Discover How Anyone Can Qualify for One of the World’s Best Second Passports

Acquiring citizenship of Portugal could be easier than you think. There are several routes to citizenship and anyone can qualify if they’re prepared to put in the time. The Portuguese passport is one of the best in the world. It allows visa-free travel to 178 countries including the USA, Canada, and the UK. When you get citizenship of Portugal you will be able to live and work in any of the 27 EU countries.

So, how do you get citizenship of Portugal? In this article, we’re going to look at the 5 principal ways to get citizenship of Portugal.

Citizenship by Birth

Anyone born on Portuguese soil who has at least one parent who has been a legal resident of Portugal for 2 years can claim Portuguese citizenship.

Any child born outside Portugal who has at least one Portuguese parent can get Portuguese citizenship automatically.

If one of your parents was born in Portugal and you were born in Portugal you can claim citizenship. This applies even if your parents are not Portuguese.

Any child under 18 who’s adopted by a Portuguese citizen will get citizenship of Portugal.

Citizenship of Portugal by Descent

If one of your grandparents was Portuguese you can get citizenship of Portugal. You don’t have to live in Portugal to claim citizenship by descent. You’ll have to have the documents of your Portuguese grandparent and parents to prove the familial link to Portugal.

The Sephardic Jewish community was expelled from Portugal in the 1400s. To make amends the Portuguese government offers citizenship to the descendants of this community. If you’re able to prove family ties to the Sephardic Jewish community that was expelled from Portugal back in the 1400s you are able to get citizenship of Portugal.

Citizenship by Naturalisation – Qualify by living in Portugal

Anyone can qualify under this category. Portugal is one of the easiest countries in Europe to get a residence visa. After you’ve lived legally in Portugal for 5 years you can apply for Portuguese nationality. You will have to learn some basic Portuguese, as there’s a language requirement. You’ll have to spend at least 6 months every year in Portugal for those 5 years. You will likely also be able to get a tax exemption for the 5 years you spend living there under the non-habitual residents’ scheme.

Portugal also offers golden visas if you buy a property in certain areas of Portugal. With this kind of visa, you will only have to spend one or two weeks every year in Portugal. After 5 years you can apply for Portuguese citizenship.

This is one of the best programs available in the world today to get a top-quality passport at almost zero cost.

Portuguese Citizenship

Portuguese Citizenship by Marriage

After 3 years of marriage to a Portuguese spouse, you can apply to get citizenship of Portugal. You can get Portuguese nationality even if you don’t live in Portugal. You will have to pass a language exam to demonstrate that you can speak some Portuguese. You’ll also have to demonstrate ties to the Portuguese community. You can see more information on the requirements here. So, if you have a Portuguese spouse you should apply immediately to get Portuguese citizenship.

Citizens of Former Portuguese Territories

There are special arrangements in place for citizens of former Portuguese colonies. Former Portuguese colonies include:

Angola

Brazil

Cape Verde

Guinea-Bissau

Macau

Mozambique

Sao Tome and Principe

Timor-Leste

Former Portuguese states of India – Goa, Dama, Diu, Dadra, and Nagar-Aveli

The programs available depend on when you were born and in which country. But if you are a citizen of any of the above countries it’s worth checking out if you qualify for a fast route to Portuguese citizenship.

Becoming a citizen of Portugal is an amazing option for some people. As well as having one of the best passports in the world, Portugal has good diplomatic relations with most of the world. This ensures a warm welcome wherever you travel.

If you would like to get residency and citizenship in Portugal get in touch with us here. We can help structure your affairs to protect your assets and reduce your taxes to a nominal amount in most cases.