Introduction
Everyone dreams of living a laid-back life in Europe, and guess what? Until 2009, I had no idea I could have had this chance for my entire life. If you’re Goan, there’s a good chance you didn’t know about this opportunity either.
So many of us dream of exploring the charming streets of Lisbon or relaxing by the pristine beaches of the Algarve. But for most, this remains just a dream, clouded by the complexities and challenges of obtaining a Portuguese passport.
The Spark of Interest
When my cousin visited my home, he brought along sweets and showed off his European citizenship card and Portuguese passport. When I saw that card, I sensed its immense value and potential. I couldn’t help feeling a bit jealous, but I quickly asked him about how to get Portuguese citizenship.
It’s a common story: you hear of friends or relatives who have managed to secure that coveted Portuguese passport, and it stirs a mixture of envy and frustration. The process seems daunting, with bureaucratic hurdles and elusive documentation. Many feel overwhelmed, unsure of where to start or if they even qualify.
My Initial Steps in Getting My Portuguese Passport
I knew that my family had been in Goa for generations, and Goa has a rich history intertwined with Portugal. My cousin’s brother advised me that I needed to gather certain documents to begin the process.
He introduced me to his Portuguese passport agent in Goa, who explained that I needed to gather the birth details of my grandfather or grandmother and, if possible, their marriage record. However, I didn’t know my grandmother’s date of birth. I then tried to gather information about my grandfather, but I didn’t even know his name or birthdate. My mother couldn’t provide any substantial evidence of birth or marriage records. Fortunately, my mother’s elder sister knew the details and wrote them down, including my grandfather’s name and date of birth, my grandmother’s name, and her date of birth, confirming they were born in Goa.
Uncovering Family History
After finding my grandmother’s birth record, I headed to the archives, confident that I had what I needed. But then I was advised to dig even deeper and uncover details about my grandmother’s parents, who were likely born way back in the 1800s. My grandmother was born in 1902, so her parents were likely born in the 1800s.
From here, I needed to extract the information, and you can notice that these papers are in pieces. The words written on these pages were dull, cursive, and indecipherable.
The Amelia Process
In the Amelia process, I began with the white piece of paper that my mother’s elder sister gave me back in 2010 or 2011. On that paper, my grandmother’s name was written as Emelia de Oliveira, supposedly born in 1902. I also had another paper that mentioned my grandfather’s name, Sebastian Pereira, born in 1901. This was the starting point of my journey to uncover more about my family’s history. And this is the only hint I had at that time. I remember people saying, “A single piece of paper cannot decide my future” (But in this case, it can!)
So, I had to decide whether to begin the process from my grandma’s or grandpa’s side. As I started searching through a pile of papers, I realized that finding documents on my grandma’s side was much easier. The church was very cooperative when gathering information about my grandmother’s lineage compared to my grandfather’s. If you are in a similar situation where you can’t locate details for both grandparents, starting with the easier option is perfectly fine.
The first document I obtained was my grandmother’s baptism certificate, which was not the main document I needed but was a supporting piece of evidence. Knowing that my grandparents were Catholic was crucial because it allowed me to access their birth or marriage records from the church. The process might be a bit more challenging for those whose grandparents were non-catholic. Once I had the baptism certificate, I took it to the archives (Altinho, Panaji) in Goa. They could use this certificate to determine my grandmother’s birth year. That’s how I discovered my grandma’s birth year through this process.
Document Details
So, I found my grandma’s baptism certificate in 2014. Now, I had to search for two supporting documents, which included the documents of my great-grandparents. I found the baptism certificate of my grandmother’s father, Manuel Oliveira.
Next, I searched for my ancestors’ death and burial certificates, while also including the baptism certificate in my documentation. I then moved on to locating the marriage certificate of my great-grandparents, which I successfully found during my research.
The next document I needed was the residence proof that shows my grandma lived in India from 1974-1975, which I somehow retrieved from the records.
Detailed Steps of the Process
- Birth certificate of the person to be registered (True copy of the Portuguese record book)
- Death certificate of the person to be registered (in case he/she passed away)
- (Two or more) Old documents, such as old bilhete de identidade, Portuguese passport, documento para viagem, his/her parent’s birth certificate, parent’s baptism certificate (until 1914), civil marriage certificate, or church marriage certificate (this is only valid for church marriages between 1947 and 1961).
- Please note that the church documents must be true copies of the original record books.
- Residence certificate from 1974 to 1975 of the person that will be registered.
- If the person was born after 1/1/1953, the residence certificate should also attest to the father’s domicile.
- True copy of the applicant’s passport
- A true copy of the applicant’s ID (e.g., Aadhaar card or other Identity card)
- Birth certificate of the applicant (whenever it is not the person being registered, e.g., whenever it is the descendant of the person referred on doc a. above)
- Power of attorney
Now that I had all my documents ready, I began the first phase of the process. This initial phase took me 3.5 years and began around 2009-2010. Conducting this research felt like working on a PhD thesis because everything was written in Portuguese. For 450 years, Goa was a Portuguese territory, which meant that government records were maintained in Portuguese rather than English. This added complexity to the research and required significant effort to navigate through historical documents and records.
After completing the first phase, I moved on to the next round of the process, which was equally complex. The first document I needed to locate for this stage was the marriage registration of my grandparents before liberation. Once again, I visited the church and obtained a copy of this record from there to continue with the next steps of the process.
Legalizing the Church Marriage
I opted to legalize the church marriage and obtained the church marriage certificate. The next step was to search for my grandpa’s birth certificate. I was informed that he was born in the 1900s, so I returned to the church to continue my search.
I requested a copy of his baptism certificate, and I received it in February 2014.
This helped me apply for birth teor, which is the birth certificate.
In addition, I had also applied for my grandmother’s Nascimento, which states that my grandmother was a Portuguese citizen.
The Final Steps
These were the processes that helped me in getting my Portuguese passport. I finally got my passport and citizenship this year, and I vividly remember the day I started this journey. I felt unsure, confused, amateurish, and tense, wondering if I would ever get this opportunity. There were no guarantees, the applicant queue was lengthy, and the processes were time-consuming. However, my dream ultimately came true with patience and the right guidance. It was a rewarding and fulfilling experience that taught me the value of perseverance and determination.
If you have a similar dream and want to test your luck, book a Free 1:1 Consultation call with me today. I will answer all your questions for 20 minutes straight.