Portugal Citizenship

Portuguese citizenship may be valid from birth, where an individual is considered to have always been of Portuguese nationality (i.e. attribution of nationality), or from the date on which an individual obtains Portuguese nationality (i.e. acquisition of nationality).

There are various ways through which a foreign national may acquire Portuguese citizenship, such as:

• Being born in Portugal of foreign national parents
• Being born abroad but of Portuguese descent
• Being married to or in a civil partnership with a Portuguese citizen
• Being adopted by a Portuguese citizen
• Being a long-term resident in the country on a visa or permit
• Residency by investment in the country, which leads to EU citizenship after five years

For example, children born of Nepali parents, who were born in Portugal and lived in the country habitually for the last 10 years, can apply for Portuguese nationality if they meet all other eligibility requirements as applicable.

Similarly, a Nepali national who has been married to or living in a civil partnership with a Portuguese citizen for more than three years, can apply for Portuguese nationality provided all other eligibility requirements are met.

Page Contents

• Overview of Portugal Citizenship
• Benefits of Portuguese Citizenship
• Am I Eligible to Apply for Portugal Citizenship?
• How Do I Apply for Portuguese Citizenship?
• What Supporting Documents Do I Need?
• Processing Time
• Fees
• What If My Application Has Been Approved?
• What If My Application Has Been Rejected?
• How Can Total Law Help?
• Frequently Asked Questions

A foreign national who has acquired Portuguese citizenship enjoys all rights and benefits that come along with being a citizen of Portugal by birth, including the right to enter and exit Portugal freely, the right to live, work and study in the country, the right to vote, and access to Portugal’s healthcare and education facilities.

Moreover, Portuguese citizenship grants a person the freedom of movement across the European Union along with the right to live, work and study in any of the EU countries.

Once you have become a Portuguese citizen, you can apply for a Portuguese passport. The Portuguese passport ranks 14th in terms of global mobility, as per the 2022 Passport Index. A Portuguese passport allows you to travel either visa-free or on a visa-on-arrival basis to 188 countries.

The Institute of Registries and Notaries (IRN), which is part of the Ministry of Justice, processes citizenship applications in Portugal. You may apply online, or send your application by post, or submit the same in person.

You will need a legal representative to apply for Portuguese citizenship online. Your lawyer or solicitor must authenticate themselves on the IRN website with their digital certificate and have an active digital signature.

You may send your citizenship application by post. Please download the form as applicable in your case from the IRN website, and fill up the same diligently following any instruction provided thereof.

Once you have completed the application form, please send the same along with all supporting documents and the fee payment receipt/bank cheque to the following address:

Conservatória dos Registos Centrais

Rua Rodrigo da Fonseca, 202

1099-033 Lisbon.

Alternatively, you can submit your completed application form, fee payment receipt and relevant supporting documents at any of the following places:

• Institute of Registration and Notary Affairs at the National Support Centre for the Integration of Migrants (CNAIM) in Lisbon or Porto
• Registry Spaces in Lisbon, on Avenida Fontes Pereira de Melo, on the Campus da Justiça and in Benfica
• Central Registry Office in Lisbon
• A Nationality Desk
• Odivelas Citizens’ Shop
• Any Civil Registry offices
• Portuguese Consulate in your home country

To apply for citizenship in Portugal, you will need to submit supporting documents along with your citizenship application.

We have provided below a general list of such documents. Please note that the documentation requirements will vary depending on your chosen path to Portuguese citizenship, so you will need to arrange for only the documents that are relevant to your case.

However, please also note that this list is not exhaustive by any means, and IRN may ask for additional documents based on your circumstances.

Required documents include:

• Your birth certificate
• Proof of residence in Portugal for the required length of time as applicable in your case
• Proof of your knowledge of Portuguese language (at least A2 level or higher)
• Your criminal record, if any, issued by foreign countries where you have lived from the age of 16
• A declaration for the acquisition of Portuguese nationality, signed either in the presence of one of the Registry employees at the time of submitting the application, or before someone with powers to recognise the signature if you are sending your application by post
• Your marriage certificate to a Portuguese national, or documents proving that you and your Portuguese citizen partner are living for three years or more in conditions similar to married couples
• Your Portuguese spouse’s/partner’s birth certificate
• Proof of your nationality
• Proofs of your connection with the Portuguese community
• Birth certificate(s) of your biological or adoptive Portuguese parent(s)
• Birth certificate of your parent who is the child of your Portuguese grandparent(s)
• Your adoption certificate
• Documents proving the type of public functions you perform in another country
• Documents proving the non-compulsory military service you have performed in another country
• Documents proving your connection to the community of Portuguese descent outside Portugal
• Documents proving your degree of disability
• The number and year of registration for the loss of your Portuguese nationality
• A request addressed to the Minister of Justice, written in Portuguese, stating:
  • Why do you ask for Portuguese nationality and other circumstances that you consider relevant
  • Your full name, date of birth, marital status, nationality, profession, address, parents’ names, country(ies) where you lived before Portugal, full name and address of your legal representatives if applicable, and the number, date and entity that issued your title or residence permit, passport or equivalent identification document(s)
  • This application must be signed either in the presence of one of the Registry employees at the time of submitting the application, or before someone with powers to recognise the signature if you are sending your application by post.

For non-EU nationals, the processing time for a Portuguese citizenship application can take up to 12 months or more. If you are already a EU citizen, the processing time is a few months.

If there are any issues with your application, or IRN asks you to submit more supporting documents, the processing time will increase.

You can check the status of your application on the IRN website.

You can apply for a Portuguese passport if your application has been accepted and you have been granted Portuguese citizenship, although it is not mandatory.

If you want to apply for a Portuguese passport, you can do so at any of the following:

• IRN offices
• Autonomous regional governments of Madeira and Azores
• Passport shops at Lisbon and Porto airports
• A Portuguese embassy or consulate in your home country

A passport application in Portugal costs €65 for an adult passport. However, the cost may be more if you are applying abroad or using a fast-track service.

You cannot appeal the rejection decision of your Portuguese citizenship application. However, you may contact IRN or the Portuguese embassy or consulate in your home country to request them to reconsider their decision.

Alternatively, you will need to go through the Portuguese courts, which can be an extremely costly and lengthy process, and you will need expert legal representation.