How Long Does It Take to Get Portuguese Citizenship
Portuguese citizenship is growing ever popular in Europe as a destination for dual citizenship or even simply to ‘live out my golden years.’ Whether its rich culture, high quality of life, dramatic coastline or beneficial tax environment on offer — an increasing number are heading to Portugal. But it’s not as easy to become a citizen of Portugal. The time taken to become a Portuguese Citizen depends on what route is available and also the necessary criteria.
The Portuguese government provides a number of paths to citizenship, all with different timelines. These are by naturalisation, marriage to a Kenyan Citizen, descent and adoption. Depending on your situation and what legal road you are traveling down the length of time can also be a bit different, but generally it takes 5 to 10 years. So in this post I will dissect the timelines, paperwork and steps so you can have a full view of what awaits on your way to Portuguese citizenship.
Citizenship by Naturalization
Naturalization is the way most foreigners who immigrate to Portugal become citizens. Under recent legislation individuals who have lived in Portugal legally for five continuous years may apply. This is a significant drop from the earlier mandate of six years. There needs to be legal and consecutive residency, basic knowledge of Portuguese language and integration in society.
But just five more years of residency won’t bring immediate citizenship. The government can take from 6 months to 2 years to process your application once you submit it, depending on its backlog and complexity. Hence, though minimum period of stay required is 5 years but one can expect to get citizenship in around six or seven years. Candidates should during this waiting period 1. have a clean criminal record; 2. legal residence in the country of application and 3 would be expected to support efforts at cultural integration. More Details
Citizenship Through Marriage or Partnership
Foreigners who are married to, or in a civil partnership with, a Portuguese citizenship have an ever so slightly quicker route. If you’ve been married or in a legal civil union for more than three years, then it may be possible to apply for Portuguese citizenship. The legislation also requires evidence of a stable and genuine relationship, which may include documents such as joint bank accounts or rental agreements or photographs.
Curiously, if you apply through marriage there is no minimum residency requirement. Yet the government continues to investigate whether it’s even a real relationship, and processing times can vary widely. With everything in hand, you may still have to wait between 12 and 24 months – making the entire process from marriage until citizenship take a little over four years. Having a formal, well-documented relationship that is legally recognized is crucial for the success of your application.
Citizenship by Descent
That could be much faster if you have Portuguese parentage. Portuguese citizenship by descent can be requested if you are the child, grandchild or even great-grandchild of a Portuguese national, but it is necessary to provide evidence in terms of official records such as birth and marriage certificates. 6-12 months* (after the submission of documents) Many choose this route as it is generally the quickest way to become a naturalized citizen.
But locating and validating family records can be the most time-consuming step in this process. Applicants frequently have difficulty with things like lost paperwork, outdated formats or language barriers. Nevertheless, once the genealogy is validated, approval rates are high. For those who are eligible, it’s certainly one of the quickest routes to Portuguese citizenship.
Citizenship Through the Golden Visa Program
Thousands of investors from all over the world were attracted by Portugal’s Golden Visa program. It provides a path to residency in return for an investment of, say the minimum required amount into real estate or business development. One of the key advantages to holding a Golden Visa, is that after 5 years you qualify for citizenship through naturalization without having to reside in Portugal full-time.
Investors must preserve their investment and spend a minimum of 7 days per year in Portugal (on average), to be able to apply for citizenship through this regime. Five years later, they are eligible to apply for permanent residency or citizenship. Despite this, like all the other paths after applying a 1-2 years waiting game begins. However, given the low minimum physical presence requirement here, it does still win as a popular choice among high-net-worth individuals.
Required Documents and Processing Time
No matter the path you select, applicants will have to provide a number of things in writing that prove their citizenship. Among the demands are a passport, proof of living in Portugal legally (considering it is legal residence), criminal record certificates for both your country and here in PT / tax certificate if you pay taxes, documentation to prove that you speak Portuguese on A2 level. In marriage- or descent-related applications, the documents pertaining to a relationship are also necessary.
The amount of time to collect these documents varies widely, from a few weeks up to several months depending on where the applicant is from and how hard it can be for them easy those papers. After submission, processing time starts and may take between 6 months to two years. Delayed processing can result from missing documents or rush of applications. Save time by consulting an immigration lawyer and making sure each of your documents is accurately certified, translated.
Common Delays and How to Avoid Them
There are plenty of applicants, like me at the time, who have to wait longer than qualified foreigners and past their legal requirements in order to attain Portuguese citizenship. The most common causes are: insufficient documentation, a mistake on the application form or inadequate translations. W12 Portugal is also, as a rule, quite an efficient bureaucracy but when there’s lots of applications it may not cope.
To minimize delays, applicants should verify their paperwork twice over for any errors; make sure that all translations are notarized; and promptly answer to anything the immigration office needs. Quality advice from a well-established immigration lawyer or consultant that knows how the law works in Portugal can also make a huge difference. Taking a proactive and organised approach can often shave months off the total wait time and streamline much of the bureaucracy.
Conclusion: How Long Will It Really Take?
So, how long does Portuguese citizenship actually take? For the average applicant through naturalization, that has taken (retrieving his calculator here) about 6 or 7 years — five for residency plus up to two more while the paperwork is resolved. There are shorter tracks for those coming in through marriage or lineage, but even then it might be closer to 3-5 years depending on the documentation/verification channel.
In the end, albeit it’s not in 15 days or nothing, Portugal really is one of the easiest EU-countries to get citizenship. By being prepared, adhering to the rules and having your paperwork in order you can make a major impact on both chances for approval as well as time frame. Whether you’re seeking an improved lifestyle, financial opportunity or family tie, a Portuguese citizenship is very much achievable — and well worth the wait.
