Johndesa,
thanks for your kind help and information..
regards,
Pascoal
-----Original Message-----
From: johndesa [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Monday, January 13, 2003 11:17 PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; qatar goans group;
[EMAIL PROTECTED];
[EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: [GOANET] Requirements for Portuguese Passport
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Archives:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/goa-net/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Goanet2003/
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Dear Pascoal/All,
Below is a list of requirements to apply for Portuguese
Citizenship/Eligibility. Mr. Bruno Gomindes of Jet International, Margao,
and Mr. Lucas Campos, Portugal, provide services in regard to the subject.
We, at Goan Overseas Association, Qatar are assisting Goans to apply for
Portuguese Citizenship through the services of Mr. Gomindes and Campos. You
may contact them for further info/services.
Mr. BRUNO GOMINDES
JET INTERNATIONAL TRAVELS & TOURS
375, BORDA, MARGAO
GOA 403 602
TEL: 703553, 703081, 734915/16
FAX: 734917
EMAIL: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Mr. Lucas Campos
Alameda Fernão Lopes, 25, 7-B,
Miraflores, 1495 Alges,
Portugal
Fax No.00-351-21-412-0824
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
From: "Vaz, Pascoal" [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: "'[EMAIL PROTECTED]'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Date: Sun, 12 Jan 2003 11:26:55 +0400
Dear All,
Could anyone tell me the documents required and procedures for acquiring
Portuguese passport.
thanks
Pascoal R. Vaz
S.I.O.L (Shell Iran Offshore Ltd.)
P.O BOX 62997
Dubai, UAE
Mobile: 00971504923975
Fax : 0097143370725
Mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
LIST OF DOCUMENTS REQUIRED
For all those who were born before 18/12/1961
A. Documents to be obtained from Registrar/Sub-Registrar/Archives/Panchayat
1. Registo de Nascimento/Teor/Birth Certificate of the applicant
a. Name :
b. Date of Birth :
c. Place of Birth :
2. Registo de Nascimento/Teor/Birth Certificate of the spouse if married
3. Registo de Casamento/Teor/Marriage Certificate if married
a. Date of Marriage :
b. Place of Marriage :
B. Indian passport in original of applicant and spouse. (If not available
then bring 16 photographs, ration card, birth certificate, marriage
certificate we will assist you in doing your fresh passport).
C. Residence certificate to be obtained from Mamlatdar/Panchayat specifying
the period of stay including period 01/01/1974 to 31/12/1975 (you may bring
a letterhead if possible we shall prepare the draft in English or Portuguese
and give back for signature and seal of authority).
D. Complimentary certificate from the church/Mosque/Temple/School/Work
specifying the period of stay including period 01/01/1974 to 31/12/1975 (you
may bring a letterhead if possible we shall prepare the draft in English or
Portuguese and give back for signature and seal of authority).
E. Death certificate if deceased
____________________________________________________________________________
___________
LIST OF DOCUMENTS REQUIRED
A. Documents to be obtained from Registrar/Sub-Registrar/Archives/Panchayat
For all those who were born after 18/12/1961
1. Registo de Nascimento/Teor/Birth Certificate of Parents
a. Name of Father :
b. Date of Birth of Father :
c. Place of Birth of Father :
d. Name of Mother :
e. Date of birth of Mother :
f. Place of birth of Mother :
2. Registo de Casamento/ Teor/ Marriage certificate of Parents
g. Date of Marriage :
h. Place of Marriage :
B. Indian passport in original of parents. (If not available then bring 16
photographs, ration card, birth certificate, marriage certificate we will
assist you in doing your fresh passport).
C. Residence certificate to be obtained from Mamlatdar/Panchayat specifying
the period of stay including period 01/01/1974 to 31/12/1975 (you may bring
a letterhead if possible we shall prepare the draft in English or Portuguese
and give back for signature and seal of authority).
D. Complimentary certificate from the church/Mosque/Temple/School/Work
specifying the period of stay including period 01/01/1974 to 31/12/1975.
(you may bring a letterhead if possible we shall prepare the draft in
English or Portuguese and give back for signature and seal of authority).
E. Death certificate if deceased
1. If incase you need any further assistance in obtaining your documents we
have people who will assist you in obtaining your documents from the
respective Registrar/Sub-Registrar/Archives/Panchayat on chargeable basis.
2. We prefer to have all the documents in Portuguese, incase you are unable
we can assist you in giving you the draft in Portuguese which you can
authorities to type on their letter head with the photograph and seal
affixed.
3. If in case you want us to get your documents than the following
information is required.
