Requirements To Apply:

All applications for Portuguese Nationality should be submitted to the nearest Portuguese Consulate of your area.

The following documents will be necessary for the Application:

1. For those born in the Antigo Estado da India before 18th December 1961:


Birth certificate and Marriage certificate (if applicable) issued by the Conservatória do Registo Civil de Goa, Damão, Diu e Dadrá e Nagar Avelí.
Same documents for the spouse (if applicable).
Legal Identification Documents (current passport). If submitted in Goa: valid Indian Passport or identity certificate with attached photograph issued by Mamlatdar/Sarpanch. Other identity cards can include a ration card or a voter identity card or a driving licence.
Certificate of Residency with full address and photograph.
Certificate of Residency indicating residency between January 1974 and December 1975. If you were residing in the ex-Portuguese territories in Africa you do not qualify to apply.


2. For those born after 18th December 1961:

It will be necessary to prove that their parents were born in the Antigo Estado da India (Goa, Damão, Diu e Dadrá e Nagar Aveli) and got married there before 18th of December 1961.


Birth certificate of the parents, marriage certificate of the parents, death certificate if any of the parents is deceased, all issued by the Conservatória do Registo Civil de Goa, Damão, Diu e Dadrá e Nagar Aveli.
Birth certificate and marriage certificate (if applicable) of the individual applying.
Legal Identification Documents (current passport). If submitted in Goa: valid Indian Passport or identity certificate with attached photograph issued by Mamlatdar/Sarpanch. Other identity cards can include a ration card or a voter identity card or a driving licence.
Certificate of Residency with full address and photograph.
Certificate of Residency indicating residency between January 1974 and December 1975. If you were residing in the ex-Portuguese territories in Africa you do not qualify to apply.

3. For those born after 18th December 1961 whose parents were born in the Antigo Estado da India before that date and got married after that date or got married outside the Antigo Estado da India:

It will be necessary to register their parents first or at least one of the parents according to number 1.

The Nationality Application of the individual can only be submitted after the full registration (birth and marriage certificate) of the individual's parents (or at least one of the parents) as Portuguese in the Registo Civil Português.

If the birth and the marriage certificates of the parents (or of at least one of the parents) of the individual are already registered in the Registo Civil Português, the individual just has to submit the respective references (numbers and year of the birth and marriage certificate).

Attention:

All documents written in English or any other language must be translated to Portuguese.
All documents issued in Goa must be certified by a) Public Notary, b) Collector, c) Under Secretary (Home)
All documents issued in Damão and Diu must be certified by a) Public Notary, b) Mamlatdar and Joint Secretary (Home).
All documents issued in Bombay must be certified by a) Public Notary, b) Mantralaya.
Incomplete documents or documents not following these instructions will not be accepted.
NB: These are not legal/professional translations.

This part applies to all applicants:


The reader must consult and refer to the nearest
The reader must consult and refer to the nearest Portuguese Consulate and ask for detailed and up to date information before proceeding.
It would be advised to search for professional help as well (lawyer or solicitor).
Please note that Portugal allows dual nationality but not all countries allow and you should be aware of this before applying.
and ask for detailed and up to date information before proceeding.
It would be advised to search for professional help as well (lawyer or solicitor).
Please note that Portugal allows dual nationality but not all countries allow and you should be aware of this before applying.

Hey, way to go Curly! Nice!

Thank you to Dr V for this extra information specifically for South Africa:



A new law came into effect in Portugal at the end of May 2006 which in basic terms states that decendants in the first degree are entitled to Portuguese nationality no matter what the circumstances in which they lost their nationality. This is because they are still Portuguese decendants at heart (Decendentes Lusofonos).

In order to apply you must prove that at some stage your parent/s were Portuguese citizen/s, either before they emigrated to South Africa or that they gave up Portuguese citizenship in favour of SA citizenship because of economic reasons.

If they were never citizens, but their parents (your grandparents) were citizens, then your parents will have to apply for their citizenship to be re- instated first, before you may apply for yours.

The application must be initiated in the jurisdiction where your parents are resident and registered with the Portuguese consulate and cannot be made directly in Portugal or from another country such as the US.

The process of the application is based upon certain milestones:
1. Application for re-instatement as a Portuguese citizen;
2. Application for ID document;
3. Application for passport.

For application 1 you must tender the following documents:

1. Application form duly completed and signed by the applicant (this form you will obtain from the relevant consulate);
2. Birth certificate for the country you were born in or are resident in;
3. Substantive proof that you can identify yourself as Portuguese (ie. Portuguese language school reports, letters from community leaders stating that you are an active community member, motivational letters from other Portuguese citizens evidencing your worth as a Portuguese national etc.)
4. Proof that you have adequate medical insurance and that you will not need to rely on social services in Portugal;
5. Criminal clearance certificate.
6. Application fee (ZAR +/- 2000)

These documentary requirements vary from time to time so check with the consulate!

Once you have obtained all these documents they must be translated from English to Portuguese by a registered translator (if you have them done in one lot, this will save you costs!!!!!).

Then the translator's signature (on each document if they are translated separately) must be recognised (assented to) by both the High Court and the Consulate (yip, they charge for all of this!).

Once this process is completed, the application will be checked by the Consulate and the application forwarded to the Department of the Interior in Lisbon for processing. This will take anywhere between 2 and 6 months to process however, if the Consulate approved the application, it is almost certain you will be granted citizenship!

YOU MUST BE VERY CAREFUL HERE AS THE SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT AS WELL AS OTHER GOVERNMENTS HAVE RULED THAT IT IS UNLAWFUL TO HOLD DUAL CITIZENSHIP WITH ANOTHER COUNTRY!!!!

After regaining your citizenship, you must apply for a Portuguese ID card also via the Consulate. This usually takes around 1 to 2 months.

Once you have your ID card, you are entitled to apply for your passport which takes under 1 month.