Portuguese government changes citizenship requirements for descendants of Sephardic Jews

From 1 April 2024, Portugal will introduce new conditions for Sephardic Jews participating in the citizenship programme, including a requirement to reside in the country for 3 years before applying for citizenship. The programme will end on 31 December 2024.

In this unique programme, the Portuguese government offers the possibility of obtaining citizenship by naturalisation to descendants of Sephardic Jews who can prove that they belong to the Portuguese Sephardic community.

In order to apply under the current conditions, applicants must be able to pass a preliminary examination. Applicants will have to make a genealogical chart with details of their grandparents, provide photographs of their passport and birth certificate. Tranio experts note that at this stage, around 75% of applicants fail to pass verification. However, successful applicants will be able to obtain a passport within 2–3 years, with no additional residency, language or tax requirements.

Author: Julia Naymushina