# A question on nationality



## G.Mac. (Oct 23, 2012)

Hello everyone.
I've been a frequent visitor to the forums for a few weeks and have finally decided to join to take part in all the discussions that go on here. Allow me to introduce myself in a few words; I am originally from Brazil but my Dad's job has meant I've lived in 9 countries! I have been living in the UK now for just over 5 years having studied here and now been working in Manchester for over a year for a financial services company.

My first question for the forum relates to Portuguese nationality, my mother is currently in the process of acquiring nationality through her grandparents (a process which has been in the works for almost 6 years now; with getting birth certificates & all relevant documents). It has been about 6 weeks now since the Portuguese authorities received the application and are processing it. 

While not putting all my eggs in one basket, the whole family is very confident of the nationality application not facing any problems along the way; now when I become eligible to apply, will my path be the same as my mother's? Would I automatically qualify for a passport as a result of my mother having a Portuguese passport? Or would I have to submit my own request to the authorities and provide all documentation like birth certificates and police certificates and wait the amount of time it takes for them to process the request?

My understanding of all sources I have searched (including on here) is that it will take longer for my Mother because she is applying through two generations of ancestry (to her grandparents), while in my case it would just be mother - son so I'm taking an educated guess that I might not face the same process?

All answers on here will be greatly appreciated and I look forward to getting to know some of the members here over time. Regards!!


----------



## G.Mac. (Oct 23, 2012)

Oh I'm sorry I got carried away before, forgot to mention that I have been to Portugal many times and my parents bought an apartment there 18 months ago and go there often now and will retire in Aveiro in 3 years time


----------



## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

As far as I know you'll need to repeat process but it'll be easier as you'll use your mothers Nationality as the start point.
As you've been living in UK for 5 years then you might be able to apply for British Citizenship


----------



## G.Mac. (Oct 23, 2012)

Hi canoeman, thanks for the reply there; seems like it's what I had expected by doing the same process.

As for the second point I wouldn't be eligible to apply for British citizenship because I was here for 3 years on a student visa while at university which does not count towards the 5 year term in order to apply for citizenship.


----------



## Sonho (Jan 1, 2008)

You will probably have to go through the same process as you are over 16. But, the good news is that your mother has done all of the work so it should be a much easier process. You will need the criminal record for the UK though.


----------



## anapedrosa (Mar 21, 2011)

Mac G.
Although I wouldn't be surprised if you do have to go through all of the same steps, I would check at the Portuguese Consulate. 
I obtained my Portuguese citizenship in Canada, because my mother had registered my birth I only needed to provide my Canadian documentation.
Your situation is different, but I was surprised by how many records the consulate was able to access on the computer. It may be that since your mother has gone through the process that they will be able to use her records as a starting point for yours. Worth asking I think


----------



## jshshr (Nov 2, 2012)

Once your mother gets her citizenship (passport is a travel document available to citizens), you should 
be able to get yours very quickly. My daughter got her EU citizenship immediately after her mom waited a few years. 
If your mom only presented the documents 6 weeks ago, my understandinf for most EU contires is that it can take a long time till she is finally approved (assuming all her documents are in order).
So you might think about what to do until then!!!


----------



## G.Mac. (Oct 23, 2012)

Hi everyone,

It has been a while since I last checked this thread but thanks for the new comments I hadn't seen. 

I guess I am quite lucky in that the Portuguese consulate in Manchester is right across from my office building! Do you think it's worth going in and asking a few questions with relation to the process for obtaining nationality (given that my mother's is still being worked on), or would I be turned away without much help?

Plus following on from jshshr's post, does anyone have a vague idea of how long the process might take for my mother? From what we've been tracking, the application was sent to Portugal (including all documents) on September 3, with Receipt by the Immigration services on September; my mother then had a letter from them confirming receipt and that they started processing the application on October 17 (about eight weeks ago).

With people's experiences (in Portugal, around the EU, across the ocean in the US, Canada, Brazil etc. have you had to wait a very long time for your applications to come back?


----------



## anapedrosa (Mar 21, 2011)

Mine took less than 6 months. But, my mother had registered my birth in Lisbon, so the consulate told me that made a difference. 

If the consulate is right across the street from your office, I can't see why you wouldn't go in, nothing to lose.


----------



## G.Mac. (Oct 23, 2012)

Hi everyone,

I thought I would re-visit this thread I created many months ago. To begin with my mother has acquired her Portuguese nationality as of last month! She received the confirmation letter earlier this week.

Now she will be going at the end of August to Aveiro where her and my Dad have their apartment and she will apply for her ID card and passport while there. 

From previous replies it appears that I would be eligible to acquire the nationality myself, but is anyone here 100% certain of it? Can a 24 year old apply for Portuguese nationality if a parent has *acquired* it themselves? It's just a small doubt I have on whether I am eligible or not. Because between now and August I am thinking of getting all the documents (birth certificates, criminal records, etc.) to take with her and get my own application on the go. Am I able to do this? I've seen that anapedrosa's reply says that her birth was already registered in Lisbon, which isn't my case here; so it seems like I would be starting from square one? Thanks.


----------



## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

Yes your age isn't an issue it's your parents, your mother wouldn't have* "acquired"* Nationality it if she wasn't entitled which makes it easier for you


----------



## G.Mac. (Oct 23, 2012)

canoeman said:


> Yes your age isn't an issue it's your parents, your mother wouldn't have* "acquired"* Nationality it if she wasn't entitled which makes it easier for you


Thanks canoeman, it's greatly appreciated!


----------

