# Will Portugal accept my grandmothers documents to become a citizen



## Richard A (Feb 4, 2015)

Hello, I'm attempting to get Portuguese citizenship through my grandma then my father then me. Grandma is 82 and still with us. She was born in USA and her parents were from Portugal born In 1888 and 1893. My grandmas parents (my great grandparents) were from Calheta Madeira Portugal. I did lots of research and found their government certified baptismal records, marriage certificate, and passport records and I had it sent to me certified. The issue is that my grandmother was born here in the USA and her mom when she was born never told the government here that she was born to get her a birth record and only got her baptized at the church. Much like you would have done in Portugal. So We went and did a Delayed Registration of birth with my grandmother. With her baptismal records and school records. After receiving her delayed registration of birth records I went and had it apostille. I went to the Portuguese consulate here with grandma and she declared her Portuguese nationality but they are not sure in Portugal they will accept the Delayed registration of birth. The woman at the consulate said they have gotten more strict over the past couple of years with documents even though here in the USA the records are legal birth documents and it has an apostille. I also turned in the baptismal records and school records. I went further and went to the church that issued the baptismal record and got a letter from them saying it was a real baptism record they had on file. Everything is a wait and see what Portugal says now. Just hoping for some insight. Do you think Portugal will accept these documents? Should I take any further steps? Thank you for reading.


----------



## TonyJ1 (May 20, 2014)

The law on nationality (Lei 37/81) as amended, will allow your grandmother to be registered as a Portuguese citizen and your father (up to 2nd generation) – the law does not impose conditions as far as far as I can tell, but it would depend also would depend on the content on the US birth certificates – your grandma's birth being registered within 1 year of her birth, and by one of her progenitors. Her baptism or lack thereof has no bearing on the process to get her citizenship. If it was up to me, I would also proceed with the registration of your father as a Portuguese citizen (if he is willing). The process would probably be speeded up if it was done in Portugal rather than the US, as it would cut the process of the documents being sent from pillar to post, but you would probably have to employ a lawyer to act for you.


----------



## Richard A (Feb 4, 2015)

TonyJ1 said:


> it would depend also would depend on the content on the US birth certificates – your grandma's birth being registered within 1 year of her birth, and by one of her progenitors. Her baptism or lack thereof has no bearing on the process to get her citizenship.


First, thanks Tony]1 for your reply. Second, What do you mean by this "registered within 1 year of birth"? We just registered her birth because her mother never did it when she was born. It didn't seem to be as important in the 1930's. It's was common not to do here in the US with immigrant families back then. Do you think they will accept a delayed refistration of birth cirtificate?


----------



## TonyJ1 (May 20, 2014)

Richard A said:


> First, thanks Tony]1 for your reply. Second, What do you mean by this "registered within 1 year of birth"? We just registered her birth because her mother never did it when she was born. It didn't seem to be as important in the 1930's. It's was common not to do here in the US with immigrant families back then. Do you think they will accept a delayed refistration of birth cirtificate?


This does not refer to the registration of her birth with the Portuguese authorities, but with the local authorities. Historically, specially in more remote locations, some births registered when the progenitors visted the administrative town maybe once a year or so, and therefore there could be instances where the birth was not registered within one year after birth. If this was the case, there probably is a way around it, but I have not investigated it.


----------

