Portugal’s Nationality Law provides multiple routes to citizenship, one of which is Portuguese citizenship by marriage.
By choosing this nationality route and obtaining Portuguese citizenship by marriage, Portuguese nationals who have foreign spouses can also become citizens. As seen by this law, Portugal places a high importance on family and national unity.
In addition to the required transcription in the Portuguese Civil Registry of your marriage solemnized abroad, there are some legal requirements and documents to prepare if you intend to apply for Portuguese citizenship through marriage. This phase is regarded as essential to the formalization and application process for your nationality.
Although marriage is not an uncommon way of obtaining Portuguese nationality, citizenship by marriage is one of the concepts that will benefit from the new digital platforms being established for Portuguese citizenship processing. The integration of digital platforms of IRN will make citizenship application processing smoother and faster.
What are the Requirements for Applying for Portuguese Citizenship through Marriage?
If you plan to apply for Portuguese citizenship by marriage, you need to;
- Prove that you have been married to a Portuguese citizen for at least three years.
- Show a connection to the Portuguese community with a residence in Portugal.
If you do not have a connection as mentioned above, then you need to prove that you have at least one common child as a couple who already have Portuguese citizenship.
If this is also not your case, then as the applicant, you need to prove that your marriage happened at least six years before you applied for Portuguese nationality.
When it comes to the application, please be informed that you can make your application online with a lawyer or by your legal executive and, as an alternative option, in person at the IRN offices.
The marriage and birth certificates of your spouse, a Portuguese citizen, need to be included in the documents that you submit. This will confirm that your marriage was legally registered in Portugal. Furthermore, you will require your criminal records from both your home country and the country in which you currently reside.
Still, the procedure can be divided into four parts, each of which may take longer. However, IRN’s new automation system, which is implemented through the online platform, is projected to speed up the citizenship process.