Portuguese Citizenship for Descendants

Law of Return

MORE INFO
Portuguese nationality can be acquired by original assignment, which is recognized at the date of birth or by acquisition, which will produce effects from the registration date.

Pursuant the Nationality Law (Organic Law No. 2/2018, of July 5), by original assignment, nationality can be sanguine (derived from Portuguese ancestors) or territorial (since the child was born in Portuguese territory), therefore they are Portuguese of origin:

  • The offspring of a Portuguese mother or a Portuguese father born in Portuguese territory;
  • The children of a Portuguese mother or of a Portuguese father born abroad if the Portuguese parent is at the service of the Portuguese State;
  • The children of a Portuguese mother or a Portuguese father born abroad if they are registered in the Portuguese civil registry or if they declare that they wish to be Portuguese;
  • Individuals born abroad with at least one ascendant of Portuguese nationality of the second degree in the straight line who did not lose that nationality, if they declare that they want to be Portuguese, have ties of effective connection to the national community and, verified such requirements, enter the birth in the Portuguese civil registry;

For the purposes established in the paragraph, d) it is necessary to verify the existence of bonds of effective connection with the national community, which implies the recognition, by the Government, of the relevance of such ties, namely due to the sufficient knowledge of the Portuguese language and the existence of regular contacts with the Portuguese territory, and depends on non-conviction, res judicata, for the practice of a crime punishable by a maximum prison sentence of 3 years or more, according to Portuguese law.

Organic Law No. 2/2018, of July 5 extends access to native nationality and naturalization to persons born in Portuguese territory, with the eighth amendment to Law No. 37/81, of October 3, which approves the Law of the Nationality.

If you need more information please contact us.