A. Name of the applicant
Date of Birth
Place of Birth
Place of Registration
B. Name of Spouse
Date of Birth
Place of Birth
Place of Registration
C. Marriage Details
Date of Marriage
Place of Marriage
Place of Registration
D. Name of Father
Date of Birth
Place of Birth
Place of Registration
E. Name of Mother
Date of Birth
Place of Birth
Place of Registration
F. Marriage details of Parents
Date of Marriage
Place of Marriage
Place of Registration
G. Name and place of the Parish in Goa
H. Name of the Panchayat/Mamlatdar in Goa
I. Residence Address in Goa
Telephone No. in Goa
Email address
G. Present address overseas
Telephone No. overseas
Email address
J. Name of the person available in Goa to assist in documentation and follow
up if any.
Note: It is very important that the names on the Indian passport of the
Applicant, Parents and spouse should be exactly as per their original birth
i.e. as per their Registo de Nascimento. Even if there is a single error on
the passport which differs from the original birth than the passport will
have to be re-issued/corrected.
Our Activities:
Once the file is ready we submit the documents directly to Conservatoria dos
Registos Centrais in Lisboa, Portugal and we follow up the case with the
Registos Centrais till the process is completed which takes approximately
one and half year.
Important:
It is important that one of your parents have to be born and/or registered
in Goa on or before 18/12/1961.
OR
If you are born on or before 18/12/1961 than we can submit your papers
directly in Portugal.
If incase you are born and registered in Goa after 18/12/1961 we will have
to transcribe the birth and marriage of your parents in Portugal i.e. obtain
the nationality for one of your parent's first and then you are eligible to
submit the Nationality documents to the respective Consulate wherever you
reside.
For any further information you are free to contact us at the following
address
Mr. BRUNO GOMINDES
JET INTERNATIONAL TRAVELS & TOURS
375, BORDA, MARGAO
GOA 403 602
TEL: 703553, 703081, 734915/16
FAX: 734917
EMAIL: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
PORTUGUESE NATIONALITY LAW
by Paulo Colaco Dias (London) Email:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Historical Background
Around 1757, the Prime Minister Marquês de Pombal and the King of Portugal,
D.
José I, signed a Royal decree granting all Portuguese Indians (Goa, Damão
and Diu) Portuguese citizenship and equal status and rights under the law
with the Metropolitan Portuguese. Neither the British, nor French, nor
Dutch, had ever granted such a status to their Asian subjects. In that
respect, Portugal was indeed unique. Perhaps this is the reason why so many
Goans consider themselves different from the rest of the Indians and can
integrate easily in the western societies. In the British and Portuguese
African colonies, the distinction was quite visible. However, the reality
today is different and the majority of Goans born in Goa after 1961
naturally identify themselves with India.
In 1926, Portugal ended more than a century of liberalism and 48 years of
authoritarianism began with a military dictatorship under President General
Oscar Carmona. Prof. Dr. Oliveira Salazar became a dictator in 1930 and in
that very year passed the racist Colonial Act differentiating Indians in the
colonies from the Metropolitan Portuguese. This discriminatory Act was
repealed only in 1950, thanks to the efforts of Prof. Dr. Froilano de
Mello, a brilliant Goan doctor representing Goa in the Portuguese
Parliament. He openly and successfully fought for the rights of
Portuguese Indians. From 1950, Goans recouped their status and were treated
again just like any other Portuguese citizens from the metropolis.
On 18th December 1961, the Indian Army invaded Portuguese India and the
Portuguese forces surrendered without a fight. Many Goans left Goa at that
time and
were welcomed in Portugal. Portugal however did not recognise the takeover.
It was only in 1975 that Dr. Mario Soares, representing a new Democratic
Portugal,
recognised the annexation of Goa, Damão and Diu and re-opened diplomatic
relations with the Republic of India. In Portugal, Goans are fully
integrated in all fields of the Portuguese Society and refuse to identify
themselves as a minority group and indeed
they are not officially recognised as such. The total number of people of
Indian origin living in Portugal today exceeds 100,000 (Catholics, Hindus
and Muslims). They form the second largest Indian Community in Europe (after
the UK). The majority of these 100,000 people are of Goan origin making them
the largest Goan community in the world living outside Goa. Yet curiously,
one hardly hears about the Goans resident in Portugal.
Antigo Estado da India
It is important to note that after 1975, the Antigo Estado da India (the
legal term for Goa, Damão, Diu e Dadrá e Nagar Avelí before 19 December
1961) was assigned a special status under the Portuguese Nationality Law.
Decreto-Lei n. 308-A/1975, 24th June
- "Lei da Nacionalidade Portuguesa" - Article 1º. clause (e), clearly says
that all those born in the Antigo Estado da India who declare their
intention to retain their Portuguese Nationality are entitled to do so.
Other ex-Portuguese colonial citizens were given a
period of time to decide if they wanted to remain as Portuguese citizens or
to adopt the nationality of the new independent countries like Angola or
Mozambique.
Only the citizens from Antigo Estado da India were not given a time limit to
decide if they wanted to continue being Portuguese citizens. They are still
entitled to declare today their wish to continue as Portuguese citizens.
