Portuguese Citizenship by Sephardic Descent

In the past, we have discussed the procedure for obtaining **[Portuguese nationality by Sephardic origin](https://serviciolegal.com.co/portuguese-nationality-by-sephardic-origin/?lang=en)**the documents that are required, [**the most frequently asked questions that may arise**](https://serviciolegal.com.co/frequently-asked-questions-about-portuguese-nationality-due-to-sephardic-origin/?lang=en)among other issues; in this opportunity we will delve into the information and new discussions of the projects that are underway before the decree law 30A/2015. ## Background of Decree Law 30A/2015 The Portuguese State is governed by Decree-Law no. No. 237-A/2006 as amended by Decree Law no. 237-A/2006 as amended by Decree Law no. 237-A/2006\. º 43/2013 which contains the regulation for Portuguese nationality. This can be acquired through will, adoption and naturalization[\[1\]](#%5Fftn1), however, in such regulations no special consideration was made for the granting of nationality taking into account factors such as origin, religion, among others. Decree Law 30A/2015 aims to remedy a historical debt by vindicating the rights of the descendants of the Sephardic Jews expelled by the King of Portugal, Manuel I, as of 1496 for not having submitted to Catholic baptism. The exiled Jews continued “always united to the Iberian land and customs, and it is this heritage that, hundreds of years later, is claimed by their descendants”[\[2\]](#%5Fftn2). [](#%5Fftnref1) ## Object of Decree Law 30A/2015 The specific objective of the decree law is to allow the granting of Portuguese nationality through naturalization to Sephardic Jewish descendants. The regulation seeks to “reconnect Portugal with the traditional Sephardic communities of Portuguese origin, without requiring residence in the national territory or fluency in Portuguese”[\[3\]](#%5Fftn3). ## Formalities The application for Portuguese nationality by Sephardic origin consists of two steps: 1. A certificate of Sephardic ancestry must be presented, which must be issued by the Jewish communities of Oporto and/or Lisbon. 2. The application for nationality before the Portuguese Ministry of Justice, providing: Apostilled civil registry of birth, civil birth records or Birth or baptism certificates of the applicant’s parents, certificate of Sephardic origin, certificate of criminal record apostilled and translated into Portuguese, copy of passport[\[4\]](#%5Fftn4). The decree in question, unlike Law 12/2015 of Spain[\[5\]](#%5Fftn5), did not establish an expiration date for the filing of applications, so that, in principle, at any time the interested party could initiate the proceedings. ## Proposed amendments to Decree Law 30A/2015. While it is true that Decree Law 30A/2015 has not been amended so far, it has been the subject of heated debates in the Portuguese Assembly where some amendment proposals have been presented to restrict the conditions for the granting of Portuguese nationality to descendants of Sephardic Jews. This debate has been generated, since some parliamentarians consider that the number of applications for Portuguese nationality due to Sephardic origin has been very high, and they also suspect that there are irregular business dealings with passports[\[6\]](#%5Fftn6). However, the Israelite community of Lisbon has called on the Portuguese authorities to review all their files and confirm the transparency of the nationality acquisition processes. Additionally, he defends the decree law 30A/2015 since “thanks to the Sephardic legislation, Portugal today has a positive perception by the Jewish communities around the world, that, in addition, to the positive repercussions on the flow of tourists from Israel to Portugal”[\[7\]](#%5Fftn7). [](#%5Fftnref6) ### The following is a brief description of the legislative proposals: 1. The initial reform proposal was presented by the Socialist bench, which sought to add another requirement for the origin of Portuguese nationality. The wording of the rule would be as follows: _Nationality will be granted to descendants of Portuguese Sephardic Jews, through the demonstration of the tradition of belonging to a Sephardic community of Portuguese origin, based on proven objective requirements of links with Portugalespecially: surnames, family language, direct or collateral descendants, and that have been legally resident in Portugal for a period of two (2) years.[ **\[8\]** ](#%5Fftn8)._ This proposal was quite controversial even within the Socialist party itself, former deputies such as José Vera Jardim, Manuel Alegre, Alberto Martins e Maria de Belém Roseira[\[9\]](#%5Fftn9) pointed out that such a modification would represent in practice the revocation of decree law 30A/2015\. Likewise, the PSD and CDS parties disagreed. 