Types of Portuguese Cizenship

Cristiano Ronaldo (left) is a Portuguese footballer with original citizenship and Deco (right) is a Portuguese footballer with derivative citizenship (he is naturalised)

Now that we already know who is entitled to the Portuguese citizenship, the next step is to establish the types of citizenship these people are entitled to.

This is important to know because each type of citizenship determines which procedures the applicants must follow to submit the application and, consequently, which effects his/her citizenship will have on the future generations of his/her family.

There are two types of Portuguese citizenship:

•          Original Citizenship; and
•           Derivative Citizenship

The Original Citizenship is the citizenship of those who are considered native Portuguese citizens by the Portuguese law, who, according to the article 1 of the Nationality Act, are:

• Children of either Portuguese parents;
• Children of foreign citizens, born in the Portuguese territory, as long as:

1. At least one of the parents was also born in the Portuguese territory and was living in    Portugal on the birth date of the child; or
2. Neither of his/her parents was in Portugal to serve to their own country, at least one of the parents was legally settled in Portugal for at least five years on the birth date of the child and the child also officially declare he/she wants to be a Portuguese citizen.

• People born in the Portuguese territory who does not hold any other citizenship.

The Derivative Citizenship is the citizenship of those who are not native Portuguese citizens but have obtained the Portuguese citizenship due to other requirements than the mentioned above. This is the case of:

•           Adopted children of Portuguese citizens;
•           Grandchildren of Portuguese citizens;
•           Great grandchildren of Portuguese citizens;
•           Spouses and civil partners of Portuguese citizens;
•           Children of foreign citizens, born in the Portuguese territory, that do not meet the requirements of the article 1 of the nationality law;
•           Those who had lost the Portuguese citizenship;
•           Foreign citizens who are legally settled down in Portugal for at least 6 years.

Despite of being special cases not brought by the article 1 of the Portuguese Nationality Act, those citizens born in the former Portuguese territories in India, Africa, Macau, East Timor are entitled to the original citizenship.

Larissa Bona