New online platform to speed up nationality processes
Authorities claim that the platform will increase the capacity of services to process nationality processes by 50%,
What?
This week, the Institute of Registries and Notaries (IRN) launched a new online platform to speed up procedures for granting nationality, with automation and digitalisation of documents.
According to the Institute, this platform will increase the capacity of services to process nationality processes by 50%, by allowing “the dematerialisation of operations associated with nationality processes, from the entry of the application and respective documents, analysis and final decision”.
With “new functionalities, automation and artificial intelligence”, this new portal will go into operation at the Central Registry Office, in Lisbon, and at the Central Archive of Porto, and should be extended to 16 branches operating in the Civil Registry services throughout the country on 4 November.
Tell me more
In the statement, the Secretary of State for Justice, Maria José Barros, highlighted that “the security in the verification and validation of all elements, the bureaucracy in receiving applications, the multiple manual and redundant tasks, cause bottlenecks in the processing of nationality applications”.
Therefore, the Government hopes “that this new technology will help reduce pending applications, because there is nothing worse than receiving one, having to wait a long time for it”, said the minister.
The new platform allows “documents to be digitised”, extracts “the applicant’s identification data using artificial intelligence” and “automatically classifies the process according to the type of application”, says the IRN.
Background
In 2022, the IRN received 230,000 applications for Portuguese nationality. National law allows foreign citizens to obtain Portuguese citizenship in various situations: number of years of legal residence in Portugal, nationality of family members, place of birth, marriage or existing relationship with the Lusitanian community, among others.
This project was financed by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) and had an initial allocation of €1.4 million.
In 2023, the IRN created an online channel for submitting nationality applications, exclusive and mandatory for lawyers and solicitors, a resource that has already “been the gateway for more than 53 thousand” applications.
“This measure has contributed to increasing the efficiency of services, reducing the pressure on service and the bureaucratic and logistical burden associated with receiving paper documentation”, the IRN also states.
Benefits
Portuguese citizens have access to universities and other higher education institutions in Portugal and Europe with preferential conditions, often paying reduced tuition fees in comparison to international students. In addition, there are more opportunities for scholarships and exchange programmes.
Travelling is also easier: Portuguese nationals can travel to 186 countries and territories without the need for a visa or with a visa on arrival, according to the Henley & Partners Visa Restriction Index of 2022.
The rights inherent in nationality extend to politics, as citizens can actively participate in elections, voting in local, regional, national and European elections. They are also authorised to stand for political and public office;
Portuguese citizenship also allows access to employment opportunities in Portugal and throughout the European Union. This often includes more favourable working conditions and stronger labour protections than those offered in other parts of the world.
Experts also emphasise the high standards of living in Portugal, which includes safety, a mild climate, an efficient health system and a rich cultural life.
Portuguese nationality also makes it easier to start a business and invest in Portugal and Europe. There are tax incentives and specific programmes for entrepreneurs and investors, which makes the business environment more favourable.