Residency & Citizenship

Portuguese nationality can be acquired for several reasons. Original nationality can be obtained in the following cases:

• Sons of Portuguese mother or Portuguese father born in Portuguese territory;
• Children of a Portuguese mother or a Portuguese father born abroad if the Portuguese parent is in the service of the Portuguese State;
• Children of a Portuguese mother or a Portuguese father born abroad if they are registered in the Portuguese civil registry or if they declare that they wish to be Portuguese;
• Individuals born abroad with at least one ascendant of Portuguese nationality up to the second degree in the straight line;
• Individuals born in Portuguese territory, children of foreigners, if at least one of the parents is also born here and resides here, regardless of title, at the time of birth;
• Individuals born in Portuguese territory, children of foreigners who are not in the service of their State, declare themselves to be Portuguese and provided that at the time of birth one of the parents has been legally resident for at least five years;
• Individuals born in Portuguese territory who have no other nationality.

Nationality may also be acquired by virtue of the will, in the case of minor or incapacitated children, of a father or mother who acquires Portuguese nationality by declaration, or, in the case of a foreigner who has been married for more than three years to a Portuguese national, or at the date of the declaration of a de facto union for more than three years with a Portuguese national, after recognition of this situation to be filed in the civil court.

Finally, it is possible to acquire nationality by naturalization in the case of adult foreigners who have been legally resident in Portugal for at least six years, who are sufficiently familiar with the Portuguese language, provided they have not been convicted of a crime punishable by a maximum prison sentence equal to, or exceeding 3 years, according to Portuguese law and which do not constitute a danger or threat to national security or defence.

Minors are also granted nationality by naturalization provided that, at the time of application, one parent has been legally resident for at least five years, or the child here has completed the first cycle of basic education.

It is also possible to acquire nationality by naturalization of individuals born in Portuguese territory, children of foreigners, who, although have not been legally resident in Portugal for six years, have usually stayed here in the 10 years immediately prior to the request.

Our services include the collection of all forms and documents necessary for this purpose, establishing all necessary communications, as well as customer follow-up with the Portuguese authorities.

During the 15th and 16th centuries a large number of Sephardic Jews were expelled from Portugal. However, many have maintained the language, the rites of the old Jewish cult in Portugal, the family surnames, objects and documents that allow to demonstrate their Portuguese origins and a strong memorial relations with Portugal.

In order to facilitate the acquisition of nationality by descendants of Sephardic Jews, the Portuguese Nationality Law was amended on July 3, 2013.

1. Requirements to be met for the acquisition of Portuguese nationality:

• Being an adult, or emancipated, under Portuguese law;
• Not having been convicted for an offense punishable by a prison sentence of more than three years, under Portuguese law;
• Indicate and demonstrate in the application, the circumstances that determine the tradition of belonging to a Sephardic community of Portuguese origin.

2. Documents to be presented with the application:

• Birth certificate;
• Certificates of criminal record issued by the competent Portuguese services, of the countries of birth, nationality and of the countries of residency;
• Documents that prove direct descendency, or collateral line family relations with a common parent from the Sephardic community of Portuguese origin and a tradition of belonging to a Sephardic community of Portuguese origin (this document will normally consist of a certificate from the Jewish community with the status of a legal religious person, established in Portugal under the law, attesting to the tradition of belonging to a Sephardic community of Portuguese origin, namely by name, family language, genealogy and family memory).

Foreign citizens can apply for residency in Portugal if they have one of the following reasons:

• Carrying out dependent work in the country;
• Being a qualified independent worker;
• Business activity;
• Family reunion;
• Enrolment in an educational establishment.

 The following general criteria must be met in order to apply for temporary or permanent residency in Portugal:

• Absence of a conviction for a relevant crime in the last 5 (five) years;
• Proof of income / financial independence;
• Proof of accommodation in Portugal.

There are also specific criteria depending on the grounds on which residency is required.

We provide all necessary assistance in any of the cases that apply to you, collecting and completing all necessary forms, establishing all communications with the official bodies and necessarily, planning and accompanying each client in all their appearances before the public authorities.

Start-up Visa is a residency visa for entrepreneurs, which aims to attract investment, talent, and innovation to Portugal.

This program creates a certification statute for companies, and incubators, so that they can welcome foreign citizens, be it entrepreneurs or highly qualified professionals.

Since January 1, 2018, entrepreneurs from all over the world who want to open an innovative company have quick access to a residency visa that allows them to create or move a Startup to Portugal.

By investing and creating qualified employment, they can join a Portuguese startup incubator and benefit from all the incentives and support of the Startup Portugal Program.

This program is one of the most innovative at the European level for attracting and retaining international talent.

This way, third state entrepreneurs can apply through an online platform available since January 2018.

International entrepreneurs wishing to access the Startup Visa and obtain a residency and work permit must demonstrate that they:

• Want to develop entrepreneurial activities to produce innovative goods and services;
• Will open, or relocate, companies and/or projects focused on technology and knowledge, aiming to develop innovative products;
• They have the potential to create qualified employment;
• They have the potential to achieve a value of € 325,000 three years after the incubation period or a turnover of more than € 500,000 per year.

The evaluation of the economic and innovative potential is based on criteria, taking into account the degree of innovation, business scalability and market potential, the capacity of the management team, the potential to create qualified employment in Portugal and the relevance of the applicant to the team.