Want to apply for Portuguese Nationality? Now is the Time!

Those who dream of living in Portugal and who wish to start the process of acquisition of nationality should put their plans into practice as of now. This is because the number of requests of this kind has grown exponentially in recent years, which has caused delays in the processing of these applications. As a result, some processes have taken more than a year to be concluded.

According to data from the Ministry of Justice in Portugal, until 2016 the annual average number of nationality requests was around 100,000. That number jumped to 160,000 from 2017. And even in the middle of the pandemic, in 2021 the average number of new cases was around 130,000.

Recently, as published in the Diário de Notícias, the Ministry of Justice guaranteed that it is already taking steps to overcome this situation by implementing a new support system for the registration services. The measure should speed up the average time for processing and deciding requests.

What are the current deadlines?

As a rule, the Central Registry Office should analyse the citizenship files within 30 days, counting from the date of receipt of the declaration. After this analysis, the interested party would be notified to correct the detected deficiencies within 20 days. At least, this is what is foreseen in the Portuguese Nationality Regulation. However, currently there is a delay of nine to 11 months between the submission of the request and the beginning of the analysis, for nationality processes for grandchildren and spouses of Portuguese citizens. In the following phase, of verification and diligence, the waiting time has been between nine and 12 months, when the foreseen in the regulation would be 60 days, plus 30 days for the reply of the person concerned in case of rejection.

Currently, for example, a process for attributing nationality by filiation takes between two and twelve months. The acquisition through marriage takes up to 24 months. And in the case of naturalisation, the wait is up to 20 months.

Why hire a specialised advisory service?

In a report for the Diário de Notícias, the Institute of Registration and Notary Affairs highlighted that the deadlines tend to be longer if the process is not complete and correct, and complementary documentation is required. Therefore, the importance of a careful survey of the documents necessary at the time of the application to acquire nationality. Therefore, hiring specialised advice is an excellent alternative at this time.

The support of trained professionals can save you from mistakes that could hinder or delay the recognition of your application. Thanks to their experience, these professionals already know exactly what needs to be done, where and how to search for certain documents.

They also know the most appropriate places to place the order for each client, according to the situation, which makes the processes more agile.

All this not to mention the convenience, as doing the whole process alone can be very laborious and even cost more, as when there are bureaucratic procedures in different countries.

Atlantic Bridge can help you on your journey!

If you are interested in learning more, you can schedule a meeting with one of our consultants by clicking here.