Portugal: Information on whether a child born of Portuguese parents outside Portugal only needs to be registered at birth in a Portuguese consulate to be a Portuguese citizen, and on whether upon reaching the age of majority he or she has to choose between Portuguese citizenship and that of the country where he or she has lived since birth
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 June 1995 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | PRT20937.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Portugal: Information on whether a child born of Portuguese parents outside Portugal only needs to be registered at birth in a Portuguese consulate to be a Portuguese citizen, and on whether upon reaching the age of majority he or she has to choose between Portuguese citizenship and that of the country where he or she has lived since birth, 1 June 1995, PRT20937.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab4f48.html [accessed 21 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The information that follows was provided by a consular assistant at the Embassy of Portugal in Ottawa (16 June 1995).
A child born of Portuguese parents will be recognized by Portugal as a Portuguese citizen if he or she is registered at a Portuguese consulate or embassy before reaching 14 years of age. The consulate or embassy will forward the record of registration to Lisbon, and the individual will be considered a Portuguese citizen, entitled to Portuguese passports and documentation. If the child is registered at a consulate or embassy after reaching the age of 14, he or she can still be recognized by Portugal as a citizen of the country, but the process is not immediate. The process for acquisition or confirmation of Portuguese citizenship can be initiated at any Portuguese consulate or embassy, but the case will be processed in Portugal by the government. Portugal allows dual citizenship, and does not demand that citizens registered or living overseas choose between Portuguese and any other citizenship.
A consul at the embassy of Portugal in Washington, DC, corroborated all of the above statements, adding that the parent or parents of the registered child must be Portuguese citizens at the time of registration of the child (16 June 1995). If a child is not registered before reaching the age of 14, he or she will have to request Portuguese citizenship at a Portuguese consulate or embassy, or with the pertinent authorities in Portugal (ibid.). Portugal does accept dual citizenship, and Portuguese citizenship is not lost unless the Portuguese citizen expressly renounces to it (ibid.).
The Portuguese citizenship legislation currently available to the DIRB was published in 1981. However, a copy of it is not attached; according to the above-cited Portuguese consul, the legislation has undergone changes since then, and many of the 1981 provisions may not apply today. A copy of the relevant legislation containing updated amendments could not be obtained in time to meet the deadline of your Information Request.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
Embassy of Portugal, Ottawa. 16 June 1995. Telephone interview with consular assistant.
Embassy of Portugal, Washington, DC. 16 June 1995. Telephone interview with consul.
