Portuguese citizenship granted… now how do I get a passport?
March 22, 2022 12:59 PM Subscribe
I’ve been granted Portuguese citizenship and have my birth certificate (Assento de Nascimento). How do I get a passport now?
Have tried getting an appointment at the embassy in London, where I live, but it’s proving difficult - on the phone then say they don’t have appointments before July and suggest filling in their form online. I’ve done that but I’m not hopeful of getting anywhere.
Would it be easier to do this by just flying to Portugal? Is it likely to be straightforward as a non-Portuguese speaker? Or should I press on with the London option?
(My concern with going to Portugal is it sounds like you only get your ID card in the first instance, so wouldn’t want to have to make multiple trips to then get a passport.)
Have tried getting an appointment at the embassy in London, where I live, but it’s proving difficult - on the phone then say they don’t have appointments before July and suggest filling in their form online. I’ve done that but I’m not hopeful of getting anywhere.
Would it be easier to do this by just flying to Portugal? Is it likely to be straightforward as a non-Portuguese speaker? Or should I press on with the London option?
(My concern with going to Portugal is it sounds like you only get your ID card in the first instance, so wouldn’t want to have to make multiple trips to then get a passport.)
The SEF (and associated agencies) is massively backlogged due to a host of factors. Some people are being given appointments almost a year out, depending on what they need and where they're located.
...trying to accelerate matters by flying to Portugal is unlikely to help, and will cost you time and money. Stick with the Embassy route.
posted by aramaic at 5:23 PM on March 22, 2022
...trying to accelerate matters by flying to Portugal is unlikely to help, and will cost you time and money. Stick with the Embassy route.
posted by aramaic at 5:23 PM on March 22, 2022
Best answer: The London Embassy is notoriously slow (source: I lived there with a Portuguese spouse) She ended up taking care of things in Portugal and it was faster.
First you'd have to register, then get a national ID card and then a Passport. This may not happen all at once.
If you fly to Portugal, you can even get a Passport at the airport. But the important document is your ID card. That is the card that proves your citizenship and can be used to travel and live in Europe. Getting your passport, an international travel document, is an additional step and cannot be done without an ID card.
Yes, you will likely have to make two trips to Portugal but also it will be faster than the London Embassy. No, the language barrier is not a big deal. Memail me if I can be of help.
posted by vacapinta at 1:29 AM on March 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
First you'd have to register, then get a national ID card and then a Passport. This may not happen all at once.
If you fly to Portugal, you can even get a Passport at the airport. But the important document is your ID card. That is the card that proves your citizenship and can be used to travel and live in Europe. Getting your passport, an international travel document, is an additional step and cannot be done without an ID card.
Yes, you will likely have to make two trips to Portugal but also it will be faster than the London Embassy. No, the language barrier is not a big deal. Memail me if I can be of help.
posted by vacapinta at 1:29 AM on March 23, 2022 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: I'm not in a huge rush, so assuming it's possible to deal with it in London then I'll probably do that - but reviews of the embassy on Google seem to say people are waiting years/never getting seen.
Thanks vacapinta, will drop you a memail.
posted by osmond_nash at 6:18 AM on March 23, 2022
Thanks vacapinta, will drop you a memail.
posted by osmond_nash at 6:18 AM on March 23, 2022
This thread is closed to new comments.
Is it likely to be straightforward as a non-Portuguese speaker?
No.
Or should I press on with the London option?
Yes.
posted by DarlingBri at 1:20 PM on March 22, 2022 [3 favorites]