Brett H. Says:
I’m interested in a move from the U.S. to Portugal. How difficult is it to obtain dual citizenship?
IL’s Chief Global Diversification Expert Ted Baumann Says:
Hi Brett,
The difficulty or ease of obtaining dual U.S.-Portuguese citizenship depends on your background and status.
There are five main ways to become a Portuguese citizen: by descent, by marriage, by investment, by naturalization, or by being a Sephardi Jew.
- Nationality by Portuguese heritage: You are eligible to apply for Portuguese nationality if one or more of your parents is Portuguese, a grandparent was Portuguese, and you can speak the language. You can also claim nationality if you were born on Portuguese territory and lived there for more than 10 years. This includes people born on Portuguese colonial territory, such as Angola or Mozambique, before independence.
- Nationality by marriage: If you marry or legally live with a Portuguese person for at least three years, you may apply for citizenship. Once granted, it cannot be revoked even if you later divorce. Be careful though… false marriages for the purpose of citizenship are illegal and punishable by law.
- Nationality by being a Sephardic Jew: If you can prove that you are descended from the Sephardi, the group of Jews that was expelled from the Iberian Peninsula in the 16th century, you can apply for citizenship in Portugal.
- Nationality by naturalization: If you have lived in the country legally for at least five years and have a passable knowledge of Portuguese, you may be eligible for citizenship through naturalization. For most people who don’t fall into one of the categories above, the best way to do this is first to obtain a long-term residency visa. Such visas are available to certain types of investors, “digital nomads” who are employed or have clients outside Portugal, retirees, and people of independent means. The required income to qualify for these visas can be quite low. After having lived in Portugal on one of these visas for five years you are eligible to apply for Portuguese citizenship.
You can read much more about obtaining Portuguese citizenship in The Passport Book.
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