Way to Portuguese Citizenship

The Portuguese government is going to approve a law that ends this right for descendants of Sephardic Jews. There have been many changes to restrict these requests, as there have been some fraudulent schemes in the past.

Currently, it takes almost two years to obtain the certificate from the Israeli Community of Lisbon. After that, it is necessary to live in Portugal for three years to obtain this right.

And soon, the right to apply for citizenship increases from 5 to 10 years to live in the country.

So I don't understand why there is a queue...

So I don't understand why there is a queue... - @JohnnyPT

Me neither and I cannot believe that all of these are Sephardic Jews. That's why I was asking. And at the end of the article they write that Israelis are the largest group of immigrants.

And at the end of the article they write that Israelis are the largest group of immigrants. - @TGCampo

What they probably mean is that applications for Israeli citizenship account for 40% of the total.

https://sicnoticias.pt/pais/2025-07-04- … l-e5d3e047

I cannot believe that all of these are Sephardic Jews

You're right. In the past, the Israeli community in the Porto was involved in scams, in exchange for ...  ?!?

https://expresso.pt/sociedade/2022-03-1 … a-8faa0301

And at the end of the article they write that Israelis are the largest group of immigrants.  - @TGCampoWhat they probably mean is that applications for Israeli citizenship account for 40% of the total.https://sicnoticias.pt/pais/2025-07-04- … l-e5d3e047 - @JohnnyPT

The article says: "And in July Lusa was reporting that 40% of the new Portuguese nationals were Israelis, 60% of whom do not live here. "

Anybody can apply, but I understand that these were the successful ones. For a small country, 40% appears a high number and the 60% not living here is interesting.

In five years, 74,000 Israelis have obtained Portuguese passports. It is the nationality with the most acquisitions: 16,377 - which corresponds to 40 per cent of the total.

Many of them may not live in Israel. They live, for example, in the United States.... and Russia?!...

In five years, 74,000 Israelis have obtained Portuguese passports. It is the nationality with the most acquisitions: 16,377 - which corresponds to 40 per cent of the total.
Many of them may not live in Israel. They live, for example, in the United States.... and Russia?!... - @JohnnyPT

It's a very convenient passport for traveling. It appears it's at least not for living in Portugal. Well, so be it.

@TGCampo

It's appealing because it's an EU country, you have an EU passport, you can live and work in 27 countries.

@TGCampo
It's appealing because it's an EU country, you have an EU passport, you can live and work in 27 countries. - @SimCityAT

Fully agree. I was only surprised that the citizens of Israel (small country) make up 40% of all recipients of Portuguese citizenship combines with 60% if these new citizens not even living in Portugal. It appears (!) to me (!) a bit like a bazaar.

It was a historical reparation for a mistake made 630 years ago, when Jews were expelled from the country if they didn't convert to Catholicism. But this reparation became an abuse, with the complicity of Porto's Jewish community. There have been abuses, and one of them was Roman Abramovich. That's over, and the door will soon close on those Jews too.