A lot of immigrants from Russia and neighboring countries who have migrated to a country such as Portugal are not averse to obtaining this country's identity card to become a full-fledged citizen. The state is located on the territory of the Iberian Peninsula and has long attracted residents of Russia to move to a permanent place of residence.
The state is located on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean and is part of the countries of the European Union. Thus, like other powers that belong to the EU, Portugal has its own rules for obtaining citizenship. Such rules are regulated by the law on citizenship.
Options for obtaining Portuguese citizenship
There are several options for legalization in the state, these rules include:
- obtaining citizenship upon birth in this country;
- in the case when there is a relationship with the citizens of the state;
- upon adoption;
- by obtaining a certificate of marriage;
- through the implementation of naturalization.
Nationality upon birth
How to get Portuguese citizenship by birth? Every baby born in Portugal has a legal right to acquire citizenship automatically. But if mom and dad do not have an identity card in the form of a Portuguese passport, then the situation takes a different turn. In the case when the parents have a residence permit and have been living in the state for ten years, they will be able to obtain the citizenship of this country for the newborn.
The same situation is with the acquisition of citizenship by origin. In the case when the father and mother arrived in Portugal and a baby was born on the territory of the state, but the couple does not plan to live in Portugal, the child will naturally not receive citizenship at the request of the parents.
Citizenship at marriage
How to obtain Portuguese citizenship to a Russian citizen? For foreigners, including Russian citizens, it is enough to enter into a legal marriage in order to be legalized in the country. But it is worth considering that in the future, in order to obtain citizenship, you must live with your legal spouse or spouse for at least three years. If the authorized structures suspect that the marriage is fictitious, then the foreigner is deported from the country.
Naturalization
Naturalization is a way to obtain Portuguese citizenship, which is suitable for all immigrants from different countries. This process is carried out for about six years, and during this period it is necessary to live in the state with a legal residence permit. This situation also includes positive aspects, for example, a foreign citizen can find a job and receive an acceptable salary.
In addition, in order to successfully obtain citizenship in the future it is necessary to have a good command of the official language of Portugal and not be involved in crimes, not to receive administrative or criminal penalties. The presence of fines for parking in an unacceptable place is permissible, but it is better to try to avoid such unpleasant trifles
In order to obtain citizenship without problems, a lack of criminal record is necessary. Even with prolonged residence in the territory of Portugal, the presence of a legal source of income, home ownership and excellent knowledge of the language of the country, an application for citizenship will still be rejected.
Documents required to obtain citizenship
To obtain citizenship, it is imperative to translate all important papers into Portuguese, otherwise the package of documents will simply not be accepted. The list of required documents may vary depending on the situation. You need to be prepared to provide additional papers to the service for foreign citizens within the time period established by law.
List of documents
The list of necessary documents for obtaining Portuguese citizenship includes such important papers as:
- identity card and passport;
- Residence permit;
- a document certifying the fact of birth - a certificate;
- a document confirming the availability of housing (this can be either a rented apartment or your own real estate);
- military service ticket;
- medical record;
- application for citizenship (a form and sample of filling can be obtained on the spot);
- proof of Portuguese proficiency at a sufficient level.
If a native of another country provides false documents or false information about himself, then he will receive a negative answer to the application. If everything is in order with the documents and the alien's application is approved, the passport can be obtained with the rights immediately after the answer is known.
Golden Visa (Portugal)
The conditions for obtaining citizenship in Portugal were somewhat simplified in 2012. Then a special Golden Residence Permit program was created (where the name came to be - the “golden visa” of Portugal), which gives immigrants from other countries the right to obtain a residence permit in Portugal by investing in the state’s economy. This program was developed to overcome the economic crisis in the country. The main factors for increasing the indicators were export and the availability of a tourist base, which allows you to increase the number of travelers who want to visit the country, and at the same time replenish the state budget.
The investment program involves several possible options for obtaining Portuguese citizenship:
- purchase of housing worth from five hundred thousand euros;
- opening deposits in a Portuguese bank;
- purchase of shares in commercial companies or documents of national importance, the price of which should not be less than one million euros;
- creation of own business in the country, at the same time at least thirty people - citizens of Portugal should work at the enterprise;
- contribution to scientific research in the field of science and culture, amounting to three hundred and fifty thousand euros;
- contributions to nature and artistic heritage - at least two hundred and fifty thousand euros;
- investments in small businesses should not amount to less than five hundred thousand euros.
"Golden Visa" with a contribution to real estate
Another possibility of obtaining citizenship is to invest money in building a house, the cost of which should be from five hundred thousand euros. It is on this object that a residence permit should be issued in the future. Just buying a house, not building, will do. The main factor is the issuance of a residence permit for an investor who applies for permanent residence in Portugal, and subsequently, to obtain a passport of this state.
Portuguese citizenship when buying real estate is the easiest way to become a citizen of the country.
A “Golden Visa” can also be obtained with a smaller contribution - from an amount of three hundred and fifty thousand euros, but this is only possible with the purchase of housing in areas of cultural and historical heritage. The largest investors among other countries (residents of countries) can be identified:
- China;
- Brazil;
- Russian Federation.
Those who apply for citizenship in this way prefer to invest in their own business or buy property in resort areas, among which the most popular are:
- Algarve in the south of the state (Albufeira, Faro);
- Lisbon Riviera in the west of the country.
The taxes levied on housing (and real estate in general) depend on the value of the property and its location. The average tax paid by investors annually is from 0.3% to 0.5% of the market value of an object. There is also the so-called One-Time Stamp Duty, which is paid only upon the purchase of real estate. It is 0.8% tax. It should be noted that in Portugal there is no inheritance tax and gift tax on real estate between some family members.