Documents Needed to Apply for Portuguese Dual Citizenship
LIST OF DOCUMENTS REQUIRED TO APPLY FOR DUAL CITIZENSHIP WITH PORTUGAL
Documents Required for Portugal Dual Citizenship (Quick Guide)
What documents do I need for Portuguese citizenship?
Documentation is one of the more difficult parts of the process when applying to become a Portuguese citizen. That is due to the fact that the documentation needs to be complete, officially certified, and in proper order. Everything with the documents must be flawless or the Portuguese government will likely reject the application.
You may find that often times old documents are lost or misplaced, and it can be challenging to know where to go to replace them. But even in the best circumstances, knowing exactly what documents you need to apply for Portuguese citizenship is not so straightforward. That’s why we created the following guide.
If you need help at any point, book a free consultation call with our document experts. We can help you get on the right path for obtaining citizenship with Portugal.
Below, you’ll see sections with different requirements based on which path you will be applying for Portuguese citizenship. To determine the best way how to get Portugal citizenship click here.
Documents required for Portuguese dual citizenship — any pathway
The following documents will be required no matter the route to Portugal citizenship you choose. If you plan on applying at all, you will need all of the following:
- Proof of identity
This is most often satisfied by your current, valid passport or other government issued national ID. - Completed application
You will need to include a completed application form for Portuguese citizenship. - Receipt for application fees
You will always need to show you paid the appropriate application fees. - Proof of fluency in Portuguese
This is mainly provided through a certificate from Certificado Inicial de Português Língua Estrangeira (CIPLE). You’ll need to show you have attained the A2 level. - Proof of community ties in Portugal
You’ll need documentation showing you have some kind of ties to the country’s social life. This could be membership in local organizations, volunteer work, or proof for related activity. - Clean health record
A certificate from a doctor showing you do not have communicable diseases that could put other people at risk. - Clean criminal record background check
Confirmation you do not have major criminal convictions. This helps show the authorities you won’t be a risk to the nation’s security and your neighbors’ safety.
The one exception is gaining citizenship by descent through a parent, but we’ll cover that in-depth in a different section.
1. What documents do I need for Portuguese citizenship by descent?
Citizenship by descent is an excellent pathway for those whose parents, grandparents, or great grandparents were citizens.
If you are qualifying through a parent, you’ll need:
- Birth certificate for you
- Documentation showing parent’s citizenship (birth certificate, ID card, passport, etc.)
When you qualify through a parent, you will not be required to take a language test or prove community ties. For that reason, this path has the least documents needed for Portuguese citizenship.
If you qualify through a grandparent or great-grandparent, however, you do need to prove those language skills and community ties like everybody else. You’ll also need:
- Proof of ancestor’s Portuguese citizenship
- Birth certificates and marriage certificates for each intervening generation
The differences depending on the qualifying ancestor can be a bit confusing. For more information on applying for Portugal citizenship by descent go here.
2. What documents do I need for Portuguese citizenship by naturalization?
The primary challenge with naturalization is the 5-year residency period. Thanks to a 2024 update to the nationality law, this begins when you first apply for residency status.
To start that clock, you’ll want a visa. We have a complete guide on Portuguese visas here.
The Golden Visa allows you to spend very few days in Portugal (about one week per year) while still counting the time towards your naturalization. Learn more about the Golden Visa here.
Documents required for naturalization (on top of the core documentation above):
- Proof of residence
- Birth certificate
3. What documents do I need for Portuguese citizenship by marriage?
The main issue here is proving that you’ve lived with your partner for at least 3 years. If you are married, this can be as easy as your marriage certificate.
But what if you aren’t married? To prove a de facto union, you’ll probably want evidence that you live in the same place. Shared bills, cosigning leases, and similar documents show precisely that.
Learn everything there is to know about citizenship by marriage in Portugal here.
4. What documents do I need for Portuguese citizenship through Sephardic Jewish heritage?
If your ancestors were expelled from Portugal during the Inquisition because they were Sephardic Jews, a 2015 law has given you a way back to citizenship here. But the documentation requirements are fairly steep:
- Evidence of lineage to a Sephardic Jewish community with ties to Portugal, including family records, surnames, language, traditions, or documented histories
- A certificate of Sephardic Jewish descent obtained from a recognized Jewish community in Portugal
- Proof of ongoing family ties to Sephardic heritage, like Ladino language use or shared traditions
Obtaining Correct Documentation
It might seem like it should be as easy as simply having the correct documents in the correct formatting, but it can be very challenging. You will need to obtain all of your documents in proper shape with the following steps:
- Translate documents by an approved government translator (if they aren’t in Portuguese)
- Properly apostilled (if your current country is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, you won’t need to take this step)
- Have copies of documents officially certified
Properly preparing documentation to be legally acceptable is among the most challenging parts of the entire process. At this point, many of our clients come to us looking for support, and we provide that with a team of legal experts who can help you navigate this sometimes tricky area.
What to Do Once You Have Documents Needed for Portuguese Citizenship
You’ve gathered the right documents. Or maybe, you’re stuck at this stage.
What do you do next?
Learn how to apply for Portuguese citizenship here.
If you feel like you could use some help, PDC has experts available that offer a free consultation call. Feel free to reach out to us today.
This page was last updated with the help of Marco Permunian
