About the process of issuing a Portuguese passport

The new citizenship law enacted in Spain came into effect in October 2015. This law allows the granting of Spanish citizenship to those Jews, the descendants of the Jews who were expelled from Spain from 1492 - the year the Jews were expelled from the country for refusing to convert to Christianity. Portugal was one of the countries to which the Jews came, probably because of its proximity to Spain geographically and culturally.

The Spanish citizenship law affected the Portuguese government and led to the passage of a law that would facilitate the granting of citizenship or the issuance of a Portuguese passport to the descendants of Jews expelled from Spain and later from Portugal. Portuguese law grants Portuguese passport eligibility to anyone who proves that he is indeed the offspring of a family that left Portugal and Spain in the wake of the expulsion in the 15th century. Receiving citizenship or a Portuguese passport for those expelled from Spain will be granted to descendants who have settled in countries such as Morocco, Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, Tunisia, Algeria, Syria, Libya and Egypt.

An easy and simple process to obtain citizenship and a foreign passport

It turns out that the issuance of a Portuguese passport is simpler than the process required in Spain. An examination for the purpose of obtaining a Portuguese passport begins with the approval of the Jewish communities in the country that the applicant for citizenship is indeed a descendant of the Jews who expelled from Spain or Portugal. The applicant is supposed to prove his historical, cultural and genealogy connection to the Jews of Portugal and the diasporas of these Jews since they were expelled from the country. It is possible to prove a connection to one of the Jewish communities outside of Portugal, which still maintains the tradition of Portuguese Jewry.

It is worth knowing that the law for the granting of Portuguese citizenship to descendants of Spanish expellees lists a long list of family names typical of Jews deported from Portugal. Among the names on the list are family names such as Suarez, Pinto, Castro and others. However, it is important to emphasize that it is possible to prove a connection to the Jews who expelled from Spain even if the family name is not on the list. Even if the applicant's surname is included in the list, this is insufficient to prove a connection with the expellees.

Therefore, with the help of Campus staff, you can issue certificates attesting to the connection to the Portuguese Jewish community, including confirmation of membership in a Jewish community outside Portugal that preserves the tradition, customs and prayers that characterize Portuguese Jewry. In addition, Campus assists the applicant for citizenship and a Portuguese passport to prepare a genealogical chart containing a family tree as close as possible to the 15th century. However, it should be emphasized that the genealogy tree of two to four generations is also sufficient.

Professional representation of the applicant

As stated, anyone who can prove his family's affinity with the Jews who were expelled from Spain or Portugal will be entitled to Portuguese citizenship as long as he meets the conditions specified in the law. Campus Company accompanies the applicant throughout the stages of the process, from the stage of collecting the required documents and approvals, including the issuance of relevant approvals, such as confirmation from the police of a clean criminal record, and a summary translation stage and their addition to the application. After obtaining Portuguese citizenship, you can apply a Portuguese passport, which provides many important benefits. The company represents the applicant in Israel and Portugal. The company has a network in Portugal with specialized law firms, with Jewish communities in Portugal and around the world, research institutions and various people in the Portuguese government.

For more details and to arrange a meeting, call now or leave details on the website and we will get back to you as soon as possible.