Current Law Considered Too Restrictive
The proposal provides the option of Portuguese language proficiency as proof of community membership, as a possible alternative to living in Portugal for three years.
The Portuguese Parliament is currently considering a petition to modify the nationality law regarding Sephardic Jews. The proposed amendment aims to expand opportunities for Jews of Iberian origin, who were expelled or forced to flee because of the Inquisition, to more easily reclaim the Portuguese nationality of their ancestors.
Currently, the Nationality Law (Law 37/81) stipulates that Sephardic Jews can obtain Portuguese nationality if they demonstrate membership in a community of Portuguese origin, with proof of connection to Portugal, and if they have legally resided in Portuguese territory for at least three years. The proposal seeks to include Portuguese language proficiency as an alternative to the three-year residency requirement. Language knowledge would need to be validated by a recognized institution.
For Fabrício Marvilla, the first signatory of the proposed law change, the proposal aims to give meaning to this part of the law. “I think, as it stands at the moment, the law ends up being dead letter. Currently, obtaining certification from the Lisbon Jewish Community takes almost two years. Then, it’s necessary to live in Portugal for three years. With the time it takes to obtain nationality as a Sephardic Jew, it’s more worthwhile to apply for nationality after living five years in Portugal,” he evaluates.
According to Marvilla, the petition began collecting signatures on the parliament’s website in November 2024. “We already have more than 400 signatures. Ideally, it should reach 1,000 signatures, which guarantees discussion in committee. If it reached 7,000, which gives the right to discussion in the plenary of the Assembly of the Republic, that would be even better,” explains Marvilla, who is a law professor with both Portuguese and Brazilian nationalities.