1. Due to conflicts with the previous reform proposal, the Socialist party modified it in May of this year, eliminating the requirement of two years of residence in Portugal to obtain nationality. However, it “maintained the requirement of objective criteria of effective links with the country”.[\[10\]](#%5Fftn10). However, the proposed regulation does not specify what are the objective factors that prove a link with the country, however, an example could be to prove previous residence for two years in Portugal (although it is no longer mandatory) or to prove ownership of real estate in the country. 2. On July 15 of this year, the Socialist Party withdrew the reform proposal mentioned in the previous paragraph, however, simultaneously, Congresswoman Constança Urbano de Sousa “announced a new amendment proposal that refers to the Portuguese Government the regulation of the requirement of the effective fulfillment of objective requirements of ties with Portugal by the descendants of Sephardic Jews”.[\[11\]](#%5Fftn11). In the initial vote, this proposal was approved by the Socialist party and the BE party; on the other hand, the PCP party voted against and the PSD party abstained. This proposal is currently in force and in process. 1. Finally, the PSD party proposed that candidates for Portuguese nationality by Sephardic origin should be required to meet one of several legal requirements[\[12\]](#%5Fftn12) such as “authorization of residence in national territory” “regular trips to Portugal” “ownership of more than three years of real estate in Portugal” “having rendered high services to the country or to the Portuguese people” among others. However, it was not well received in the initial vote and was “dropped”. [](#%5Fftnref8) If you have any doubts about the procedures to obtain the Portuguese nationality by Sephardic origin, we can help you. At Servicio Legal we are experts in immigration law and we will help you step by step to achieve your Portuguese nationality. Contact us through our website by clicking here. [ **clicking here** ](https://serviciolegal.com.co/derecho-migratorio/portuguese-nationality-by-sephardic-origin/?lang=en). \[[1\]](#%5Fftnref1) It can be consulted in the second section of the decree. [\[2\]](#%5Fftnref2) See: <https://expresso.pt/sociedade/2020-05-13-Cresce-movimento-contra-alteracao-da-lei-da-nacionalidade-de-judeus-sefarditas> \[[3\]](#%5Fftnref3) Ibid. \[[4\]](#%5Fftnref4) See previous article: [https://serviciolegal.com.co/derecho-migratorio/nacionalidad-portuguesa-por-origen-sefardi/](https://serviciolegal.com.co/derecho-migratorio/portuguese-nationality-by-sephardic-origin/?lang=en) [\[5\]](#%5Fftnref5) Law 12/2015 of Spain ceased to be effective on October 01, 2019. [\[6\]](#%5Fftnref6) See: [https://rr.sapo.pt/2020/07/26/em-nome-da-lei/judeus-sefarditas-estado-portugues-acusado-de-fazer-negocio-a-custa-da-soberania/artigo/201456/.](https://rr.sapo.pt/2020/07/26/em-nome-da-lei/judeus-sefarditas-estado-portugues-acusado-de-fazer-negocio-a-custa-da-soberania/artigo/201456/) The controversy originated in the government itself, with the Minister of Foreign Trade and the head of Justice admitting business with Portuguese passports. Santos Silva even admitted in parliament that there are “black friday” campaigns that undermine the country’s international reputation”. [\[7\]](#%5Fftnref7) See: <https://rr.sapo.pt/2020/07/26/em-nome-da-lei/judeus-sefarditas-estado-portugues-acusado-de-fazer-negocio-a-custa-da-soberania/artigo/201456/> \[[8\]](#%5Fftnref8) See: <https://tvi24.iol.pt/politica/nacionalidade-portuguesa/ps-muda-proposta-de-alteracao-a-lei-da-nacionalidade-sobre-judeus-sefarditas> \[[9\]](#%5Fftnref9) See: <https://rr.sapo.pt/2020/07/23/informacao/esquerda-e-pan-alteram-lei-da-nacionalidade-filhos-de-imigrantes-garantem-cidadania-ao-fim-de-um-ano/noticia/201312/> [\[10\]](#%5Fftnref10) Consult at: [https://tvi24.iol.pt/politica/nacionalidade-portuguesa/ps-muda-proposta-de-alteracao-a-lei-da-nacionalidade-sobre-judeus-sefarditas.](https://tvi24.iol.pt/politica/nacionalidade-portuguesa/ps-muda-proposta-de-alteracao-a-lei-da-nacionalidade-sobre-judeus-sefarditas) [\[11\]](#%5Fftnref11) Consult at: <https://portocanal.sapo.pt/noticia/228888> [\[12\]](#%5Fftnref12) Ibid. [](#%5Fftnref8)

In previous articles it was briefly stated what is the procedure and the requirements that must be fulfilled by the persons who wish to **[apply for Portuguese nationality by Sephardic origin, in accordance with Decree Law 30A/2015.]