Are you here with confusion in your mind? “What happens after I apply for Portuguese citizenship? Don’t worry! You have explored the right source in the form of this article to solve this mystery.
Portugal is popular all around the world for the standard of living it offers. You can enjoy protection, an affordable cost of living, and easy access to top-notch amenities like healthcare and education. To get such a profitable livelihood, you must have Portuguese citizenship.
What happens after I apply for Portuguese citizenship?
It is very important to apply for Portuguese citizenship, and it can be a complex and time-consuming process for you. After submitting the application for citizenship, most of the aspirants get confused about the next steps. A very common question that circulates is, “ What happens after I apply for Portuguese citizenship? This question has a lot of worth for an applicant and must be addressed in detail to understand what happens next.
In this article, we will get an overview of the post-application process for Portuguese citizenship The important steps, waiting times, and potential outcomes, all these aspects will be covered here.
Application Submission
Being a citizen of Europe is highly desired all over the world. Tens of thousands of aspirant candidates apply for citizenship in Europe using different channels. Portugal is hardly an exception. The Servico De Estrangeiros E Fronteiras, or SEF, is an Iberian organization that handles thousands of citizenship requests. The variety of application paths for citizenship is what makes it so intriguing.
As the initial step, you have to submit your application for citizenship to the Portuguese authorities. You have to submit the necessary paperwork and pay the required fees for the application process. Keep in mind that you may get a different experience of the application process than your acquaintances. It depends on your eligibility criteria, such as your heritage, the place of living, and your marital status; if you are married to a Portuguese citizen.
What Happens After I Apply for Portuguese Citizenship?
Now, let’s say your application has been submitted successfully; there comes the next phase, where you wait for the next step. In this phase, you must be curious to know, “What happens after I apply for Portuguese citizenship? Your application, after reaching the relevant Portuguese authorities, crosses multiple stages of assessment. If you want to find out which stage your application is in, this is not a big deal. You can learn it without having to visit a register office, just sitting in your room. Yes! You have guessed it; this information is available online. You can receive important notifications from the immigration authorities through electronic mail.
You will receive an inquiry code through which you can check the status of your application for nationality online.
Now, let’s go through these stages step by step.
Verification and Processing
When the Portuguese immigration authorities receive your application, they examine it carefully. They will check if the application is complete and if all the documents and supporting materials are present or not. If your application is complete, they will verify it and send it for processing. On the other hand, if there is something missing, these authorities will reject the application at this stage, and further processing will be terminated.
The time period this step takes depends upon the situation of your case and how complex it is. Sometimes, the workload of the immigration department slows down the verification of your application. Generally, it may take several months to complete all of the verification and processing.
Background Checks
After verification, your application is processed for further assessment to check your background. Portuguese agencies will carry out background investigations so that they can evaluate if you are eligible to be a citizen of Portugal. There are different forms of evaluation to ensure that you fulfill the necessary criteria for it.
These immigration authorities will verify your criminal record and it needs proof that you are not involved in any police case. The second thing that matters a lot in the success of your application is how financially stable you are. You must be able to survive independently in Portugal. Moreover, the most important of all things assessed is your adherence to Portuguese immigration laws. You cannot get citizenship in Portugal unless you don’t comply with the rules and regulations for immigration to this country.
Citizenship Interview (If Required)
In some cases, you may get a call to attend an interview with immigration officials. The purpose of the interview is to check if you are able to speak Portuguese language and the level of your knowledge about the culture and history of Portugal. In this interview, the authorities will assess the level of your commitment to becoming a responsible citizen of Portugal. This requirement varies depending on the basic purpose of your application.
The following are the main purposes of the interview:
Commitment to Integration
The main purpose of this interview is to confirm that you are able to integrate successfully into Portuguese society. Moreover, you have to portray how much you can contribute to the progress of the country.
Language Proficiency
Yes! Language proficiency is the most important aspect of the citizenship interview. The interview panel evaluates your ability to speak Portuguese language. During the interview, you are required to show that you can communicate in Portuguese successfully through discussion. The authorities ask you the questions in Portuguese, and you have to answer them in the same language.
Knowledge of Culture and History
Language represents the culture of a nation or country, yet it is not the whole culture. In the interview, you are supposed to express your information about the culture, society, and history of Portugal. They assess if you are aware of the customs, traditions, and significant parts of the history of this country. Applicants may be asked questions about Portuguese culture, history, and society. You can prepare for this phase of the interview by doing study and research about Portuguese history and culture.
