5 Ways to Obtain Portugal Citizenship

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The search for beneficial programs for second citizenship is relevant to many people. Some want to scale their business and travel without barriers, while others want to improve their quality of life. Applying for it does not create additional difficulties, but it is necessary to choose the right one to begin with. If your choice falls on Portugal, you get:

visa free entry into the EU and Schengen area;
health care and quality education;
a high standard of living.

These benefits motivate you to learn as much as possible about Portugal residence. The country offers several options for obtaining official status. To search for it, you can use criteria that relate to property, origin and marital status. Especially advantageous are the following ways, how to get Portugal citizenship.

Program №1: Investment Program

Investment passport programs are quite common, because investors are interested in obtaining new business opportunities. It is possible to obtain a second citizenship by investing in a selected industry and in Portugal.

Investment options abound, including the purchase of real estate in one of the regions of Portugal. The cost of real estate must be between 280 thousand to 500 thousand euros. In addition, the money can be directed to other sectors:

research in the field of science;
the purchase of shares in a Portuguese company;
art;
culture;
national heritage.

In this case, the amount of investment can be up to 1.5 million euros, so it makes sense to consider several proposals. Less expensive programs are also available to become Portugal citizen and, according to a specialist of the company Immigrant Invest Victoria Atanasova, deserve no less attention.

Program № 2: Official Residence Permit

Since not all applicants for a passport have the opportunity to use https://immigrantinvest.com/blog/portugal-citizenship-by-investment-en/, there is another way to become a Portuguese citizen. There is a separate five-year residence program for such cases. A candidate for citizenship, who has decided to obtain a passport, makes an application if he/she has:

A residence permit of 5 years or more;
An official residence permit;
A student visa for studies.

The naturalization program stipulates that the candidate must have knowledge of the national language of Portugal at the A2 level. In order to live in the country for those 5 years, you will need to make sure you have a suitable job. There are some difficulties with this, but if you work remotely, then the question of how to get citizenship in Portugal is easier to solve.

Program №3: Family ties

You can get a Portuguese passport if you are married to a Portuguese person. It is important to note that your relationship does not have to be formal. In order to apply for citizenship, you need to prove that there is a relationship between you and your partner. For this purpose, data on:

address of residence;
joint bank account;
other documents.

Couples who are in a relationship are considered as such if they have been living at the same address for more than 3 years, are in a de facto marriage . There are additional conditions as well. For example, a partner who applies for citizenship must provide a certificate of language skills, to show his connections with the country and its culture.

Preparing documents and collecting information to confirm marital status is not the easiest way to get Portuguese citizenship by residency. Residents are encouraged to use other family ties to obtain official status. For this purpose, separate documentation must be prepared and added to the application.

Program №4: Parents and Grandparents = Citizenship

This program is the easiest and least expensive for those who want to become a Portugal citizens. The application is based on the fact that your close relatives were either Portuguese citizens or have been living in Portugal for some time.

In this case, you can apply for a second citizenship in the following cases:

Grandparents who are Portuguese citizens. Lucky people who can boast such kinship ties do not need to prove anything. You already have the right to claim a second Portuguese citizenship by residency. You do not need to prove any other ties to the country.
One parent is Portuguese. Such residents also have a simple process for obtaining a passport. Even if you were born outside Portuguese territory, you have the right to apply for citizenship.
There are parents who are resident in Portugal. Children of persons who have been legally residing in the country can obtain a passport. The period of residence in Portugal in such a case must be at least 5 years. The interesting thing is that all the time before you were born is taken into account.
Great-grandparents. This is one of the most difficult ways to obtain citizenship, as certificates and other documents can be lost. If your grandparents are alive, they can apply for citizenship, which you “inherit” as well.

To confirm the necessary information, you will need to prepare a package of documents, and this is not always easy. Often marriage or birth certificates are lost, and it is too complicated a procedure to recover. Foreigners prefer to avoid this kind of red tape.

Lack of communication with the parents also complicates the citizenship procedure. In such cases, it is recommended to contact specialists who can help find a solution to such a difficult situation. If the documents cannot be obtained, it is worth choosing another program for obtaining a Portuguese passport.

Program 5№: Jewish Roots

The Sephardim are one of the many groups of Jews. They used to live on the Iberian Peninsula, which today belongs in part to Portugal. For this reason, the country offers descendants of Sephardic Jews one way to obtain Portuguese citizenship.

The migration of Jews from the peninsula was forced, so the modern state is trying to correct the mistakes of the past. The number of applicants at the moment is about 50 thousand people. This proves that it is quite realistic to get citizenship.

To make an application, you need to trace your genealogical tree, and this is quite difficult. Considering that research needs to be done all the way back to the 15th century, the procedure can create some difficulties. Sometimes such a deep dive into the history of one’s family is not required, but one can only say for sure once the process has begun.

Several variations are used as evidence of Sephardic roots:

sephardic surnames;
jewish community certificate;
evidence of the use of the Ladino language;
records from a cemetery registry book;
other documents.

The requirements for residents of other countries often change. Some conditions are replaced by others. For example, the Portuguese citizenship program for Sephardic origin Jews includes the purchase of real estate, shares in companies and regular travel into the country.