Getting Citizenship By Descent in Portugal in 2022

Got Portuguese parents, grandparents or earlier ancestors? In today’s episode, we unpack how you can get Citizenship By Descent in Portugal — for next to nothing…

Getting Citizenship By Descent in Portugal 

In a recent Knowledge Series episode, we looked at Greece as a Citizenship By Ancestry destination. In today’s instalment, we bring you the details on Portugal.

(Sovereign Man: Confidential members —  a reminder that you recently received a 74-page Black Paper highlighting the various citizenship by ancestry programs in Southern Europe and the Balkans. You can get access to our network of trusted legal providers for the countries featured in that report — including in Portugal.)

If you have a Portuguese parent OR grandparent, then congratulations — you can qualify for a Portuguese passport on the basis of ancestry. 

Here’s how it works…

Requirements for getting Citizenship By Ancestry in Portugal

Portugal is gorgeously beautiful and home to one of Europe’s best climates. Over the years, Portugal has become one of our favorite countries on the continent… despite being home to high taxes and a socialist government.

But nonetheless, Portugal is an excellent country for your Plan B when it comes to a second passport.

Portugal’s nationality law (in Portuguese)  states that you are a Portuguese citizen by origin if at least one of your parents is a citizen of Portugal at the time of your birth. The place of birth is irrelevant.

If you don’t have Portuguese parents, the 2015 amendment to the law makes it possible to claim your Portuguese citizenship if one of your grandparents is/was Portuguese (and did not lose their nationality during their lifetime).

You will need to prove that you are directly connected to your grandparent through respective birth, marriage, and death certificates, as applicable.

There is a caveat here, however — having a Portuguese grandparent is not enough. You still have to prove you have “effective ties to the national community”.

The same law explains that “effective ties” are: 

• Sufficient knowledge of the Portuguese language (at the B1 level), AND
• Not having been convicted, for three years or more, of a crime punishable under Portuguese law, AND
• Not being a threat to national security.

There are many ways to prove your language proficiency: Graduation from a Portuguese-speaking school or university, taking a certified exam, or providing a graduation certificate from a Portuguese language center anywhere in the world will work.

Considering that the B1 level is not that hard to obtain (for most folks), we believe this task is accomplishable. 

But what if it’s not your grandparent who was Portuguese, but your great-grandparent? 

Would that mean you no longer qualify for a Portuguese passport by descent? 

Not necessarily. Let’s look at this hypothetical family tree:

Antonio — Portuguese great-great-grandfather (deceased)

Beatriz — great-grandmother (deceased)

Linda — grandmother (alive)

Oliver — father (alive)

Daniel — you

You are four generations removed from your Portuguese ancestor, but there is still a way for you to become Portuguese.

Here is how:

1. Your grandmother, Linda, applies for citizenship as the grandchild of a Portuguese citizen, Antonio. According to the law, she has to prove ties to the Portuguese community as discussed above. As a result, she becomes a Portuguese citizen. 
2. Then, your father Oliver applies for Portuguese citizenship as a son of a Portuguese mother. Since he is not jumping any generations, he doesn’t even need to prove any essential ties. The process is much quicker for him, and pretty much automatic.  
3. Finally, it’s your turn. You apply for Portuguese citizenship as the son of Oliver, who is a Portuguese citizen now. There is no need for you to prove essential ties to Portugal either.

Congratulations, you are now a Portuguese citizen! 

And you won’t need to renounce your other nationalities either, as Portugal allows dual citizenship.

Also, in the scenario above, if your father, Oliver, happens to pass away by now, you can still claim your citizenship, as long as your grandmother Linda is still alive (and is willing to go through the process herself). 

In this case, both you and your grandmother Linda will need to prove ties to Portugal, as both of you will be “jumping” a generation.

And respectively, if your grandmother Linda passes away before going through the process herself, then you will not be able to claim your Portuguese citizenship either, as the required link will be broken.

Capitalize on your Jewish heritage from Portugal…

In 1492, Spain gave Spanish Jews a very tough choice via the Alhambra Decree: Convert to Christianity, or leave the country forever. 

About 120,000 Spanish Jews took the latter path, fleeing to nearby Portugal. There, they found a decent life… for about five years. Portugal then became just as brutal and ugly as Spain. The country, too, expelled Jews who didn’t convert to Christianity. 

To compensate for this persecution 500 years ago, Portugal today allows those with Jewish lineage to qualify for citizenship.  

As we reported a few years ago, Spain also offered citizenship to those who could trace their Jewish roots back to Spain. But since then, Spain has terminated this program.

For more information on the process, you can join Sovereign Man: Confidential to access this SMC Alert from 2018. (Again, note that Spanish citizenship via this route is no longer available.)   

SMC members, please note: If you need assistance in researching your Jewish ancestry or have questions, we can refer you to a vetted law firm that we’ve worked with before.

One final note: In November 2020, Portugal announced that its law of return would change. But to date, COVID has delayed these potential changes, and there is no indication of what rules will be altered. We’ll keep our members updated when any changes are published.

The bottom line

Residency and citizenship opportunities programs undergo changes — and tend to become more restrictive — all the time, so don’t delay applying if you do qualify today.

Our recent 74-page Black Paper on the Citizenship By Ancestry Programs of Southern Europe and the Balkans covers Portugal, Greece, Croatia, Malta, Italy, Serbia, Slovenia, Montenegro and Albania.

So if you’re looking for reliable, step-by-step guidance on obtaining a second passport in any of these countries, Sovereign Man: Confidential is just the resource for you.

Yours in Freedom,

Team Sovereign Man

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Source

Simon Black is an international investor, entrepreneur and permanent traveler. His daily letter is both educational and entertaining, and we suggest that those who want unbiased, actionable information about global opportunities sign up for Sovereign Man’s free, actionable newsletter at http://www.SovereignMan.com.

From Simon Black of SovereignMan.com