# First time posting!



## nmreich (Feb 16, 2009)

Hello,

I live in USA. My whole family is American, but I am dual USA/Canadian. My wife is applying for Portuguese citizenship in April

My wife and I (and our two children) are considering moving to Portugal to stay with my parents-in-law who have a house in Lisbon. My wife (her father is Portuguese) will be applying for Portuguese citizenship in April here in USA. They say it will take three months for her to receive her Portuguese citizenship.

Question: Can we move to Portugal and live there as a family permanently based on my wife's citizenship? If not, then do I need to apply for citizenship as well? Can I claim citizenship through my wife?


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## silvers (Sep 22, 2008)

A person married to a Portuguese citizen for at least three years may be able to acquire Portuguese citizenship by declaration. No formal residence period in Portugal is laid down; however, in practice, knowledge of the Portuguese language and integration into Portuguese society may be required.


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## silvers (Sep 22, 2008)

Portuguese Citizenship Act


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## nmreich (Feb 16, 2009)

*Clarification question*



silvers said:


> A person married to a Portuguese citizen for at least three years may be able to acquire Portuguese citizenship by declaration. No formal residence period in Portugal is laid down; however, in practice, knowledge of the Portuguese language and integration into Portuguese society may be required.



Thanks for the quick reply Silvers!

"1. The alien who is married since more than three years with a Portuguese national can acquire Portuguese nationality by making a declaration during the marriage."

Does that mean that I have to wait for three years after my wife receives her Portuguese citizenship, or does that mean that since I have been married more than three years to my wife, and as soon as she becomes Portuguese I can then become Portuguese? (ie, is there a waiting period of 3 years?)


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## silvers (Sep 22, 2008)

The latter, if you have been married for more than three years, you will qualify at the same time she does.


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## nmreich (Feb 16, 2009)

silvers said:


> The latter, if you have been married for more than three years, you will qualify at the same time she does.


Thank you. 

I'm going to try learning Portuguese anyway. I studied French (did my French O'Level) way back in the 80's.


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## silvers (Sep 22, 2008)

Try this course. Learn Spanish, French, German, Italian and over 70 languages with Byki software. but make sure you download the Portuguese and not the Brazilian Portuguese.


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## nelinha (Jan 15, 2009)

That's a nice piece of information to know. When my son married a South African girl, he was told at the Port consulate that she could live in Port as a permanent resident but could not acquire automatic Port citizenship. She would have to live in Port for 3 years, speak and write the language and integrate socially as you said.


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