To all NGers
As I finally applied for citizenship in person at IRN, I’d like to start this thread for those who want to apply in person without paying any penny to the lawyers. The first reason I want to do it because I could not find a similar topic in this forum. For sure, some NGers have applied themselves but they did not share their experience here. Hence, I want to share mine.
If you decide to apply via lawyer, this thread might NOT be for you.
Let’s dive in.
Here are the documents that I prepared:
- Contagem do tempo is necessary to know when exactly the first date starts. I only trust what it is written on my CdT. Whatever lawyers and other people say do not matter. What matters is what is written in CdT. So, I recommend everyone to get it as early as possible. Please do not ask me how to get CdT here. If you want to ask sth about CdT, pls ask here.
- Appointment was booked in advance via Siga App 3 months ago. I prefer IRN Lisbon/Porto. I do not like IRN in small towns because Lisbon/Porto have better resources (in my opinion). However, I might be wrong. It’s just my personal preference. Being able to select our preferred IRN as a lucky pick is a clear advantage of applying in person.
- At the appointment, I was called by the IRN officer. The whole process took about 25 minutes. Conversation was 100% in Portuguese. The IRN officer did spend time to check/have a look at all of documents. I meant literally ALL. For criminal records, she looked immediately at all the dates to make sure that they were not over 90 days. She looked at stamps of all documents. For “contagem do tempo”, she immediately looked at the bottom of the page where it states: “é resident legal desde…2020…” […is legal resident since …2020…]. Then she asked me to sign the form and pay 250 Euros.
Here are all the docs that were taken by IRN officer:
- Form filled already (but not signed). I signed in front of the officer. Link of the form
- Birth cert and criminal records: are original & apostilled and have certified translation to Portuguese language.
- Certified copy of resident card and passport (done at local notary office in Lisbon)
- Certified copy of contagem do tempo (done at local notary office in Lisbon)
IRN officer also mentioned that the tracking would be sent to my email within 1-2 months. She gave me a receipt as a proof that I paid 250 euros to apply citizenship under article 6.1.
Not sure why some people keep saying that IRN do not take contagem do tempo. Please wake up! In the citizenship application form itself, it has all the list of documents and the last line is “other:…”. Simply we can tick that box and write down what documents we want to include. That’s what I filled my form and how I did it and IRN officer accepted it without any hesitation.
From what I learnt in Americans & Friends FB groups and other Portugal Nationality FB Group, it is not required to make certified copies of passport and resident card when applying in person. The IRN officer makes it in front of the applicant. However, I still did the certified copies for my docs. It really made the official happier and more comfortable because she did not have to stand up from her chair and go to the photocopy machine at the corner to make photocopies. I could tell from her face that she was happy and satisfied with my docs and even said “Tá bom! fez tudo em copia certificada” (In Eng: Good! You did everything in certified copy).
A confirmation email from IRN system was sent to my mailbox (which I filled in the application form) and information in the email indicates the tracking number that allows me to see the process online.
The email also contains one pdf file indicating what documents were submitted by bullet point. It is pretty clear and nothing I can complain so far.
For those who want to get the tracking number at the time of submission in IRN. You can do it at IRN Lisbon (Rua Fonseca). Comparing to other IRN, the IRN officer in this particular place will scan/upload all docs to the system and give you the tracking number right away. It’s worth to try it. This information was valid until Feb/Mar 2025. I am not sure how it is now. But I believe it is still the same.
In conclusion, the process of applying was easy so far. The applicants have a full control of all steps (booking appointment, choosing location, fill in form, prepare docs,…). And after all, applying in person is a best way to avoid an unnecessary middle man who is highly likely a crook and wants to charge thousand euros for his service). Why would I pay thousand of euros to someone who only hits an Enter button while I am able to speak to/ask question directly and submit my application to Irn officer at zero cost. DIY is highly recommended. Lower cost and best quality! If i can do it, everyone can!
Let’s see how the far this ride is going to take!
Good luck to All!