([Portuguese Citizenship Sephardic | Servicio Legal S.A.S](https://serviciolegal.com.co/en/services/inmigration-law/portuguese-citizenship-by-sephardic-descent))** On this occasion, emphasis will be placed on one of them: the certificate of Sephardic ancestry, which must be issued by the Jewish communities of Porto and/or Lisbon. ## Brief historical review The Sephardic Jews are those who resided in the Iberian Peninsula, particularly in the territories of Spain and Portugal. In 1492 the Catholic Monarchs of Spain subjected the Jews to an intense inquisition and many took refuge in Portugal seeking protection; there they settled until, four years later, King Manuel I expelled those who did not submit to Catholic baptism. At the end of the 15th century and beginning of the 16th century there was a massive exodus of Jews who took refuge in Holland, the United Kingdom, Turkey, North Africa and in Latin American territories such as Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and Colombia. They arrived in Colombia through the Caribbean Coast, in Cartagena, because that is where the ports were located. Many even arrived with the conquistadors under the garb of Christian converts, although in private they preserved their ancestral Judaic traditions. “The new Christians who arrived came from numerous villages, towns, cities, hamlets and countryside of Portugal, the Portuguese islands and the west coast of Africa; others were born in Spain and descended from Lusitanian parents.” The new Christians who arrived came from many villages, towns, villages and countryside of Portugal, the Portuguese islands and the west coast of Africa; others were born in Spain and descended from Lusitanian parents.”  Despite the initial expulsion from Spanish territory, the Spanish crown decided to expand the Inquisition for “blood cleansing” to the Americas, so the “new Christians” began to be persecuted there once again. The Inquisition Tribunal of Cartagena functioned from 1610 to 1821 and its minutes record the presence of Christian converts whose roots were Sephardic, who were persecuted and killed for their religious beliefs. The installation of the Tribunal promoted the migration of Portuguese “new Christians” to the center of the country, however, “at various times in colonial life the metropolitan authorities sent visiting judges to find out who among the foreigners had settled illegally in the various governorships of the Audiencia, in Tierra Firme and Popayán, to expel us or to charge them for their membership”. According to historian Daniel Mesa Bernal, during the time that the Inquisition Tribunal had jurisdiction in Colombia, “83 people were accused of Judaizing. But again, the figures are at no time clear. According to Anna Maria Splendiani, one of the historians who has studied the Cartagena case the most, in the first fifty years of the Tribunal, more than 150 names of Jews appear in the records, but only 59 were prosecuted.” “In truth there is a great documentary void about the presence of Sephardic Jews in Colombia (…) however, the few who came, according to some historians, left testimony of their passage through certain regions”[\[5\]](#%5Fftn5). Now, the Portuguese country with a clear motivation to vindicate the rights of the Sephardic Jews who were expelled from its territory and subsequently persecuted, enacts the decree law 30A/2015 with the aim of “reconnecting Portugal with the traditional Sephardic communities of Portuguese origin, without requiring residence in the national territory or fluency in Portuguese.”[\[6\]](#%5Fftn6). ## Sephardic Jewish ancestry After this brief historical account, the following question arises: how can I prove that I am a descendant of one of those Jewish people who arrived in Colombia expelled from the Iberian Peninsula so many centuries ago? ### Sephardic surnames One way to start is to look at the person’s surname, as there are typical Sephardic surnames. Now, it is pertinent to note that this is a simple piece of information, since it is not enough that the surname appears in a list of “surnames of Sephardic origin” on the Internet to be immediately granted the Portuguese nationality.In the same way, the fact that the surname does not appear in one of those lists does not imply that it is automatically ruled out to have Sephardic ancestors. In case you are interested in verifying if your surname has Sephardic origin, without prejudice to the previous clarifications that were made, you can consult some lists that have been made in this regard. The Spanish Government, for example, published a list with more than 5,220 Sephardic surnames[\[7\]](#%5Fftn7). Likewise, in Decree-Law n. º 30-A/2015[\[8\]](#%5Fftn8) some very typical Sephardic surnames are mentioned by way of example. On the other hand, in the book by Agudelo Ramírez (1986), on pages 186 to 187 there is a list of Hispanic Jewish surnames (many of them modified their primigenial surnames to cover up their Sephardic origin).  ### Sephardic Surnames in Antioquia The newspaper El Colombiano, under the editorship of Juan Carlos Morales Cano, wrote a four-part article entitled “Sefarantioquia: Were there Jews in Antioquia? There are still Jews in Antioquia!” which studies the influence of the Sephardic Jews who migrated to Antioquia to escape persecution. The above has a certain level of complexity since, in order to hide from the Spanish Inquisition, “genealogically, certificates of lineage, nobility and even nobility were created”[\[9\]](#%5Fftn9). Likewise, they hid their original surnames and biblical names so as not to be discovered; “López and Franco were precisely the surnames of Antioquians who were questioned in Cartagena de Indias by Judaizers, a compelling reason to change their surname”.