- How to legally obtain Portuguese citizenship?
- "Right of Blood" or "Law of Territory"
- Portuguese citizenship through marriage
- Naturalization in Portugal
- Dual citizenship - yes!
As a child, many had a dream of living at the end of the world, having matured, people understand that it is best to live at the end of Europe. It is these “dreamers” who have the question of how to obtain the citizenship of Portugal, the power that occupies the most western position in Europe. The answer is simple - to study the legislation on citizenship, find the best way and act according to the rules.
Below we will tell you what the Portuguese law on citizenship offers, what mechanisms exist in this Western European state. The question of obtaining the rights of a citizen by foreigners will be sounded in more detail.
How to legally obtain Portuguese citizenship?
The main legal provisions regarding admission to Portuguese citizenship are concentrated in the law. The main mechanisms that operate at the moment are also spelled out there: origin; marriage with a citizen of the Portuguese Republic; naturalization.
The main differences between Portuguese citizenship legislation are associated with the fact that at one time this country had numerous colonies around the world. And although many Portuguese (in the past) territories received sovereignty, became independent powers, certain chapters and articles of the law apply to their inhabitants, who, one might say, have benefits if they wish to become citizens of modern Portugal.
"Right of Blood" or "Law of Territory"
In this battle of the titans, the first place was given to the so-called "blood right", that is, to become a citizen of Portugal at the moment, the easiest way is to have parents with Portuguese rights. The law, which was in force in the country until 1975, was based on the "law of the territory." According to him, ethnic Portuguese or people who had proven the fact of living in Portuguese territories earlier could become citizens of this republic.
Today, in order for a child born to foreigners to become a citizen of Portugal, it is necessary that his parents have lived in the country legally, with a residence permit for at least 10 years. Some relief was made for parents who came from states where Portuguese is considered the official language. For such cases, the period of residence of the parents is set at 6 years, then their heir can claim the rights of a citizen of the newfound homeland.
There are nuances in the acquisition of Portuguese citizenship by a child at birth from citizens of this country. Automatically, a newborn can become a citizen under two conditions that are imposed on a parent: he has civil rights; he works for the state. Lucky for children born after October 30, 1981, since before that time there were some problems with acquiring citizenship, if only the mother of the child was a Portuguese citizen.
Portuguese citizenship through marriage
Marriage (marriage) is another way to become a full citizen of the Portuguese Republic without much effort - three years of marriage and three years of residence in the country. Moreover, lawyers note that formal requirements for residence are spelled out in the law.
True, those who have gone through the path of acquiring citizenship note that in practice the immigration services demanded a demonstration of knowledge of the state language of a potential place of residence, as well as evidence of confirmation of integration into the local society.
Naturalization in Portugal
A person who does not have Portuguese relatives, even the most distant ones, can also become a full member of society. For this category of immigrants, the only way is suitable - naturalization, when after a certain period (in this country - 6 years) a person can apply to special services to obtain a passport of a Portuguese citizen.
Moreover, the period of six years begins to be counted only from the moment of obtaining a residence permit. For former residents of countries where Portuguese is registered as a state (for example, Brazil), the period of residence has been reduced to 3 years. In addition to this important condition, other requirements have been established for potential applicants for Portuguese citizenship regarding knowledge of the official language of the state, reliability and obedience to the law, deep integration into Portuguese society.
Naturalization of foreign parents allows their children to obtain citizenship under a simplified scheme. After naturalization, parents declare the citizenship of their heirs, it is only important that their age does not exceed 18 years.
Dual citizenship - yes
Portugal is one of those European powers that are loyal to the issue of dual citizenship. Therefore, when submitting documents, you do not have to renounce the citizenship of the previous country of residence. But this rule applies only in those cases where a policy is carried out on the second side, which allows one to have two passports.
