94.000 “new Portuguese” in just three years

Just in 2009, 40.254 new Portuguese citizens were accepted.

It’s a number way ahead of the norm and owes itself to an alteration in the law and requirements usually demanded.

Since the law for naturalising foreigners was altered on 15th December 2006, 93.668 foreigners have managed to pick up Portuguese identity cards – now known as the “Cartão de Cidadão” (Citizen’s Card).

One of the factors behind the increase is that the minimum obligatory period of residence in Portugal, irrespective of country of origin, has been reduced to six years. Another is the importance given to place of birth (jus solus).

For example, Portuguese nationality is attributable to children of foreigners if at least one of the parents was born in Portugal.

Russian and Brazilians are now among the largest communities to be naturalised in Portugal – followed, in decreasing order, by those from Cape Verde, Angola, Moldavia and Guinea-Bissau.