[\[10\]](#%5Fftn10). Some people whose surnames are mentioned below were questioned in Cartagena for being Judaizers from Antioquia: Abreu (Ebreo), Báez, Barreto, Cabral, Campo, Carnero, Castillo, Coello, (de) Costa, Díaz, Duarte, (H)Enríquez, Fernández(s), Fonseca, Franco, Gómez, Heredia (families), Herrera, Juárez, (de) León, Lucena, López, Luca, Martínez, Mejía, Méndez (families) , Mesa, Meza, Montesino, Mota, Nacal, Noroña, Núñez, Pardo, Paz, Pereira, Pimienta, Pinto, Piñero, Reyes, Rodríguez , (de) Solís, Silva, Suarez, Váez, Vicente, Villalobos[\[11\]](#%5Fftn11) On the other hand, two illustrious Rabbis from Antioquia are known who have confirmed Sephardic roots in their families, the first of them is Mr. Guillermo Acevedo Cano who in his writing “Memoirs of an Antioquian Jew” states that: “The surnames of my family tree are Cano (Cohen), Leiva (Levi), Acevedo, López de Mesa, Cardona and Álvarez”. The second is Mr. Juan Mejía, who states that he received information about his Sephardic Jewish ancestry from his ancestors. “Different branches of Mejía, Vélez and Palacio in the region of Caldas preserve this legacy. In the region of Pereira there was a Mejia who with a cousin Velez used to meet to read the Bible with their heads covered. In addition if there were Mejia inquiring in Cartagena by judaizers”.[\[12\]](#%5Fftn12). ## Genealogical study Where do you do genealogical studies? Currently, in Colombia, there are professionals and specialized institutions for the research and development of any topic related to genealogy; for example: The Colombian Academy of Genealogy, The Genealogical Foundation of Colombia, The Colombian Association for the Study of Genealogies, among others, are the entities that have the most experience in the mentioned field. On the other hand, having an illustrious ancestor with Sephardic ancestry can facilitate the reconstruction of the family tree. “According to genealogist Germán Pino Arboleda, whoever is related to Jorge Isaacs is tied to George Henry Isaacs Adolfus, a renowned Sephardic Jew, father of the writer, who arrived in Chocó and Valle del Cauca in 1820, married María Manuela Ferrer Scarpetta and converted to Catholicism. From that union comes Jorge, the writer, several siblings and from there many families of Valle, Cauca and Tolima such as the Mallarinos, the Iragorri and even the Isaacs themselves.”[\[13\]](#%5Fftn13). Another illustrious Jew is Mr. Juan Hurtado de la Fuente, who was condemned by the Spanish Inquisition in 1490, but his grandson Alonso settled in Popayán in 1620, “from there come other great families of Cauca: the Arboleda, Arroyo, Ayerbe, Hurstado, Iragorri, Mosquera, Obando and Valencia, among others”. Additionally, if you belong to a Jewish community, perhaps in the archives of the Synagogue you can obtain more information about the origin of the founders of the congregation and if you may be related to any of them. ## How to create a family tree in Colombia In order to reconstruct the family tree of the interested party, civil records, baptismal certificates, birth certificates, marriage certificates, death records, among other documents that allow confirming if the person has a Jewish ancestor, should be analyzed. For example, the records of the Court of Inquisition of Cartagena could be analyzed for the traceability of lineages. Each person has at his disposal different search tools for the construction of a family tree, which will be explained below: 1. **Family memories:** Aimed at a field research, having as a premise “My grandparents must have known their grandparents”; which allows determining a starting point in the construction of the family time line. 2. **Archives:** Which would provide more complete information on the historical background being researched; both personal data (names and surnames), and relevant dates (Birth, marriage, death/death), as well as important places of residence or origin (countries, cities and towns). It should also be noted that there are different archives and places where it is possible to consult the required information: * **Family files;** such as photographs, letters, invitations to events, newspaper advertisements, etc. * **Notarial records;** among which are the civil registry, marriage and death certificates, sale of goods, commercial transactions, etc. * **Municipal archives;** such as, for example, identity documents, fiscal reports (income, taxes, etc.), population reports (census, military service, etc.), immigration records, among others. * **Ecclesiastical Archives;** normally considered of greater relevance in genealogical research, because in addition to having worldwide headquarters, it has books of records since the