What are the Advantages of Portuguese Citizenship?

Are you relocating and wondering what are the advantages of Portuguese citizenship? If you are planning your and your family’s immigration, it is wise to ask the question.  Portuguese nationality has a lot to offer after you have settled in the country of historical landscapes and breathtaking vistas.  From visa-free Europe tours to a standard lifestyle, Portugal has all you need to lead the life of your dreams. 

In this blog, we will explore multiple advantages. Your application for Portuguese citizenship has been approved. Read on and find out ways you can live a life tax-free!

What are the Advantages of Portuguese Citizenship?

Portuguese citizenship can influence multiple aspects of your life, from international standards, health, and education to freedom of movement within the Schengen countries.  Here are some of the advantages of Portuguese citizenship:

European Citizenship

Did you ask What are the advantages of Portuguese Citizenship? Well, here is the most exciting answer to this question. You get European citizenship. Among all other benefits, European citizenship is, we presume, the most exciting advantage of Portuguese citizenship. 

Portugal is a member of the European Union, which means when you get Portuguese citizenship, European citizenship comes by default. This implies you can access education, healthcare, and other opportunities available throughout Europe. Simply put, you can live, work, study, and travel in Europe as a citizen of a European Union member. 

You can enroll in public contests, enjoy the lifestyle of any of the European countries, and get your hand on the living advantages of that particular country. Furthermore, you can access countries that are known for low living costs, safety, and standard public services like education and healthcare. 

In case you want to relocate to any of the European countries, you will only have to apply for a European Registration Certificate, also known as CRUE, with Portuguese citizenship in your hand. CRUE or Certificado do Registo de Cidadão da União Europeia, is a legal document that authenticates the residence rights of  EU/EEA or Swiss countries citizen. According to these residence rights, anybody with any EU country’s citizenship can opt to live in another country in Europe. 

If you have been scratching your head, what are the advantages of Portuguese citizenship? Here it is, you get European citizenship along with Portuguese citizenship. Imagine being able to live in more than 20 countries with only a single passport in your pocket! 

Hassle-free Living

If you hate hectic documentation processes, you should shut the question, What are the advantages of Portuguese citizenship? in your head. When you have Portuguese citizenship, you will be able to live in peace without having to run back and forth to the residence permit office.

When you have the citizenship of Portugal, it is easier to maintain compared to the residence permit. It is because the residence permit needs to be renewed every 1,2, or 3 years, depending on the type of permit you are applying for. On the other hand, Portuguese nationals do not have to go through such documentation procedures or have to deal with SEF, which is the Portuguese Immigration Service.

Traveling Visa-free

Once you have Portuguese citizenship, you can enjoy traveling in as many countries as 188 without the need for a visa. That is what Portuguese citizenship offers you.  Here, you get the answer to your favorite question: What are the advantages of Portuguese citizenship?

With Portuguese nationality, you can visit places like the United States without having to apply for a visa. This is the sole reason why the Portuguese passport is ranked 4th among the most powerful passports in the world. The status of Portuguese passports in the list of most powerful passports is growing every year.  With a Portuguese passport, you can enter the USA as smoothly as you can. This is unlike most of the Brazilian citizens who desire to visit the USA but have to pay high prices and pass strict interviews.

Passing Nationality to Offsprings

One of the many other advantages of Portuguese citizenship is that you can pass on the nationality to your offspring. The Portuguese government gives you the right to pass on your citizenship to your descendants after you have acquired the nationality. If you already have children or you intend to have them after you relocate to Portugal, all of your kids will be deemed Portuguese citizens. However, if you already have kids before you relocate to Portugal, only the minor children will get the nationality by default. Other kids above eighteen will have to apply for Portuguese citizenship.

Affordable Education

If you are a student, the question is: What are the advantages of Portuguese citizenship that might be stopping you from relocating to a new country? However,  moving to Portugal goes in your absolute favor when you are a student.

We say that because education in Portugal is affordable compared to many other countries. To prove the affordability, here is a table of education expenses in Portugal for different degrees:

When your application for Portuguese citizenship has been approved, you will pay the same fees as the local students in Portugal. If you are willing to study in Portugal, you can pursue your education after getting Portuguese citizenship, which will make education affordable for you. However, if you are not a Portuguese citizen, education might not be as affordable for you. 

