NATIONALITY ATTRIBUTION

Individuals of Portuguese mother or Portuguese father are Portuguese citizens of Origin if they register their birth with the Portuguese Civil Registry Office or if they declare their wish to be Portuguese citizens.

Who is eligible?

Underage individuals, children of Portuguese mother or Portuguese father, born outside Portugal.

Adults aged 18 years or more, direct descendents of Portuguese mother or Portuguese father, born outside Portugal, who can submit documentary evidence that the relationship with the Portuguese mother or Portuguese father was established under the age of 18 years old. Usually, this can be easily confirmed by the date of registration of birth in the birth certificate.

Who can submit the application?

According to the Nationality Code, applications for Birth Registration and Attribution of Nationality can be submitted by the applicant when aged more than 18 years old or by those exercising the paternal power when the applicant is underage. The applicant or those exercising paternal power can also elect an attorney (through a power of attorney) to represent and to act on behalf of the applicant for Birth Registration and Attribution of Nationality.
In the case of an underage individual, when the person(s) exercising the paternal power are not both parents, the application can be submitted by the person/authority exercising the paternal power in accordance with the law of the country where the child resides, provided there is legal documentation to prove that such paternal power was granted by the authorities of the country of residence. A lawyer can be instructed to represent and act on behalf of the applicant or those exercising the paternal power.

What documents are required?

Application form for Birth Registration in the Portuguese Civil Registry or Declaration for Attribution of Portuguese Nationality.

Photocopy of the Portuguese Birth certificate for the Portuguese mother or for the Portuguese father. If the parents are married to each other, the birth certificate of the Portuguese parent must contain an endorsement with information about the marriage or documentary evidence must be provided to confirm the marriage.

If the applicant is aged between 14 and 18 years old, birth certificate with Portuguese translation, both attested, is required. An attested copy of an Identification document (ID card, Passport, etc) is also required. If these documents are not available then the declaration can also be attained by declaration of two witnesses and, if possible, documentary evidence of the declaration should also be submitted.

If the applicant is an adult (18 years old or more), birth certificate with Portuguese translation, both attested, is required. The birth certificate must contain evidence that the relationship with the Portuguese mother or Portuguese father was established under the age of 18 years old. An attested copy of an Identification Document (ID card, Passport, etc) is also required.

All documents and translations must be attested by the nearest Portuguese Consulate of the area of residence of the applicant or attested by the competent authority in the country of residence with the Apostille of Hague Convention of 5 October 1961.

Applications can be submitted in:

- Extensions of the Civil Registry Offices in Portugal
- Civil Registry Offices in Portugal
- Portuguese Consular Services
- Through the services of a Portuguese lawyer or a person acting on behalf of the applicant or those exercising the paternal power, with a written Power of Attorney.