[flavia 60]

I am a goan born in 1951 in Goa. I now wish to apply for a portuguese passport. How can I go ahead. Can I submit my documents in Mumbai or Goa. Also would like to know which documents I have to submit. I have my birth certificate and my travel document with my mother. My parents death was about 30 years back. Please help.I have heard that if I have the passport, it will be easier for my children to obain one. They were born in Mumbai.
Flavia.

[Mbizi]

Hello Flavia,

(I am not qualified to give advice and am only writing from experience.)

There are three stages to the process:
1) Registration of your birth in Lisbon.
2) Issue of Portuguese ID card (either Bilhete de Identidade or Cartão de Cidadão)
3) Issue of Portuguese passport.

You have two options:
1) Submit your papers for registration of your birth via the Consulate of Portugal in Goa.
2) Submit your papers for registration with a Lisbon based lawyer registered with the Portuguese Bar Association (please note: NOT an "agent'', ''advocate'' tout or scam artist.

Option ONE is considerably less in terms of cost but can take years to finalise. Option TWO can be very costly but can be completed (registration of birth only) in about four weeks.

Lawyer's fees are approximately (converted from Euro):
1) Rs. 70,000/- register birth of person born before 1961
2) Rs. 36,000/- register marriage
3) Rs. 82,000/- register child of Portuguese citizen

Note, these figures are approximate and you may find lower fees. They are the lawyer's fees only and exclude the cost of obtaining documents and translations etc. They also exclude the cost of the ID card or passport.

All documents must be 100% perfect in terms of translation, spelling etc. Even a missing accent mark (é) can cause years of delay.

Even though lawyers can be very costly, a good one will keep on your case. Still though, it's not simply a matter of paying your money and waiting, you will also have to make consistent follow ups to ensure tasks are completed within the agreed frame.

Again, the route of the Consulate will require appointments for attestations etc. Go any day and have a look at the queues outside the Consulate in Panjim - for hours and hours. Using a lawyer you can bypass this by having documents certified with the Apostille of Hague.

Some documents required:
* birth certificate
* passport, driver's licence, voter card, ration card
* Certificate of Residency indicating residency between January 1974 and December 1975

I hope this helps. Best of luck.