Portuguese Nationality for descendants of Sephardic Jews
The Organic Law no. 1/2013, of 29th July, and the Decree-law no. 30-A/2015 of 27th June created a new legal regime that provides a right of return for descendants of Portuguese Sephardic Jews, expelled from Portugal in the 15th and 16th century.
The application for Portuguese nationality, to be submitted by the applicant or an attorney, must show the tradition of belonging to a Sephardic community of Portuguese origin.
Below is a summary of the necessary documents to be filed together with an application for nationality. For legal assistance or further information please contact us .
Certificate issued by the Jewish Community of Porto or Lisbon
This certificate is requested to the above mentioned communities and together with the request the applicant shall include some of these documents:
Show evidence of the applicant’s family history and the connection to Sephardic Community of Portuguese origin - namely by means of a family tree, family surnames, direct or collateral succession, or other elements which are indicative of this connection;
Proof of use of ladino as a family language - this be done by the use of filmed records, pictures of graves (with inscriptions in ladino) or written documents in ladino (such as property deeds, wills, among others);
Any other documents proving that the applicant is a Sephardic of Spanish ancestry - namely family records, family trees, family certificates of births, marriage and death, Brit Milah records, Government documents that show the family of the applicant arrived to Spain from Portugal.
Birth Certificate
Birth certificate of the applicant - preferably issued as a copy - duly translated to the Portuguese language and legalized in a Portuguese consulate or by Apostille.
Criminal Records
Criminal Records of the countries in which the applicant lived after he/she was 16 years old. The records shall be duly translated to the Portuguese language and such translation shall be certified.
Passport
The applicant must provide a copy of his/her Passport or other ID document - in case he/she is a citizen of an European Union country. This document shall be duly translated and the translation shall be certified.
Other documents
Other documents showing the connection with a Sephardic Community of Portuguese origin might be filed together with the application for the Portuguese nationality. This can be the case if the applicant is not able to obtain the certificate from the Jewish Community of Porto or Lisbon. This can also be the case if the applicant wants to strengthen his/her application.