Expectations of progress in the Portuguese nationality process
The Portuguese Institute of Registries and Notaries (IRN) recently announced the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) and digitalization to speed up Portuguese citizenship processes.
Despite promises of greater speed, structural challenges remain, and the main need continues to be to increase staff to meet high demand. Renato Martins, CEO of Martins Castro, was consulted in the article that you can read in full on here.
Main challenges and expectations
- Structural challenges: Despite new technologies, there is an urgent need for more staff. Currently, there are only 232 notary offices in Portugal, but it is estimated that 500 would be needed to meet demand.
- Analysis deadlines: The law requires that citizenship processes be evaluated within 90 days, but some cases are taking up to two years to be resolved, especially for adult children.
- Increased demand: Changes in legislation, which make citizenship easier for descendants of Portuguese, have increased the number of applications. Between 2010 and 2023, more than 400,000 Brazilians obtained Portuguese nationality.
Impact of Legislative Changes
- Reduction of residence time: In 2015, the time required to reside in Portugal and obtain citizenship was reduced from six to five years.
- Descendants of Portuguese: In 2020, the law was changed to make it easier to grant citizenship to grandchildren of Portuguese citizens, eliminating the need to prove emotional ties with Portugal.
Benefits of the European passport
Having Portuguese nationality guarantees international mobility, with easy visa-free travel to over 190 countries, and access to public health and education services in the European Union. In addition, it opens doors to investment, work and residence opportunities in other European countries.
Talk to our experts to achieve international mobility more easily and take advantage of all the opportunities that Portuguese citizenship can offer. Click here to start your service.
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