In the news for Israelis seeking to issue a Portuguese passport:
The Jewish community in Lisbon has announced that it will renew the process of examining citizenship applications - according to the old regulations, which are considered easier.
On September 1, the new and stricter regulations will take effect.
In the meantime, there is a window of opportunity of less than two months for those interested in a passport that gives the opportunity to live and work in all EU countries.
Portuguese passports have become a hit among Israelis, mainly due to the relative ease with which they can be issued, and it is estimated that more than 150,000 applications have been submitted since the country passed a law that would prove any Jew from Portugal or Spain deported.
By law, proof of affiliation is sufficient that the applicant's last name is included in a long list of surnames of Portuguese or Spanish origin.
The Portuguese government recently decided to tighten regulations, due to suspicions of corruption in citizenship certificates for Jews who did not meet the criteria.
Following this, the community in Lisbon, which from the outset was rigid in issuing permits, decided to suspend its handling of new or existing applications.
The city of Lisbon in Portugal, Photo: GettyImages
The delay was valid for about two and a half months, during which Israelis could not actually issue a Portuguese passport.
Now, as mentioned, the community in Lisbon has announced its return to normal activity.
According to Adv. Itai Moore, who specializes in the subject, the new regulations will actually block the way of many Israelis seeking to issue a Portuguese passport.
However, Moore is currently promoting an interesting move: "The law that allows Jews to apply for citizenship has been passed in parliament, and the government seeks to change it through regulations, not primary legislation. "Parliament's signatures will be required to discuss this."
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