For instance, as a national student in Portugal, you will have to pay €697 for an undergraduate course at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Porto. On the other hand, if you are a student from a Community of Portuguese Language Countries, it might cost you as much as €1925, which is three times more than that for a local student. 

On top of that, if you are an international student coming from countries where Portuguese is not an official language, it may cost you  €3500. Hence, you must first apply for Portuguese citizenship before you commute to the country for your higher education.

Free Basic Education

Basic education in Portugal is mandatory from the age of six years to eighteen years. Under Portuguese law, education up to high school years is compulsory for every citizen. For that purpose, the public schools offer free education to each and every individual. The public schools in Portugal are among the best educational institutes in the country. 

Only 20% of the student population is enrolled in private institutes in Portugal. This figure indicates the standard of education in public schools. With Portuguese citizenship, your kids can access quality education without any financial burden. For higher education, here is the yearly budget for different undergraduate degrees offered in the universities of Portugal:

For master courses, here is the comparison between the education budget of an international student and a Portuguese student:

Standard Healthcare Services

To answer your question;What are the Advantages of Portuguese Citizenship? Here is another advantage of Portuguese citizenship. With Portuguese citizenship comes the facility of high-quality public services that are affordable and accessible at the same time. With Portugal’s National Health Service, you need no private health insurance. Although most of the healthcare services in Portugal are free of cost, there might be some services that require you to pay a sum of money. However, no matter how big the service is, it will always be affordable for a Portugal national. 

Most of the laboratory tests requested by the physicians are free for every citizen of Portugal. Furthermore, most of the medicines are also subsidized by the government funds. However, in some cases, you may have to co-pay the prices of your medication in collaboration with government subsidies.  

Here, you have been answered to your question: What are the advantages of Portuguese citizenship? You can apply for citizenship and get your disease, no matter how chronic, at one of the best hospitals in the world at affordable prices.

Access to Political Rights

With Portuguese citizenship, you get your rights reserved to vote and execute a public office in Portugal. Furthermore, you can also execute or run your public office at any of the residence countries within the EU. Furthermore, Portugal is a politically stable democratic country with a smooth flow of power between different parties. Portugal has also been ranked the 34th most politically stable country in the world.

Economic Stability

For several years, the Portuguese economy has been growing and resilient. After the implementation of certain economic reforms, the Portuguese economy has been on its path to recovery. Here are some of the aspects that contribute to the stability of the Portuguese economy:

• Economic Freedom: According to the 2023 Index, the Portuguese economy has been the 30th most free economy in the world. Portugal’s economic freedom score was recorded as 69.5 in 2023. However, this score was 1.3 points worse than the year 2022, but it is still ranked 18th most economically free country in 44 countries in the European region. Furthermore the overall economic freedom score of Portugal is more than most of the regional averages and even the world averages.
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• GDP and Employment: Only 6.8% of the population in Portugal is unemployed. On the other hand, Portugal’s total GDP is as much as $39. Billion per year with a 1.1% compound growth per annum. Its GDP per capita is almost $36,844.

• Public Debt: Although the public debt of Portugal is a big challenge to its economy, still the country’s economy is at a good pace. The total public debt of Portugal is 127.4%. On the other hand, the inflation rate or the CPI in Portugal is as low as 0.9%.

• Rule of Law: In Portugal, law is legit above everything else, and the constitution is respected widely. The property rights score in Portugal is 89.9, with its judicial effectiveness as high as 90.%. In addition to this the government integrity score of Portugal is 67.0.

• Government Size: The tax rate is 21% in Portugal, and the top individuals are 48% which makes the tax burden equivalent to 34.8% of GDP.

Consular Protection

The Portuguese government owns you in times of need even when you are not in the country and somewhere else in the world. Under Portuguese citizenship, you have the right to get help from the Portuguese embassy or the consulates of Portugal in any corner of the world.  Under consular protection, you can call the embassy in emergency situations, international crises, accidents, and detentions abroad. However, Portuguese consulates will only be able to help you if you abide by the local and international laws.

Furthermore, you can consult the consulates if you need to renew your passports or need legal or medical guidance in a foreign country. In case of communication loss, you can also rely upon your consulates to get in contact with your family members. 

Here, we have described what are the advantages of Portuguese citizenship? From political and economic stability to high-quality living standards to free education, you get all that you expect from a welfare state to offer to its citizens. Go and apply for Portuguese citizenship and access the numerous benefits.

Also read about, What Happens After I Apply for Portuguese Citizenship?>>