You may already be Portuguese. Let us prove it.

The Conservatória dos Registos Centrais (IRN) is currently analysing descent-by-inscrição applications submitted in September 2023 (most recently published window). That backlog plus 4 to 8 weeks of U.S.-side document gathering is your timeline. We do not promise a specific completion date. The Conservatória decides, not us. We update the backlog window monthly so you can plan around the current reality.

This firm does not handle great-grandparent (bisavô / bisavó) cases. The path exists in some forms of Portuguese law, but constructing the documentary chain across four generations falls outside our practice. If your only Portuguese ancestor is a great-grandparent or earlier, the Ordem dos Advogados maintains a directory of firms that handle these cases. We'd rather tell you upfront than waste your time.

No. The application is filed with the Conservatória dos Registos Centrais in Lisbon and we file it on your behalf. You do not need to travel until you collect your citizenship card, and even that step has consulate-based options for U.S. residents.

No. Both the United States and Portugal recognise dual citizenship. Becoming Portuguese does not affect your U.S. status. You hold both nationalities, two passports, full rights in both countries.

For citizenship by descent (Article 1.º d)), there is no language test for direct descendants. For citizenship by marriage and citizenship by naturalisation through residency, you must demonstrate A2-level Portuguese. We tell you upfront which path applies to you.

Typically: your U.S. birth certificate, the birth and (if applicable) marriage certificates of your Portuguese-line ancestors, and any U.S. naturalisation records if your ancestor became a U.S. citizen. We give you a checklist tailored to your case in step 1, including the exact U.S. state office to request each document from.

This is more common than people expect. Portuguese civil registries hold birth records back to the 1800s, indexed by parish (freguesia) and year. If you know the approximate town and year your ancestor was born, we can typically request the original record directly from the Portuguese registry. Mention this in the message field on the form, with any town or region you know. Even partial information helps.

Same Portuguese-nationality framework applies. The Azores, Madeira and mainland Portugal are one country and one citizenship. The civil registry is regional within Portugal, so the documentary path differs slightly (we know which Conservatória to contact for each region), but the legal eligibility is identical.

Yes. Once you are recognised as Portuguese, your minor children can typically be registered as Portuguese citizens through you. Adult children apply on their own track but use the same family documents. We handle multi-generation family applications regularly.

A Portuguese-nationality attorney at our firm reviews your case within 8 working hours (the firm's commitment, weekdays). You receive an email back with: (1) which legal path applies, (2) which documents we'll need from you, (3) the current IRN backlog window for your case. From there, you decide whether to proceed. No automated reply. A real attorney looks at your case.