Organic Law No. 1/2026 permanently ended Portuguese citizenship through Sephardic Jewish descent. Understand what changed, what happens to ongoing cases, and what alternatives exist.
What was the Sephardic route?
Portuguese nationality for descendants of Sephardic Jews was created as a form of historical recognition and reparation for families expelled from the Iberian Peninsula during the Inquisition. For years, it allowed descendants of these communities to obtain Portuguese citizenship without needing to live in Portugal or speak Portuguese, as long as they could prove a connection to a Sephardic community of Portuguese origin.
What changed with Organic Law No. 1/2026?
Organic Law No. 1/2026, published in the Diário da República on May 18, 2026, profoundly amended the Nationality Law. The Sephardic route was permanently closed with no transition period — any new application based on this route was no longer possible from May 19, 2026.
What about cases already in progress?
This is the most important point for those who were in the middle of the process:
Cases already submitted are not affected. If the application for nationality through the Sephardic route was already underway before May 19, 2026, it will proceed normally.
However, family members who had not yet submitted their application — even if the primary applicant had — are already subject to the new rules, which in practice makes this route unavailable.
What are the alternatives for obtaining Portuguese nationality?
- Descendants of Portuguese citizens — children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren
- Marriage or civil partnership with a Portuguese citizen
- Legal residence in Portugal
- Birth in Portugal
- Born in former Portuguese colonies
Each case has specific requirements. A proper analysis of your family profile is the first step to identifying which route applies to you.
