EnglishAre you already a Portuguese citizen? Mazel Tov! You managed to get into the (evolving) handful of Israelis who completed the process. Now all that is left to do is figure out what to do to get the Portuguese ID and passport that will allow you to travel the world as Europeans for all intents and purposes.
In practice you have 2 options; one is through the Portuguese Embassy (in Israel or around the world), and the other is at the offices of the Portuguese Ministry of Justice in Lisbon where the relevant certificates are issued. The first and cheapest option of the two, will be more suitable for those of you who are not in a hurry, as it lasts over half a year. On the other hand, for lovers of the “here and now” among you, the second option can take between 4-5 days, but for that you will need a flight to Lisbon. For those who choose the second option, after flying, landing and being impressed by the beauty of Lisbon, you must reach the building in the so-called Ministry of Justice “Campus de Justica de Lisboa”. Their operating hours are on Mondays and Tuesdays, between the hours of 19:00 – 8:30 (it is advisable to arrive as early as 6:00 in the morning to be first in line). Before we begin, it is important for you to know – in principle it is not possible to issue a passport before an ID card – so to try to reduce the procedure to one day, you should try to catch a queue for both the ID card procedure and the passport in a creative way. How do you do that? We recommend that you, while standing in line for your ID card, wait for the clerk to hand out a passport issuance card to about 10 people after you, and then you will also request a card. Another way is to come with another person and he will stand 10 people behind you and ask for a card to issue a passport. Keep in mind that this does not always work – sometimes we will be told to come the next day to issue a passport as well. While waiting in line, the clerk ask for a card for the issuance of an identity card called: “BIOMETRICO CARTAO DO CIDADAO”. When it is your turn, you will be called to a room where you will be photographed, height measured, fingerprints taken and some other basic data. The clerk who will take care of you will ask you for an up-to-date address, it is advisable to write it on a page, so that there will be no mistake. Finally, they will ask you for a signature – make sure you sign a signature that matches the one in the passport. The cost of the procedure is 53 euros. Passport application: this time when you are standing in line (if you have not applied before) you will ask the clerk for a passport called: “Biometrico passaporte espresso”. When it’s your turn, you enter the room again with the card you requested earlier and are photographed again, measuring height, taking fingerprints and verifying data. (Please note, it is important to know that this is an espresso passport so it actually arrives the same day and not within three days). At the end of the process you will receive a note, it is important that you keep it because you will have to present it when collecting the passport in the field. The cost of the procedure is 100 euros. Keep in mind that only if you complete the passport procedure by 11:00 in the morning, it will be waiting for you the same day in the field, if not, it will be available the next day. Collection of documents: the identity card is distributed at the same place (Ministry of Justice) starting at 17:00. The queue for the distribution of the ID card is handed out at 13:00. We would recommend that you arrive as early as 12:00 to get the earliest appointment. Why is it advisable to arrive early? Because the passport can only be collected between 17:30 and 19:00. After obtaining the earliest appointment, taking the ID card, you must travel immediately to the airport at: Alameda das Comunidades Portuguesas, 1700-111 Lisbon, Portugal – Terminal1. The passport can be in one of two places, a place called SEF – right at the entrance to the terminal behind a large statue that resembles the Statue of Liberty, or a hundred meters away, in a place that is below the barracks inside the terminal. In one of the two places, a police officer with a number of passports will be waiting for you, usually there is no queue and you just approach him with the note you received and he gives you the long-awaited passport. That’s it, now you can enjoy all the benefits of a passport and European citizenship.
