Victoria G. Says:
I’ve seen talk about a second passport from Ted Baumann, as well as other International Living writers. They’ve stated how easy it is to get one in Portugal after 5 years. However, I’ve also heard you must be no older than 65 to receive such a passport.
I am 63 years old. Will they still allow for citizenship if you don’t begin your 5 years until your 63, or even 64?”
IL Global Diversification Expert Ted Baumann Says:
Hi Victoria,
There is no formal rule stating that Portuguese naturalization must happen at or before age 65.
Nevertheless, it’s important to realize that like most countries, naturalization is a discretionary grant by the government, not an automatic right if you tick all the correct boxes. (The only country in the world that guarantees the rights of foreigners to become citizens is Uruguay, and even then, there’s an element of subjectivity involved.)
This means that in practice, immigration officers who interview a prospective Portuguese citizen are going to be influenced by factors like age.
Given two applicants, one of whom is energetic, speaks excellent Portuguese, and is engaged in Portuguese society, and the other who struggles with the language and might have chronic health issues, the former is more likely to qualify than the latter. A big reason for that, of course, are the generous pension and health benefits for which Portuguese citizens qualify.
In other words, there’s a big element of subjectivity involved, and because of that, the older you get, the more convincing you might have to be to qualify for naturalization.
But that by no means indicates 63 or 64 is too old. As long as you show a genuine interest and desire to call Portugal your home, you should be fine.
Don’t forget to pick up a copy of The Passport Book to learn more about second citizenship in Portugal and beyond.
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