Descendants of Sephardic Jews: What Changed with Organic Law 1/2026

For a decade, the naturalization of descendants of Sephardic Jews of Portuguese origin was one of the most sought-after routes to Portuguese citizenship, including by Brazilians. Organic Law 1/2026 (Lei Orgânica) closed this route. Many families were left with concrete questions: is the application filed with the IRN still valid? Can those who are already Portuguese lose their citizenship? Can children and spouses still be included? And what can those who never applied do now?

This article answers these questions based on the text of the law and official information from the Ministry of Justice, with caution on points that still depend on regulations or on IRN practice. Last reviewed: October 1, 2026.

In short

• New applications: it has no longer been possible to apply for citizenship through the Sephardic route since May 19, 2026.
• Pending applications: those already in progress on May 19, 2026 continue to be decided under the previous law.
• Those who are already Portuguese through the Sephardic route: the new law does not revoke citizenship already granted.
• Family: children and spouses of those who are already Portuguese follow the general rules, which remain available, with limits.
• Those who did not apply in time: the general routes remain, such as legal residence in Portugal, proven Portuguese ancestry and marriage.

What exactly changed

The Sephardic route was in Art. 6(7) of the Nationality Act (Lei da Nacionalidade), and paragraph 13 of the same article made the Jewish community certificate subject to approval by an assessment committee. Organic Law 1/2026 repealed both paragraphs (Art. 5). The law was published on May 18, 2026 and entered into force the following day (Art. 8).

The Ministry of Justice summarized the change by saying that the law "eliminates the special regime for descendants of Sephardic Jews" and that the new provisions apply only to applications filed after its entry into force.

A technical note: the procedure for the Sephardic route was set out in Art. 24-A of the Portuguese Nationality Regulations (Regulamento da Nacionalidade Portuguesa). The law instructed the Government to adapt the regulations within 90 days (Art. 4), and, when we checked on October 1, 2026, the consolidated version in the Diário da República still reproduced that article. In our reading, this does not reopen the route: the regulations merely implemented Art. 6(7), which no longer exists for new applications.

How the route evolved until it was closed

Understanding the phases matters because pending applications are decided under the rule in force when they were filed:

1. Organic Law 1/2013 and Decree-Law 30-A/2015 (Decreto-Lei): created and regulated the naturalization, in force since March 1, 2015. The applicant did not need to live in Portugal or prove knowledge of the language.
2. Decree-Law 26/2022: for applications filed from September 1, 2022, it began to require, in addition to the certificate from a Jewish community based in Portugal, proof of an effective and lasting connection to Portugal, such as inherited rights over real estate or shareholdings in Portugal, or regular trips to the country throughout one's life.
3. Organic Law 1/2024, in force since April 1, 2024: began to require three years of legal residence in Portugal and made the certificate subject to final approval by an assessment committee. Applications filed from September 1, 2022 until the law entered into force received their own transitional rule (Art. 6), which accepted, among other proofs of connection, holding a residence permit for more than one year.
4. Organic Law 1/2026, in force since May 19, 2026: repealed the route for new applications.

The full history, with a focus on those living in Israel, is on our page From Israel to Portugal.

I have a pending application: what happens now

Administrative procedures pending on May 19, 2026 are governed by the Nationality Act in its previous wording (Art. 7(2) of Organic Law 1/2026). In practice, your application continues to be assessed under the rules that applied when it was filed:

• Applications filed before September 1, 2022: original regime.
• Applications filed from September 1, 2022 to March 31, 2024: transitional rule of Organic Law 1/2024.
• Applications filed from April 1, 2024 to May 18, 2026: three years of legal residence and approval of the certificate by the assessment committee.

This does not mean approval. The IRN continues to review the documents and may request documents or clarifications. What is within your reach:

• follow the case through the case status inquiry, with the case number and access code;
• keep your address, email and your attorney's contact details up to date with the IRN;
• respond to any notice within the deadline, with complete documents, translated when necessary;
• avoid filing a new application "just in case": an application filed now no longer has a basis in the Sephardic route.

If the case has been stalled for a long time, there are administrative and judicial means to request a decision. They depend on the case history and on proof of the delay. See urgency and delays in the citizenship process.

I am already Portuguese through the Sephardic route: does anything change?

Organic Law 1/2026 takes effect from its entry into force (Art. 7(1)) and contains no rule revoking naturalizations already granted. Those naturalized through the Sephardic route remain Portuguese and use their Portuguese documents normally. If your case ended recently, see Citizen Card, passport and next steps.

