Portugal Citizenship

Gaining citizenship in a country is the process whereby an individual determines their allegiance to a state. Citizenship allows you to work, settle, and live in the country without immigration restrictions.

In most countries, there are several different routes you can take to gaining citizenship in that state. This generally splits into three different categories:

• Citizenship through birth or heritage – if you are born on state territory, often you are automatically considered a citizen of that nation. You may also be able to apply for citizenship in a country if you your parents or grandparents are citizens of a country
• Citizenship through residency – if you have been working and living in a country for an extended period of time, you can usually become eligible for citizenship
• Citizenship through investment – some countries offer citizenship rights to individuals who invest significant amounts into the country’s economy.

Page Contents

• What is Citizenship?
• Citizenship in Portugal for Foreign Nationals
• Am I Eligible for Citizenship in Portugal?
• Citizenship by Long-Term Residency (Naturalisation)
• Portuguese Citizenship by belonging to Former Portuguese Territories
• Citizenship by Investment
• How to Apply for Citizenship in Portugal
• How Much Does it Cost to Apply for Citizenship?
• What Documents Do I Need to Apply for Portuguese Citizenship?
• How Long Will the Application Process Take?
• How Can Total Law Help?
• Frequently Asked Questions

Citizenship by Descent

Citizenship by descent or ‘acquisition of nationality’ in Portugal is a route that people with Portuguese ancestry can take in order to become a Portuguese citizen.

Citizenship is generally only available to those who have at least one parent or one grandparent that is a citizen of Portugal. You cannot apply for citizenship through siblings or other extended family members.

You do not need to be living in Portugal at the time of application in order to take this route to citizenship, and you do not necessarily need to live in the country after being granted citizenship. You also don’t need to have been born in Portugal to be eligible.

In order to be eligible for Citizenship by Descent, your parent(s) or grandparent(s) must:

• Be alive at the time of your application
• Be a Portuguese citizen at the time of your application

The Portuguese family line must be easily traceable and you must prove this by submitting:

• Your birth certificate
• The birth certificate of one of your parents or grandparents to prove they were born in Portugal, or
• The citizenship certificate of one of your parents or grandparents to prove they are valid Portuguese citizens at the time of application.

Citizenship by Adoption

If you are the adopted child of a citizen of Portugal, you may be able to apply for citizenship. You must be able to prove:

• That you were adopted legally by your Portuguese parent(s), and
• That your parents were legal residents of Portugal at the time of your adoption

The documents required specific to the citizenship by adoption route include:

• Proof of identity
• Adoption papers
• Proof that you were under 18 when you were adopted
• Evidence of residence and citizenship of one or both of your adoptive parents
• Written consent from your parent(s) or legal guardians if you are under 18
• Proof of relevant vaccinations
• Proof of a recent medical examination undertaken that is valid according to the criteria outlined in the application process.

Citizenship by Marriage or Civil Union

If you are the partner of a Portuguese citizen, you may be able to apply for citizenship in Portugal through marriage or civil union.

You may apply for citizenship so long as you continue to be in a relationship. If your relationship ends after you have gained citizenship, you will not lose your Portuguese nationality.

You must be able to prove that you are in a long-term, stable and committed relationship with your Portuguese partner and fit the following criteria:

• If you are unmarried, you must have been in a relationship with a Portuguese national for a minimum of:
  • 6 years if you do not have children, or
  • 3 years if you have children
• If you are married or in a civil union with a Portuguese national, you must be able to prove that:
  • You are still in a relationship
  • Your licence is valid at the time of application
  • Your marriage or civil union is registered in the Portuguese registry system
• If you applied for citizenship through marriage or civil union, there is evidence to suggest that the relationship isn’t valid and was only for the purposes of gaining citizenship
• You failed to prove your connection to your Portuguese partner or to the Portuguese community

Please note that if there is evidence to suggest that the relationship with the Portuguese national is performative for the purposes of your gaining citizenship (i.e. the relationship is fake), then this will be grounds for your application being refused and could cause issues for your ability to apply for citizenship in future.

Citizenship by Naturalisation is a citizenship route available to foreign nationals who have been living and/or working in Portugal on a permanent residence permit for at least 5 years. You must have been living in Portugal consistently and not have spent long periods of time away from the country.

If you have been living in Portugal for five years or longer, you are likely eligible to apply for Portuguese citizenship through this immigration route. You must also meet the following criteria:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Be able to prove your residency for 5 years or longer with a valid residence permit
• Can prove you have resided in Portugal legally and have kept all visas and permits up to date during that time, having never overstayed an immigration permission past its expiry date
• Proof of assimilation with and strong connection to Portuguese culture and the Portuguese community
• Have not been convicted of a serious crime for the duration of your time in Portugal

Portugal maintains a strong relationship with its former colonies and as a result, many people who were born in former Portuguese colonies were considered Portuguese nationals at the time of their birth.

Since the colonies have gained independence, the children and grandchildren of those born in Portuguese colonies may be eligible for Portuguese citizenship.

Nationals who come from the following countries and territories can apply for Portuguese citizenship:

• Angola
• Brazil
• Cape Verde
• Portuguese India
  • Dadrá
  • Damiao
  • Diu
  • Goa
  • Nagar-Aveli
• Guinea Bissau
• East Timor
• Macau
• Mozambique
• São Tomé and Príncipe

The rules for retaining or gaining Portuguese citizenship as a national of a former Portuguese colony vary in each territory. The process can be complicated and it can be confusing to understand whether or not you qualify according to your personal circumstances.

Total Law can help. Contact us online or call us on +44 (0)333 305 9375 to discuss your rights to Portugal citizenship today.

At the time of writing, the application costs are listed below.

Generally, the fee is €250 for adults, or €200 for those under 18.

In order to prove your abilities in the Portuguese language, you may be required to take a test. The cost of this is usually about €70.

Other fees may be involved in your application process, such as transport (if applying in-person), sourcing or translating documents, and printing costs.

You must submit several documents as evidence as part of your application for citizenship in Portugal.

Each citizenship route listed in this page is different, and so will require different types of documents in the application process. However, in general, you will need:

• Your birth certificate
• Your passport/proof of nationality
• Proof of Portuguese residence
• Proof of your knowledge of the Portuguese language (at least A2 level or higher)
• A clear criminal record
• A declaration for the acquisition of Portuguese nationality, signed under the circumstances required by the citizenship route
• Marriage or civil union certificate, if applicable
• Birth certificate of your partner, if applicable
• Evidence of your connection and desire to be part of the Portuguese community
• Birth certificate of parents of grandparents, if applicable
• Your adoption certificate, if applicable
• Proof that you have not undertaken non-mandatory military service for another country and are not involved in politics in another country
• A letter written in Portuguese addressed to the Minister of Justice, stating your reasons for applying for citizenship, signed in the presence of an approved power.

The length of time it takes to apply for citizenship in Portugal depends on the citizenship route you take.

In general, for applicants of Pakistani origin and other non-EU nationals, the application process can take up to 12 months or longer. It usually takes less time to process for EU nationals.

You should always allow plenty of time to receive your application decision before making any concrete plans that could be impacted by your application being rejected. Sometimes, the immigration officer will require further documentation, clarification on some of the information submitted, or may call you in to interview.