Waiting Period
Hopefully, your query, “What happens after I apply for Portuguese citizenship?” has been solved to a great extent. After passing all the stages of assessment, you have to wait for the practical approval of your application. Now, another question may trigger your mind: How much would I have to wait for it?”
The waiting period for a decision on your citizenship application can vary significantly. You may have to wait several months to several years. There are some factors that can increase or decrease the length of this duration. It depends on how many applications are there to be processed and the complexity of your case.
So, if the approval of your application for citizenship gets late, don’t be impatient. Just stay in contact with the immigration authorities to get updates on the status of your application.
Decision
Now, the hard and impatient period of your wait is going to be over. It’s the time of the final decision that describes the fate of your application. The immigration authorities will notify you about the decision after thoroughly reviewing your application and carefully completing all the investigations. From this decision, you will come to know if your application has been approved or denied.
If your interview does not go as expected or due to any other reason, your application is denied, you may have the option to appeal the decision. You may consult with an immigration attorney or advisor to find out other options. Also, seek the support of immigration officers to address any issues that may have arisen during the application process.
If you have qualified all the assessment criteria and got approved for citizenship, let’s move forward to the next steps.
Oath of Allegiance and Documentation
Now that you have gone through all the steps after the application submission, you must not be confused anymore. The question, “What happens after I apply for Portuguese citizenship?” will not be stuck in your mind right now. However, the process is not completed yet; there are some formalities that remain to be fulfilled.
If your application is approved, you will be required to take an oath of allegiance to Portugal. You will also need to provide additional documentation and complete any remaining administrative tasks. This may include obtaining a Portuguese citizen identification card and passport.
Enjoying Portuguese Citizenship
You have ultimately reached the fruit of your wait and efforts. Once you have completed all the necessary steps and formalities, you will officially become a citizen of Portugal. You will have the same rights and responsibilities as any other Portuguese citizen. It means that you have the freedom to live and work in Portugal and get access to all other essential facilities. These facilities include healthcare, education, protection, and insurance, etc. Moreover, the most interesting thing is that you will be able to travel freely across all countries within the European Union.
Dual Citizenship
Generally, you have legal consent to keep dual citizenship in Portugal. It means that the law of this country allows you to retain your original citizenship while being a citizen of Portugal. The rules, regulations, and specific guidelines about dual citizenship in Portugal may differ from those in your home country. That is why you must be aware of all these differences so that you may abide by all the legal obligations applied to you as a Portuguese citizen.
Besides enjoying dual citizenship in Portugal, you also have to fulfill some obligations and responsibilities that are applied to you:
Legal Responsibilities
As a dual citizen, you are supposed to abide by the laws and responsibilities of both countries. You can be a responsible citizen of a country only if you are aware of its legal rules and regulations. It is obvious that you already know about the laws of your home country since you are resident there from birth. In the case of Portugal, you should go through the main and important points of its law. One of the legal responsibilities you hold is paying taxes. Yes, you would have to pay the applied taxes in both countries.
Military Service
It would be your responsibility to be loyal to the armies of Portugal and your home country. You can also join the military service if you are eighteen years old or above. When a citizen of Portugal reaches the age of 18, his military registration is done automatically. The information from your identity card will be automatically added to the military record. You don’t need to visit the Consulate office or contact to register your name.
Here, is a website where you can get the updates for Military registration.
You certainly celebrate national days in your home country. Now as a resident of Portugal, you must be aware of such significant days here to express your loyalty. National Day of Defense is a very important day in Portugal and you must attend this day.
Conclusion
To get citizenship in Portugal, you have to submit an application with all the required documents and supporting material. However, after that, most of the candidates often ask the same common question, “What happens after I apply for Portuguese citizenship?”. It is important to remember that applying for Portuguese citizenship is a significant undertaking that requires patience. Besides that, you must be consistent and adherent to the immigration process.
After applying, you will have to go through a series of steps one by one. These steps include verification and processing, checking of background records, and a waiting period before receiving a decision. Once your application gets approval, you will take the oath of allegiance and become a Portuguese citizen. After that, you will be able to enjoy all the rights and privileges that come with it. You should stay informed and remain in contact with the Portuguese authorities throughout the process. It will ensure a smooth transition to your new citizenship.
Also read about, 15 Best Places to Visit in Portugal>>
