The New Law on Portuguese Citizenship for Children
ENGLISH
In November 2020 there was a legislative change that made it possible for children born on Portuguese soil, children of foreigners, to be entitled to citizenship by birth given that their parents have resided in Portugal for 1 year. The previous law had a minimum residence time of two years, but with the legislative change, this acquisition of citizenship became even more accessible.
Watch our Legal Aid Coordinator, Dr. Lenita Bandeira, as she explains the requirements and the application process of the new Citizenship Law that applies to children born to residents in Portugal.
FRANÇAIS
En novembre 2020, une modification législative a permis aux enfants nés sur le sol portugais, enfants d’étrangers, d’avoir droit à la citoyenneté par naissance lorsque leurs parents ont résidé au Portugal pendant 1 an. L’ancienne loi prévoyait un temps de résidence minimum de deux ans, mais avec le changement législatif, cette acquisition de la citoyenneté est devenue encore plus accessible.
How Portugal count 1 year for new born baby citizenship?
Is one year count after getting first resident card or after legal and safe entry?
According to the new Portuguese legislation, is not relevant if the parents have legal immigration status. Answering your question, it means that the counting doesn’t start from when they get the residence card, as a residence authorization is not mandatory anymore to start the process. What they do need to prove is that one of the parents is living in PT for at least one year before the childbirth.
Cordially,
The legal aid team