# Not adding spouse to GV application initially, bad idea? **URL:** \ **Category:** Portugal Golden Visa\ **Tags:** portugal\ **Created:** [April 21, 2023, 12:06am UTC](https://community.nomadgate.com/t/not-adding-spouse-to-gv-application-initially-bad-idea/57849 "2023-04-21T00:06:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nomiiiii](https://community.nomadgate.com/user_avatar/community.nomadgate.com/nomiiiii/32/6471_2.png) [@nomiiiii](https://community.nomadgate.com/u/nomiiiii)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2023, 12:06am UTC](https://community.nomadgate.com/t/not-adding-spouse-to-gv-application-initially-bad-idea/57849/1 "2023-04-21T00:06:18Z")
I’m in the GV process, but haven’t included my spouse in the application mostly because they won’t have the time to spend 7 days each year or fly to Portugal for biometrics etc. We are right now in US/US citizens. I can work remotely so going back and forth to Portugal every year isn’t a big deal, but this isn’t true for spouse, those 7 days would have to come at the expense of other places in the world we’d rather go on holidays. Our current thinking is that if and when I get the citizenship, and if and when we decide to use that citizenship to actually settle in Europe, my spouse can always just apply then for family reunification or naturalization due to having a Portuguese citizen spouse. And if for whatever reason I’m unable to get eventual citizenship or we never plan to execute that citizenship by settling here due to life reasons, then atleast spouse didn’t have to go through the hassle. Is there any pitfalls or issues here? ---
**Author:** ![portunhol](https://community.nomadgate.com/user_avatar/community.nomadgate.com/portunhol/32/5751_2.png) [@portunhol](https://community.nomadgate.com/u/portunhol)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2023, 1:19am UTC](https://community.nomadgate.com/t/not-adding-spouse-to-gv-application-initially-bad-idea/57849/2 "2023-04-21T01:19:53Z")
Portugal is a country that lets spouses of citizens naturalize with no residence requirements. Which means of you’re happy to wait the decade or so it will take, this makes a lot of sense. ---
**Author:** ![Beanieskis](https://community.nomadgate.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/5daacb/32.png) [@Beanieskis](https://community.nomadgate.com/u/Beanieskis)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2023, 1:29am UTC](https://community.nomadgate.com/t/not-adding-spouse-to-gv-application-initially-bad-idea/57849/3 "2023-04-21T01:29:11Z")
Personally I think this is a bad idea from your spouse’s perspective. Sorry to be morbid, but what if you die, or get divorced? ---
**Author:** ![nomiiiii](https://community.nomadgate.com/user_avatar/community.nomadgate.com/nomiiiii/32/6471_2.png) [@nomiiiii](https://community.nomadgate.com/u/nomiiiii)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2023, 1:38am UTC](https://community.nomadgate.com/t/not-adding-spouse-to-gv-application-initially-bad-idea/57849/4 "2023-04-21T01:38:59Z")
If I die or get divorced my spouse will have no reason to move to Europe. They’re a US citizen and will be happy to be here all their life. I want an EU passport due to wanting to eventually live part-time in Europe, and spouse will join me on my crazy adventures because of love and all, but if I’m not in the picture current life is fine ---
**Author:** ![Beanieskis](https://community.nomadgate.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/5daacb/32.png) [@Beanieskis](https://community.nomadgate.com/u/Beanieskis)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2023, 1:58am UTC](https://community.nomadgate.com/t/not-adding-spouse-to-gv-application-initially-bad-idea/57849/5 "2023-04-21T01:58:29Z")
In that case then yes, doesn’t seem much point adding spouse to application, save the fees. With regards the point made by the poster above about Portugal letting spouses of citizens naturalize with no residence requirements. Although that is the case for most Portuguese citizens, my lawyer told me that spouses of citizens who have acquired Portuguese nationality cannot naturalize in this way. But you’d still be able to have them join you wherever you were living in the EU as your spouse. ---
**Author:** ![anon0066e7240086a118](https://community.nomadgate.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/8e8cbc/32.png) [@anon0066e7240086a118](https://community.nomadgate.com/u/anon0066e7240086a118)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2023, 3:32am UTC](https://community.nomadgate.com/t/not-adding-spouse-to-gv-application-initially-bad-idea/57849/6 "2023-04-21T03:32:35Z")
> [@Beanieskis](#): > > Although that is the case for most Portuguese citizens, my lawyer told me that spouses of citizens who have acquired Portuguese nationality cannot naturalize in this way. I’ve heard differently from other lawyers… ---
**Author:** ![tkrunning](https://community.nomadgate.com/user_avatar/community.nomadgate.com/tkrunning/32/9053_2.png) [@tkrunning](https://community.nomadgate.com/u/tkrunning)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2023, 6:35am UTC](https://community.nomadgate.com/t/not-adding-spouse-to-gv-application-initially-bad-idea/57849/7 "2023-04-21T06:35:55Z")
Perhaps they were referring to it being harder to prove a link to the Portuguese community in that case (unless actually spending a lot of time in Portugal)? ---
