Latest news about citizenship for descendants of Portuguese Sephardic Jews
The Portuguese Jewish Community in Lisbon (CIL) published, on the 1st of June 2022, an official statement about the applicable rules that will come into force after 01.09.2022.
In its official statement, CIL expresses that, in their point of view, the application for Portuguese citizenship commences when the applicant requests the Sephardic Ascendency Certificate at the Portuguese Jewish Community and not just when one files the citizenship application at the competent public authority IRN - Instituto dos Registos e Notariado (e.g. after receiving the Certificate).
Hence, according to this understanding of CIL, if one requests the Certificate before 01.09.2022, then the law enforced now will be applicable to that citizen application and not the new regulations.
According to CIL, the lack of response from the public entities about this matter reaffirms their understanding.
If, later, the public entities confirm this understanding, this is a very good (and probably last) opportunity for those who haven’t yet obtained the Certificate from the Portuguese Jewish Community.
On another note, CIL also informs in its official statement that, from their standpoint, the new regulations are contrary to the Portuguese Constitution and should be declared unconstitutional.
If the Portuguese Constitutional Court declares the new regulations unconstitutional, these (new) rules will no longer be applicable.
However, this is a process we expect to take some time, until there’s a judicial decision issued by the Portuguese Constitutional Court.
If you have further questions regarding this matter, get in touch with Cecília Beatriz Ferreira and she will be delighted to assist you.
Cecília Beatriz Ferreira
Lawyer
