In a world where everything is online, and you can get done with half your work with a press of the button, why would you apply for Portuguese citizenship manually? The procedures for filling in Portuguese Sephardic citizenship applications have been made easy with an E-portal for Portuguese citizenship applications.
You can keep track of your application status, along with making the procedure easier for you, instead of running around various government offices. Before we begin discussing the process for application, let’s take a look at the criteria through which you can become eligible to get Portuguese citizenship.
Criteria for Obtaining Portuguese Passport
There are several requirements that can be fulfilled to acquire a Portuguese passport. Let’s take a look at each of these individually to get a firm to understand how the citizenship laws operate in Portugal.
Acquiring Citizenship through Marriage
An applicant can easily apply for Portuguese citizenship if they have been married to a Portuguese citizen for three or more years; however, there’s no minimum requirement for residency for application. All you need to provide is documentation that proves you are married to the said Portuguese resident. What’s great about these criteria is that even if there is a scenario of separation or divorce in the near future, the acquired citizenship will not be affected.
Acquiring Citizenship through Descent
Applicants can file for citizenship through descent or birth. If they have parents who were born in Portugal, parents who are currently serving in the state of Portugal, or were born abroad with parents hailing from Portugal.
Acquiring Citizenship through Sephardic Lineage
Another way of acquiring Portuguese citizenship is by proving that you have a Sephardic Jewish connection. You can do this by digging out your Sephardic surnames, finding old records, or other such means. The Portuguese government has been allotting residencies to numerous Sephardic Jews.
Procedure
Now that we have discussed the eligibility criteria, we can go over the process of applying for Portuguese citizenship. The nationality application process has a total of eight stages, which include the following:
- You fill a form and submit it to the registry through IRN (Institute of Registries and Notaries)
- The form is then verified along with all necessary documents
- The documents are then matched with legal requirements
- Special applications are further investigated to ensure there are no criminal records
- A thorough verification process is carried out to ensure all legal requirements are met.
- The Portuguese citizen is then registered in the Civil registry if their application has been approved. It’s verified that all documents are delivered to meet the legal requirements
Many people opt for lawyers for Portuguese citizenship queries or try to do most of the procedures on their own. However, with Cohen & Cohen, you never have to worry about these procedures at all. We make sure that we assist your Portuguese Sephardic citizenship application process to the fullest. We provide consultation, help acquire European passports for Sephardic Jews, and make all other procedures easy!
*Warning: The Portuguese government is expected to change the laws in the future. The best time to apply for Portuguese nationality due to Sephardic Origin is now!!!