**Author:** ![anon0066e7240086a118](https://community.nomadgate.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/8e8cbc/32.png) [@anon0066e7240086a118](https://community.nomadgate.com/u/anon0066e7240086a118)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2023, 6:48am UTC](https://community.nomadgate.com/t/not-adding-spouse-to-gv-application-initially-bad-idea/57849/8 "2023-04-21T06:48:45Z")
But I believe there’s a new law that the link is automatic if you’ve either been married 6 years (which if you’ve been married through the whole GV process seems likely) or married 3 years and have children together. ---
**Author:** ![portunhol](https://community.nomadgate.com/user_avatar/community.nomadgate.com/portunhol/32/5751_2.png) [@portunhol](https://community.nomadgate.com/u/portunhol)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2023, 9:32am UTC](https://community.nomadgate.com/t/not-adding-spouse-to-gv-application-initially-bad-idea/57849/9 "2023-04-21T09:32:03Z")
Right, the six year marriage being considered automatic proof of ties is what makes it work. OP will have been much longer than six years by the time they get citizenship. ---
**Author:** ![kari](https://community.nomadgate.com/user_avatar/community.nomadgate.com/kari/32/5493_2.png) [@kari](https://community.nomadgate.com/u/kari)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2023, 3:32pm UTC](https://community.nomadgate.com/t/not-adding-spouse-to-gv-application-initially-bad-idea/57849/10 "2023-04-21T15:32:39Z")
I didn’t add mine either, planning on waiting. ---
**Author:** ![Chefe](https://community.nomadgate.com/user_avatar/community.nomadgate.com/chefe/32/5862_2.png) [@Chefe](https://community.nomadgate.com/u/Chefe)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2023, 1:45am UTC](https://community.nomadgate.com/t/not-adding-spouse-to-gv-application-initially-bad-idea/57849/11 "2023-04-26T01:45:52Z")
I understand the 6/3 year requirement to mean you have to be married to a Portuguese national for 6 years, or married to a Portuguese national for 3 and have Portuguese children. So your spouse’s clock would only start to run after you got your citizenship. No? ---
**Author:** ![portunhol](https://community.nomadgate.com/user_avatar/community.nomadgate.com/portunhol/32/5751_2.png) [@portunhol](https://community.nomadgate.com/u/portunhol)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2023, 2:46am UTC](https://community.nomadgate.com/t/not-adding-spouse-to-gv-application-initially-bad-idea/57849/12 "2023-04-26T02:46:30Z")
I understand it to mean if married for 3 years, you must prove ties to Portugal. Having Portuguese children with your Portuguese spouse is considered indisputable proof, i.e. not up to the subjective judgement of a bureaucrat or challengable by the public prosecutor. If married for 6 years, no proof of ties is required. So at 3 years with no kids, or kids born before your spouse naturalized, you can still apply, but should expect a higher burden of proof of ties to Portugal. But, not a lawyer, this is not legal advice, etc ---
**Author:** ![Chefe](https://community.nomadgate.com/user_avatar/community.nomadgate.com/chefe/32/5862_2.png) [@Chefe](https://community.nomadgate.com/u/Chefe)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2023, 4:07am UTC](https://community.nomadgate.com/t/not-adding-spouse-to-gv-application-initially-bad-idea/57849/13 "2023-04-26T04:07:55Z")
Right, but I’m still a bit hazy as to what the six year requirement actually means: six years of marriage to anyone who is a Portuguese national _now_, or six years of marriage to someone who was a Portuguese national all along? Like the OP I’m at the beginning of the GV process so it will be a good six years before I get citizenship. Once I do, will my wife immediately qualify for citizenship too because I’m now a Portuguese citizen, and she’s been married to me for six years? Or will she have to wait another six, until she has been married to the Portuguese version of me for that long? ---
**Author:** ![sj-to-pt](https://community.nomadgate.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/5e9695/32.png) [@sj-to-pt](https://community.nomadgate.com/u/sj-to-pt)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2023, 11:56am UTC](https://community.nomadgate.com/t/not-adding-spouse-to-gv-application-initially-bad-idea/57849/14 "2023-07-25T11:56:24Z")
My situation is semi-related and hoping to get some insight too - I got married a year or so after applying for the GV, and therefore although I added her on the application, it wasn’t at the initial stage. Does anyone have insight as to whether these types of family reunification visas are subject to the same extreme timelines as main ARI visas, or are they processed more reasonably? My biometrics appointment came up in March without any sign of hers yet, so that has me wondering. ---
**Author:** ![Beanieskis](https://community.nomadgate.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/5daacb/32.png) [@Beanieskis](https://community.nomadgate.com/u/Beanieskis)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2023, 2:10pm UTC](https://community.nomadgate.com/t/not-adding-spouse-to-gv-application-initially-bad-idea/57849/15 "2023-07-25T14:10:33Z")
My daughter was added 3 months after my primary application. She was pre-approved same time as me, but she appears to have been invited for biometrics roughly in line with chronological order of date of application - about 6 months after I was invited. ---
**Author:** ![sj-to-pt](https://community.nomadgate.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/5e9695/32.png) [@sj-to-pt](https://community.nomadgate.com/u/sj-to-pt)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2023, 8:00am UTC](https://community.nomadgate.com/t/not-adding-spouse-to-gv-application-initially-bad-idea/57849/16 "2023-07-26T08:00:46Z")
Thanks for the info.