If your parents or grandparents are from Portugal you can apply for citizenship by descent program. Portugal is a beautiful place with a lot of scenic views and an excellent community. The passport of Portugal is also highly ranked so, you can enjoy visa-free travel all over the world.
Benefits of Portugal citizenship
There are numerous benefits you can obtain by claiming your Portugal citizenship. The Portugal passport holds a lot of power and you can take benefits from it.
The first benefit is that you can travel to European Union countries without the need for a visa. Moreover, you can travel the world with on-arrival visas.
You can live in any European Union country by holding the nationality of Portugal. You can work, live and move freely across Europe to enjoy the benefits of living like a legend. There are no restrictions on you when you get a Portuguese passport. You are free to travel, you can easily work and live in Europe without giving up your first nationality. Yes, Portugal allows you to hold your current nationality without any issues.
Also, you will get the best education system in your hands for yourself or your family. You will get the right to education in popular schools and universities that are famous for their name. You can get into Portuguese universities as well as can take part in other European Union country’s schools and universities.
Another benefit is that you can take advantage of the healthcare system of Europe which is well known for its professional behaviors. The major benefit is that the healthcare system is free for those who hold a Portuguese passport. So, you can easily avail of the healthcare system which is not possible with your current passport. By having a second passport from Portugal is truly beneficial.
Moreover, you can vote and can take part in elections. Also, you are protected by the Portuguese embassy and consulate wherever you are in the world.
The above-mentioned are some benefits you can avail yourself of with the help of Portuguese citizenship. Now let’s take a look at how you can claim your citizenship by descent.
Eligibility for Portuguese citizenship by descent
You are eligible for Portuguese citizenship by descent program if you meet one of the following criteria.
- Your parent is from Portugal and was present in Portugal when you were born.
- You were born outside Portugal but your parent is a citizens of Portugal. Moreover, they are an employee of the Portuguese state.
- You were born outside Portugal but your parent is registered in the Portugal civil registry.
- To be eligible for Portuguese citizenship you have to ensure that you have a close connection with the Portuguese community. You can prove that by speaking and writing the Portuguese language fluently. Also, you can prove your connection by residing in Portugal. If you cannot reside you must visit the Portuguese territories more often.
- Another thing you need to confirm is that you do not have any criminal record. You do not have any punishable crime committed and moreover, you are not linked to any terrorist community.
How to apply for Portugal citizenship by descent
Now let’s take a look at how you can apply for citizenship through the descent program of Portugal.
Determine your eligibility for citizenship by descent
You need to know you are eligible for citizenship by descent. I have mentioned the eligibility criteria above. However, to look in detail you need to know that you are descended from Portuguese parents or grandparents. You need to prove that your bloodline is the same. Also, you need to prove that you have a close connection with the Portuguese community. You can determine that by learning Portuguese and by living there for some time or by visiting Portugal often. This is the first step which is determining your eligibility.
Prepare the documents
You need to prepare all the documents that are required to prove that you belong to Portuguese parents or grandparents. You need to gather the birth certificate, marriage certificate, and death certificate of your ancestors. You also need to prove that you are directly linked to the people you are mentioning in your documents those people can be your parents or grandparents. You need to prepare the documents that are required. You also need to translate the documents into the Portuguese language.
Fill out the required forms
You can obtain the forms for citizenship by descent program directly from the internet. You can download the forms and need to fill them out correctly to apply for citizenship in Portugal. Ensure that there are no mistakes when filling out the forms. You need to prove that your information is accurate and you are truly eligible for Portuguese citizenship by descent. The information you put in those forms must be verifiable and also must be 100 percent correct. Filing the form wrongly can cause you a penalty as it is a crime to fill the form wrongly in Portuguese law. Also, you need to know that the forms need to be filled in Portuguese. If you do not know Portuguese hire a professional translator. I even suggest hiring the legal team to fill out the forms so, there should be no issues.
Its time to apply
After determining your eligibility, gathering all the documents, and filling out the forms it’s time to apply for citizenship. You can apply for citizenship in Portugal through mail or by visiting the consulate or embassy by yourself.
Wait
After applying for citizenship you have to wait. Just like in other countries the processing time for Portuguese nationality obtaining is lengthy. You have to wait a year or two to get citizenship. However, once the process is done you will be notified by the Portuguese consulate. Know that if there are any mistakes in the documents and forms you have filled the process can be delayed. So, ensure that you have filled out the forms and gathered all the documents properly.
That’s it!
