Eligibility for a Portuguese passport in early 2022 - what is important to know?
Tens of thousands of Jews from Israel and around the world have already received Portuguese citizenship.
Who is eligible, how does it work, what is behind the stubborn rumors about worsening conditions and why is it advisable to check eligibility as soon as possible?
Advocate and notary person friend, in collaboration with legal zap
18/01/2022
Tuesday, 18 January 2022, 16:23 Updated: 16:33
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Take advantage of the situation - start the process now (Photo: ShutterStock)
The relief for the descendants of deportees in the Portuguese Citizenship Law, enacted in 2015, has in recent years been an opening for European citizenship for tens of thousands of Jews in Israel and around the world. The large number of eligible people, along with the mitigating conditions, have made the Portuguese passport particularly popular, and the number of applications submitted each year has only grown.
As those involved in what is happening in Portugal, we have recently been exposed to rumors from a number of established sources that new regulations will be enacted very soon, with the aim of tightening the existing legal conditions. The basis for tightening the conditions is a proposal to amend the law, which was submitted by the Portuguese Social Party in May 2020. According to the explanatory memorandum to the proposal, some companies, especially in Israel and Turkey, advertise Portuguese citizenship in a derogatory manner, including setting up stalls in malls and advertising on buses. To prevent the contemptuous publicity, stricter conditions will be set in the existing terms of the law.
Take advantage of the situation - start the process now
The parliament then decided to postpone the amendment of the law, but to tighten the existing requirements by introducing new regulations, which will be set by March 2021. The deadline has passed and the new regulations have not been set, but all indications are that they will be set soon. Another important thing to consider is that on January 30, general elections will be held in Portugal.
It is not yet clear what exactly the nature of the new regulations will be, or how the upcoming elections and their results will affect them. This hardening is to be expected to be significant, but not one that a skilled and experienced professional will not be able to. One thing is clear: any application submitted before the amendment of the regulations will be examined according to the existing parameters and not according to the future parameters. For this reason, it is advisable to start the process now, before any exacerbations take effect.
Rapaport, Horowitz, Epstein and Segal are also
eligible for Portuguese citizenship given to anyone who proves a family connection to the Spanish deportees community. Since the deportees dispersed after deportation in a wide variety of countries, this means that Israelis from a wide range of backgrounds may find that they are entitled to this citizenship. Among the prominent countries to which the deportees arrived immediately
after deportation: Morocco, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Turkey, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, the countries of the former Yugoslavia (Serbia and Bosnia), Italy and Greece.
Many of the deportees did not settle in the first destination they reached, but moved to another destination or two after it, so that family ties to the deportees can also be found in families who came from countries like Romania, Poland, Ukraine, Austria, Hungary, Lithuania, Germany and more. More than once, as part of a study of the roots of applicants of Ashkenazi descent, it turns out that their ancestral ancestors had a distinctly Sephardic surname, but they were forced at some point to change it to a local name. Examples of such names, which have already been proved, are Rapaport, Horowitz, Epstein and Segal.
How do you prove eligibility?
To prove eligibility, the applicant will need to submit a series of documents, including a birth certificate, a certificate of integrity and documents attesting to family ties and descendants to the deportees. The most convenient way to obtain a certificate of descent for deportees from Spain is done by approving the application on behalf of the Jewish community in Porto or Lisbon.
And what about children?
Children born after the parent has become a citizen, under Portuguese law, have a birthright and their application for Portuguese citizenship will be easier.
A child whose parent became a citizen after birth may also become a citizen, but the procedure is slightly more complex and time consuming.
Children from the age of 17.5 should undergo the procedure independently as adults.
Beware of false promises and shortcuts
beyond tracing the applicant's roots, the application also requires proficiency in the Portuguese law and bureaucratic faucets and the way local authorities conduct themselves.
Unfortunately, many companies take advantage of the high demand for Portuguese passports and promise applicants a variety of empty promises, which sometimes simply have no ability to materialize.
One of the common promises, which can hint at a non-professional company, is a promise to get a passport within a short and defined period of time of a few months. The length of time required to obtain Portuguese citizenship has lengthened slightly due to the corona and the large amount of applications, and today it can be said that the average process took about two years and even longer. It is important to know that it is not possible to commit to a certain period of time until citizenship is obtained, as this depends, among other things, on the specific bureau in Portugal to which the case will reach, and the persons handling the application have no control over this.
What does it mean to get a Portuguese passport?
Portugal is part of the European Union and therefore a Portuguese passport and Portuguese citizenship will give the beneficiaries all the benefits of European citizens in the EU countries: possibility of residence, work and residence, free and fast movement between countries, investment facilitation, real estate acquisition and business establishment, subsidized studies , Entry into the US without the need for a cumbersome visa procedure and more.
Before you begin the process, it is very important to make a clear distinction between trusted professionals and "promising promises" of all kinds.
In order to avoid unprofessional companies, ensure an orderly and responsible process and maximize the chances of obtaining citizenship for those eligible, be sure to enter the process only accompanied by an experienced and skilled law firm in the field, and remember: it is better to do so before deciding on stricter conditions.
Advocate and notary Adam Yedid from the law firm and notary David Yedid, deals with the issuance of Portuguese citizenship and European citizenship in general, and the exercise of rights for the elderly with an emphasis on the rights of Holocaust survivors, torts and insurance.
Phone :
073-7780042
Article courtesy of
Zap Legal advice or a substitute for it and does not constitute a recommendation for taking proceedings or avoiding proceedings. Anyone who relies on the information in the article does so at his own risk.
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