese territory to foreign parents if the child has lived in Portugal for 10 years. A person who has been married to a citizen of Portugal for over three years may apply for Portuguese citizenship. Marriage is another path to Portuguese residence. There’s no residency requirement, although you need to prove a connection to the Portuguese community. More information on documentation required is also availabl… Minor children or incapacitated whose father or mother acquires the Portuguese nationality; Active connection to the national community; Not to have committed a punitive crime with a prison sentence equal to or greater than the second year, according to Portuguese law (eg Homicide, physical offense, robbery, theft, drug trafficking); Not be a civil servant of a foreign State; Not to have rendered military service, not compulsory, to a foreign State. Both are able to: However, there are additional Portuguese citizenship benefits, such as allowing you to: However, the Portuguese citizenship application is more demanding than obtaining permanent residence, and Portuguese passport costs are typically higher. Once citizenship is acquired, passport applications are handled by SEF, although the application may be submitted at a Citizen… As in most countries, one can acquire citizenship through marriage to a Portuguese citizen. 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