In the euphoria that followed Goa's takeover by India in 1961, many Goans
burnt their Portuguese passports in public demonstrations organised by
freedom fighters. (Freedom fighters were held in high regard and earned all
sorts of privileges.) Others launched
diatribes against Portuguese rule in the local media. Former Portuguese
passport holders seemed content with their new Indian status until 1986. In
that year, Portugal joined the European Community and the old and "poor"
country was becoming transformed: modernized and much more European. As a
result, many of the very individuals who had reviled Portugal suddenly
detected a doorway to enter Europe, an opportunity too good to
forego. Thus began the clamour for a return of their Portuguese citizenship.
Bogus Applicants
The number of applications increased exponentially after 1986 and Portugal
was pressured by the European Community to tighten up Portuguese Nationality
law.
However, everything remains unchanged so far. Unfortunately, a large number
of bogus applications came to light. Indians outside the former Portuguese
territories were also claiming Portuguese citizenship. Sorting out the mass
of applications became difficult
with each passing day, and today there is a very strict and lengthy process
to check the veracity of all submitted documents. It is no longer unusual
today for people of Indian origin to hold a Portuguese passport. In fact,
many of these people (other than Goans) have acquired one because they had
lived and worked in the former African colonies. The Hindu community in
Lisbon is large and most of them came from Angola and Mozambique.
Lately, many other Indians have succeeded in acquiring false Portuguese
passports. There are people ready to pay large sums of money for one. I
have personally met
Gujeratis in Paris who have bought such bogus documents. I found them
happily selling French souvenirs by the roadsides of Paris and apparently
doing good business. Some of them had entered Europe through Poland and
Germany using false Portuguese
passports.
Recently the Portuguese press reported that Masood Azhar, the well known
Islamic Kashmir leader (whose release was demanded by Indian Airlines
hijackers in December 1999), was in possession of a false Portuguese
passport when he was arrested in 1994 in India.
The Portuguese Nationality Law also grants citizenship to descendants of
Portuguese citizens. Therefore, a person born only yesterday but who had a
grandfather born in Portuguese India before 1961, can apply for Portuguese
nationality. Applications for Portuguese citizenship have to be submitted to
the nearest Portuguese Consulate. The list of requirements may be found at
the web site: http://www.geocities.com/paulocd/PortNatLaw.htm Supporting
documents include birth and marriage certificates (if applicable), legal
identification documents and certificate of residency during the period
1970 - 1980. All documents issued in Goa are required to be certified by a
Public Notary, the Collector and Under Secretary (Home). Consult your
nearest Portuguese Consulate for details.
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions:
Q1. Under what law can the descendants of former Portuguese Citizens claim
Portuguese citizenship? The 1975 legislation refers to a person born in the
Antigo Estado da India. Does it cover the children or grandchildren who may
have been born elsewhere?
A1: If you were born after 1961 (anywhere in the world) or born before 1961
but outside the Antigo Estado da India, it is necessary for you to prove
that your parents/grandparents were born in the Antigo Estado da India. Once
you have proved that, you need to register your parents/grandparents as
Portuguese Citizens in Lisbon (even if they are already dead) and only then
you can apply for Portuguese citizenship based on the fact that you are the
descendent of a Portuguese citizen fully registered in Lisbon, Portugal .
Q2: Is the birth of a person in Antigo Estado da India sufficient
requirement?
A2: No. In addition, you need to prove that you were not residing in the
Ex-Portuguese African colonies during 1974-1976. This is because those that
were residing in the ex-Portuguese African colonies were given a short
period of time to decide if they wanted
to remain Portuguese citizens. So, if you were residing during the 1970's in
the Ex-Portuguese African colonies given independence in 1975 (Angola,
Mozambique, Guiné-Bissau, Cabo Verde, São Tomé e Principe), the chances are
that your application will not be accepted.
Q3: Did the parents/grandparents (born in Antigo Estado da India) have to
hold a Portuguese passport at all? What evidence has to be submitted by the
child or grandchild?
A3: No. A Portuguese passport was never a requirement for citizenship. A
birth certificate of your parent/grandparent is necessary along with a
detailed list of other requirements that can be found at the following site:
http://www.geocities.com/paulocd/PortNatLaw.htm
Q4: What if the person switched passport to Indian or British, Canadian,
American, etc?
A4: Not at all. Portugal allows dual Nationality and according to the
Portuguese law, you can keep your second and other nationalities. The only
restriction is that you will not be able to claim Portuguese protection if
you require help in the country of your other nationality.
Some countries do not allow dual nationality (example: India). According to
the Indian Law, it is a serious offence to keep your Indian
Nationality/passport if you have acquired another nationality.
Q5: Do I have to travel to Lisbon to apply?
A5: No. You should contact your nearest Portuguese Consulate and refer to
the Portuguese Nationality Law. If they fail to give you information or if
they do not
know enough about it (which is the case sometimes), then you should contact
a Portuguese lawyer (there are several experts in Portuguese Nationality
Law) and
request help.
