Our Plan B

portuguese Citizenship

Portuguese Citizenship by Descent for those who are eligible to claim a Portuguese Passport through a parent or grandparent being Portuguese or registered as Portuguese before your birth. This is classified as a standard route for citizenship compared to other possible routes, making the claim for your Portuguese Citizenship by Descent claim fairly easy.

There are an estimated 300,000 plus South Africans with Portuguese ancestry, many of which have yet claimed their Portuguese Citizenship by Descent. It is important that your Portuguese Citizenship is registered as a naturalised citizen in the Portuguese Civil Registry Offices or Birth Citizens Registry Desk as this enables citizenship to pass to future generations regardless of where the birth occurs.

You can do so if the following criteria apply to you:

• You were born to a Portuguese mother or father born in a Portuguese territory;

• You were born to a Portuguese mother or father born abroad if they have their birth registered at the Portuguese civil registry;

• You were born in Portuguese territory to foreign parents if at least one parent was a naturliased Portuguese citizen at the time of birth;

Portuguese Citizenship by Double Descent are routes to citizenship which would not arise from your blood parent being a Portuguese citizen. As of July 29, 2015, those born outside Portugal who have at least one grandparent of Portuguese nationality, are granted Portuguese Citizenship by Double Descent immediately.

Often, Portuguese Citizenship Other than Descent is a non-standard route for citizenship and legal advice might be required to ensure your Portuguese citizenship claim:

• You have a Portuguese born grandparent who has not lost their citizenship through renouncement or through marriage to a foreign spouse;

• You are able to claim Portuguese citizenship without a residence or language requirement.

Portuguese Citizenship Other than Descent are routes to citizenship which would not arise from your blood parent being a Portuguese citizen. There have been amendments made in the Portuguese Nationality Laws in July 2018 which have made it easier for those with ties to Portugal easier to obtain citizenship and passport.

Often, Portuguese Citizenship Other than Descent is a non-standard route for citizenship. There are numerous criteria to be met and often require legal professional assistance for your individual case:

• You are married to a Portuguese citizen for more than 3 years, your marriage is registered in Portugal and you have connections to the Portugal (regular travel, language, property);

• You were 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;

• You were born in Portuguese territory that does not possess another nationality and would be otherwise stateless;

• Your Portuguese mother or father who were born abroad but the parent is there serving the Portuguese state;

• You were adopted before the amendments to the Nationality Act came into effect would be Portuguese if either adopted parent was Portuguese regardless of age;