Portuguese Citizenship application after 5 years of Golden Visa

Residencies & citizenships Portugal Golden Visa 🇵🇹
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Hi everyone

1-hoding a Portuguese Golden Visa Since 5 years (5,5 years as of now) ( NOT a permanent visa)

I would love to apply for PT citizenship. Shall i prior to that apply for the permanent residence.

2- for citizenship shall i have to own a property?

My best

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Hello Kingo,

Yes you need to apply for permanent residence before applying for the citizenship. You need to have a permanent address in Portugal (rented or owned) but there is no requirement to buy a property.

All the best and stay well,
Gui

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Thanks for replying guiding

Please check this uploaded document showcasing the unnecessary requirement of a permanent adresse
please check the following !?

Screen Shot 2020-04-02 at 9.47.37 AM
Screen Shot 2020-04-02 at 9.47.37 AM2166Ă—760 123 KB

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Where do you see that?

Article 80 – Permanent Residence Permit – The Official Website of Portuguese Immigration - you need to provide evidence that you have accommodation available to you.

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Guifig
let me say…
Agreed on what you sent to me ( SEF website)
But no articles means clearly requirements to hold a permanent residency ( thus… accommodation: renting or owning property) for applying for citizenship…
my best

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If you have a GV, you hold a temporary residence permit. In order to apply for citizenship, you need to first convert your temporary residence permit into a permanent residence permit. And in order to be permanently resident, you need to have accommodation.

Did you apply for the GV on your own? Or through a local lawyer? If through a lawyer, give him/her a call. If on your own, get in touch with the immigration and boarders authorities (SEF).

Disclaimer: I am a Portuguese lawyer.

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Thank you very much
indeed I am with a local lawyer, he told me there is no law/mandatory or required to hold a permanent residence permit, before applying for citizenship !!?

NB: i am not living in portugal, just I holding GV through corporate investment and not a real estate investment

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LAST QUESTIONPLEASE:

referring to your answer is that requirement true? or just having to manage accommodation?

“Having owned or rented property in Portugal for at least 3 years”

my best

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Kingo,

if you hired a lawyer and if you trust him, just follow his advice.

where did you get this from?

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Thank you!

Indeed, and frankly I am not confortable with my lawyer since 2 years. He is not able to advice me correctly and properly.
I am managing a company in Portugal he is acting as a secretary …

Now I have reached my 5 years GV ( temporary residence) as you said I have to switch to a permanent one. Ok for renting a property to fulfill with the mandatory requirements. the only thing I have to do is noe to get this level A2 Portuguese language certificate.

BUT as Thomas wrote, there is an ongoing discussions to amend the laws and level A2 could be not required in the feature. that s right ?

my best

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This is mentioned in the chapter relating to citizenship, not permanent residence, which says (same link you shared):

Applying for the Golden Visa Permanent Residency

At the end of the 5th year of the Golden Visa, the applicant is entitled to apply for Portugal Permanent Residency for Investment if the following requirements are met:

  • Demonstration that the Golden Visa investment has not been disposed of;
  • Demonstration that the minimum stay requirement (14 nights during the previous 2-year period) has been met;
  • The applicant has held a temporary residence permit for at least five years;
  • During the last five years of Portugal residency, the applicant has not been found guilty of a crime (or cumulative crimes) punishable by more than one year in prison, even if suspended;
  • The applicant has proof of having sufficient means of subsistence and accommodation in Portugal; and
  • Demonstrates knowledge of basic Portuguese by passing the prescribed language test.

The residency card will have a validity of 5 years.

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In order to be permanently resident, you need to have "a place you call home " in Portugal. And for this, you can rent or buy a property but you can’t, for example, say that you live in a hotel or airbnb. That’s why it’s called “permanent” residence, because you’re supposed to live there (or at least the authorities will consider that you live there)

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Not sure about this - I would have to check. Have you asked your lawyer?

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“Having owned or rented property in [Portugal]

This is mentioned in the chapter relating to citizenship, not permanent residence, which says

the 3 years owning or renting a property are mandatory and required for the citizenship is TRUE requirement!?

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I have heard mentions of this, but it’s unclear to me how serious those discussions are, or if they are even ongoing at this moment. Even if it’s being seriously discussed I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for a possible future implementation—especially since you’re already at the 5 year mark.

Instead study some Portuguese and take the A2 test somewhere outside Portugal (you’ll have to look up the test schedules for test centers in cities near you). It’s generally much easier to pass the test outside Portugal than if you take the test in Portugal.

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that reference in Belion’s website is of a general nature (you need to understand that there are many routes that may lead to citizenship). In your case, citizenship would not depend on owning or renting a property for 3 years.

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Hi @Kingo.
I hope you are fine.

In Portugal we have two diferent laws which regulate the Portuguese citizenship applications.
One is the portuguese citizenship law and the portuguese citizenship regulation.

According to tportuguese citizenship law (article 6.Âş ::: Lei n.Âş 37/81, de 03 de Outubro) you need to fulfill the following :

a. Be older than 18 years;
b. Be a legal resident of Portugal for at least 5 years ( Which you proof through the addition of your Golden Visa residence permits validity. Your lawyer may get a certificate from SEF which proofs this.);
c. Know the portuguese language (Pass the A2 exam as refered by @tkrunning above);
d. Not have been sentenced for a crime with a punishment of 3 years or more.

Besides those, there is a subjective requirement previewed in the portuguese citizenship regulation (::: DL n.Âş 237-A/2006, de 14 de Dezembro).
This regulation was not yet updated with the legal time frame of 5 years. It still states 6 years (article 19.Âş 2 b).
Article 56.Âş 2 a) states that the responsable entity may oppose itself to your citizenship application if there is a absence of an effective connection to the national community.

e. Connection to the national community; ( This is a very subjective requirement in which all connections with Portugal count (ex: flights to Portugal, the prove you used to renew your Golden Visa residence permits, portuguese tax identification numbers, public health insurance (SNS), portuguese bank account, the Golden Visa residence permit itself, etc…). There is no magic formula to comply with this requirement. It is subjectively decided by the competent entity.

Owning property for some time would count as additional connection with the country ( Owner of property, utility bills, tax return in Portugal over income generated by that property, etc…).

Answer: According to law there is no need for a permanente residency to be able to apply for the Portuguese Citizenship. But as the portuguese citizenship regulation was not yet updated, the request for citizenship is still made after 6 years, instead of 5 years how they preview to regulate in the next months/years when updating the portuguese citizenship regulation.

Cheers,
Alexander

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Alexander, thanks for the thorough answer and explanation.

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Thank you very much for all the answers guide. great from you

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Thank you so much Alexander for the valuable explanation. :pray:

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