PORTUGUESE CITIZENSHIP

The Portuguese passport is one of the most powerful in the world and is ranked 4th overall in the Passport Index 2024 and the Henley Passport Index 2024.

As Portugal is both a member of the European Union and of the Schengen Area, holders of Portuguese passports can move freely between member countries and take up residence there after a simple registration procedure.

Portuguese citizenship does not require renouncing other nationalities, if this is not required by the law of the applicant’s country, and can be obtained by Attribution or by Acquisition:

Citizenship by Attribution (jus sanguinis or jus soli) takes effect from birth, allowing nationality to be passed down through generations and enabling applications for spouses or de facto partners, children and grandchildren;

Citizenship by Acquisition takes effect on the date nationality is granted, not allowing citizenship to be passed down through generations, but enables applications for spouses or de facto partners, and for minors or children born after citizenship has been granted to the parent. Citizenship by acquisition can be applied for through a manifestation of will or naturalization.

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OUR PORTUGUESE CITIZENSHIP SERVICES

SBPS legal boasts a highly skilled team providing legal assistance in the preparation and monitoring of the following types of applications for Portuguese citizenship, including but not limited to:

Descendants of Portuguese citizens (children or grandchildren) born abroad (by Attribution jus sanguinis):
Great-grandchildren of Portuguese citizens (by Acquisition through Naturalisation);
Married or de facto partners of Portuguese citizens (by Acquisition through the effect of Will);
Foreign citizens residing in Portugal (by Acquisition through Naturalisation);
Foreign citizens born in Portugal (by Attribution jus soli or by Acquisition through Naturalisation);
Ascendants of Portuguese citizens born in Portugal (by Acquisition through Naturalisation);
Citizens who have lost their Portuguese citizenship (by Acquisition through the effect of Will or Naturalisation);
Foreign citizens born before a parent was granted Portuguese citizenship (by Acquisition through Naturalisation);
Foreign citizens members of a community of Portuguese descent abroad (by Acquisition through Naturalisation).

While hiring a lawyer is not mandatory for Portuguese citizenship applications, it is recommended to seek legal assistance. This is because lawyers and solicitors have exclusive access to online applications, speeding up processing and streamlining paperwork. Additionally, legal intervention may be necessary for reviewing and recognising foreign judgments or for appealing unfavorable decisions in court.

News & Insights ...

Review and Recognition of Foreign Judgements in Portugal

by SBPSlegal | May 29, 2024

All decisions (judgements) rendered by foreign courts, whether civil, compensatory, or other, must be reviewed and confirmed by the competent Portuguese court to be valid in Portugal. The review and recognition of foreign judgements is therefore a judicial action,...

How to legalize documents for international use

by SBPSlegal | May 6, 2024

For public documents (as opposed to private) to be valid abroad, these need to be legalised, thus its authenticity being certified. Issuing entities of public documents will typically include Ministries, Registry Offices, Courts, Schools, Notaries, Commerce and...

Understanding Recent Changes to Portuguese Citizenship Law

by SBPSlegal | May 4, 2024

The much-awaited amendments to Portuguese Citizenship Law were published in March (Organic Law 1/2024, of March 5th), and the changes are worth noting. To apply for Portuguese citizenship based on residency, one needs to have lived in Portugal for at least 5 years...