Portuguese authorities have announced that from tomorrow children born to foreign parents — one of whom must have lived in Portugal for at least a year legally or otherwise — will be eligible for Portuguese citizenship at birth. In other words, Portugal birthright citizenship has been expanded to include more family members.
The new nationality law’s amendment considerably reduces the time parents have to be residing in Portugal for their children to be eligible for birthright citizenship. Prior to the amendment, children could only acquire birthright citizenship if one of their parents resided in Portugal for at least two years.
This is excellent news for applicants who’ve participated in the Portugal Golden Visa Program. Provided one of the parents has held the Portugal Golden Visa for at least a year, a child born in Portugal will be eligible for Portuguese citizenship — even if the respective parent has only fulfilled the minimum seven-day physical presence requirement.
This latest Portugal birthright citizenship amendment is part of the government’s efforts to welcome foreign investors and their families in Portugal. Among other immigration schemes, the Portugal Golden Visa has been a true success. Since its launch in 2012, 9,254 investors and 15,864 family members have benefited from the program. The government also simplified the Portuguese naturalization process, by amending its Portuguese nationality law in 2018. The law grants foreigners the right to apply for naturalization provided they were Portuguese legal residents for at least five years.
Secure your child’s future
Global Citizen Solutions is a boutique consultancy firm with years of experience delivering bespoke residence and citizenship-by-investment solutions for international families.
With offices worldwide and an experienced, hands-on team, we help clients from around the world acquire Portugal Golden Visas while diversifying their portfolio with robust investments.
Contact us today so we can understand your objectives and help you move forward in your quest to obtain Portuguese residency for yourself and your growing family.
