Portuguese Citizenship

Citizenship is the legal bond that links a particular individual to a State, including rights and obligations.

Portuguese citizenship can be obtained by Attribution (original citizenship) or Acquisition (derivative citizenship).

Portugal allows dual citizenship, allowing foreigners to gain Portuguese citizenship without having to give up the citizenship of their home country. However, you will first need to check with your home country if it also permits dual citizenship.

Attribution of citizenship

The attribution of the Portuguese citizenship relates to the concept of original citizenship, producing its effects since the birth as the citizen is considered “Portuguese of origin”. Two different criteria are underlying the attribution of citizenship: inbreeding or affiliation criteria – children’s citizenship is determinate by the parents’ citizenship (ius sanguinis) – and the territory criteria – the citizenship is determinate by the place of birth (ius soli).

The attribution cases foreseen by law are:

• a child of a Portuguese mother or father born in a Portuguese territory
• a child of a Portuguese mother or father born abroad if the parent is there serving
• the Portuguese state
• a child of a Portuguese mother or father born abroad if they have their birth
• registered at the Portuguese civil registry or if they declare they want to be Portuguese
• a child with at least one grandparent of Portuguese citizenship who is
• sufficiently familiar with the Portuguese language and holds effective ties with the
• Portuguese community
• a child born in Portuguese territory to foreign parents if at least one parent was
• born in Portugal and resides here at the time of birth
• a child born in Portuguese territory to foreign parents if they declare they want
• to be Portuguese and provided that one parent has resided in Portugal for at least two
• years at the time of birth
• a child born in Portuguese territory that does not possess another citizenship

Acquisition of citizenship

A naturalized Portuguese citizen only starts to be considered Portuguese after the date of the acquisition register at the conservatory. The acquisition of Portuguese citizenship may take place in the following cases:

• Minors children or incapable adult of a parent who has acquired Portuguese citizenship
• Adult foreign citizen married with a Portuguese citizen for more than 3 years
• Adult foreign citizen with a de facto relationship with a Portuguese citizen for more than 3 years
• Individuals of have lost Portuguese citizenship
• Children adopted by a Portuguese citizen
• Foreigners with legal residence in Portugal for at least 6 years
• Minors born in Portugal, children of foreigners residing in Portugal for at least 5 years
• Descendants of Sephardic Jews, if they belong to a Sephardic community of Portuguese origin with ties to Portugal