As for any citizenship, the general rules on the validity of acts still apply:

• an act of attribution or acquisition based on false documents, on documents certifying untrue or non-existent facts, or on false statements is null and void, unless nullity would leave the person stateless (Art. 12-A);
• holding citizenship in good faith for at least 10 years consolidates it, even if the original act could be declared null; consolidation does not apply when citizenship was obtained fraudulently (Art. 12-B).

For those who submitted genuine documents, these rules change nothing in daily life. The practical recommendation is to keep a full copy of the case file, including the Jewish community certificate and the documents on which it was based.

What about the family of those who are already Portuguese?

The Sephardic route was personal: each descendant needed his or her own application. With the end of the route, the family of those who are already Portuguese depends on the general rules of the Nationality Act:

• Children born after the naturalization: they are Portuguese by origin if the birth is registered in the Portuguese civil registry or if they declare that they wish to be Portuguese (Art. 1(1)(c)).
• Minor children already born: they can acquire citizenship by declaration (Art. 2). Since this route depends on being a minor, it is best not to postpone it.
• Adult children: they do not inherit the citizenship of the naturalized father or mother and need their own route, such as legal residence in Portugal.
• Grandchildren: the grandchildren route requires a grandfather or grandmother with original Portuguese citizenship (Art. 1(1)(d)). Sephardic naturalization is an acquisition, so, as a rule, it does not open this route for grandchildren. Children who become Portuguese by origin under subparagraph (c), however, pass citizenship on to their own children under the normal rules.
• Spouse or partner: a foreign national married for more than three years to a Portuguese national, or in a de facto union (união de facto) for more than three years recognized by a court, can acquire citizenship by declaration (Art. 3), subject to the grounds for opposition in Art. 9. See citizenship by marriage or stable union.

I did not apply in time: which paths remain

There is no special replacement route. The alternatives are the general routes, each with its own requirements:

• Legal residence in Portugal: 7 years for Brazilians and European Union citizens, 10 years for others, counted within a window of 9 or 12 years, with the new knowledge requirements (Arts. 6 and 15). For Brazilians, knowledge of the language is presumed. See citizenship by length of residence and how to count the 7 years.
• Documented Portuguese ancestry: if, in addition to the Sephardic tradition, the family has a Portuguese-born father, grandfather or great-grandfather with a record, the routes for children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren can be reviewed. See citizenship for grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
• Marriage or de facto union with a Portuguese citizen, under the conditions of Art. 3.

For those who want, above all, to live in Portugal, residence comes first: a residence visa at the consulate or, for investors, the Golden Visa, whose time also counts as legal residence. See visas for Portugal and the Golden Visa. The overall picture of the reform is in the article on the new Nationality Act.

Common mistakes

• Hiring genealogy research or a community certificate for a new application: after May 19, 2026, the certificate no longer serves as a basis for naturalization.
• Abandoning a pending application in the belief that the new law canceled it: it follows the previous wording.
• Filing a new application to "update" the old one, which may bring the case under the new rules.
• Assuming that adult children and grandchildren are included in the naturalization of the father or grandfather.
• Letting children reach adulthood without making the declaration under Art. 2.
• Ignoring IRN notices or leaving contact details outdated during years of waiting.

How Sene & Araújo can help

Sene & Araújo has lawyers admitted to the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB) and the Portuguese Bar Association (Ordem dos Advogados), with offices in São Paulo and Albufeira, and works directly before the IRN and the Portuguese administrative courts. We review how your pending application is framed based on its filing date, follow responses to notices and, where appropriate, the remedies against delay; we organize citizenship for the children and spouse of those who are already Portuguese; and, for those who did not apply in time, we assess the general routes available. The decision on each application rests with the Portuguese authorities, and the outcome cannot be predicted. Talk to our team.

• Organic Law 1/2026 (Lei Orgânica), of May 18 (Arts. 4, 5, 7 and 8) — Diário da República 95/2026
• Law 37/81 — Nationality Act, consolidated version (Arts. 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 12-A, 12-B and 15)
• Ministry of Justice — Nationality Act: new rules come into force on May 19
• Organic Law 1/2024, of March 5 (Art. 6(7) and (13) of the Nationality Act; Art. 6, transitional rule; Art. 9, entry into force)
• Decree-Law 26/2022 (Decreto-Lei), of March 18 (Art. 24-A of the Regulations; Art. 9(2), entry into force)
• Portuguese Nationality Regulations — Decree-Law 237-A/2006, consolidated version (Art. 24-A; accessed on October 1, 2026)
• IRN — Checking the status of the citizenship application

Sene & Araújo Sociedade de Advogados team. Content prepared and reviewed by the firm's lawyers, admitted to the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB) and the Portuguese Bar Association (Ordem dos Advogados), with offices in São Paulo and Albufeira. The provisions cited were checked against the official sources listed above. Meet the team.