sixteenth century, which contain records of baptism, first communions, confirmations, marriages and deaths; therefore, it is possible to find significant data of ancestors, in addition to the place and period in which the person lived. ## Where can I get the files to build a family tree? Now, in Colombia, there are different entities that allow access to their database, with the objective of creating a genealogical tree, in this case they are 1. **National Civil Registry Office (Registraduría Nacional del Estado Civil**); institution in charge, in Colombia, of issuing the civil registry of birth, marriage and death, the identity card and the citizenship card. 2. **Notary**; entity authorized to carry out different procedures such as birth registration, property deeds, etc. 3. **General Archive of the Nation – Library of the Republic – National Library of Colombia**; administrators of the documents that are not in the Notary or Registrar’s Office; since the documents that must be stored and currently digitized are sent there after a certain period of time. 4. **Colleges – Universities;** who must keep a record of all persons who have graduated from the institution since its creation. 5. **Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History – Colombian National Museum** **National Museum of Colombia** 6. **Cemeteries**; in accordance with what is mentioned in this article, they must keep a record of the persons who have been admitted to the facilities for a certain period of time. 7. **Episcopal Conference of Colombia – Archdiocese, Dioceses, Parishes and Ecclesiastical Division**; institutions accredited for the issuance of the aforementioned acts; therefore, they have the obligation to file the executed actions. **Important:** Although most of the information needed for a genealogy research is of a public nature, there are some exceptions; therefore, it should be taken into account that the legislation on protection and treatment of personal data may, in these cases, constitute an obstacle for the access to the required information; accordingly, it will be essential to formally request authorization for the review of the information. Finally, the importance of the Internet in this research process should be emphasized, since most entities are currently digitizing archived documents, which allows for a faster and more efficient search. This situation helped the development of a database that allows both the search of ancestors and the elaboration of the family tree; this tool can be found as FamilySearch, where it is not essential to have the name and surname of a person, because it has an exploration function through scanned images of different types of records; to start the respective inquiry it is necessary to refer a place and search period and from the results it is possible to find the expected person, provided that the records have been uploaded to the web page. ## In conclusion The genealogical study referred to above is connected to the certificate of Sephardic ancestry that must be issued by the Jewish community of Porto or Lisbon, since it functions as effective proof that the applicant for Portuguese nationality is indeed descended from the Sephardic Jews expelled from the Iberian Peninsula. If you have any doubt about the genealogical study and obtaining the certificate of Sephardic origin to obtain the Portuguese nationality, we can help you. At Servicio Legal we are experts in immigration law and we will help you obtain all the necessary documentation to certify your Sephardic descent. [Contact us through our website by clicking here.]([Contact Us | Servicio Legal S.A.S](https://serviciolegal.com.co/en/contact-us)) [\[4\]](#%5Fftnref4) Azriel Bibliowicz. Brief history of the Sephardic people in the Colombian Caribbean coast. Consult at: https://esefarad.com/?p=5863 \[[5\]](#%5Fftnref5) Ibid. [\[6\]](#%5Fftnref6) See: https://expresso.pt/sociedade/2020-05-13-Cresce-movimento-contra-alteracao-da-lei-da-nacionalidade-de-judeus-sefarditas \[[7\]](#%5Fftnref7) See: <https://www.elespectador.com/noticias/actualidad/si-su-apellido-esta-en-el-siguiente-listado-usted-podria-obtener-nacionalidad-espanola/> \[[8\]](#%5Fftnref8) See: <https://dre.pt/pesquisa/-/search/66619927/details/maximized> \[[9\]](#%5Fftnref9) See: http://esefarad.com/?p=21382 [\[11\]](#%5Fftnref11) Splendiani; w³.sephardim.org; AHNM- See http://esefarad.com/?p=21382. [\[12\]](#%5Fftnref12) AHNM, ES.28079.1.1.1.1.10.1.1.1.3///INQUISITION,1623,EXP.7, Juan Rodriguez Mejía, 12 August 1782, by judaizante said all his family were Jews, case precluded. Retrieved from: http://esefarad.com/?p=21437 [\[13\]](#%5Fftnref13) Consult at: <https://www.semana.com/vida-moderna/articulo/ultimo-plazo-para-que-judios-sefardies-consigan-la-nacionalidad-espanola/632558>

The **March 18, 2022**was published in the official gazette of the Portuguese republic, the _**Decree-Law No. 26/2022**_In the new law, which amends the regulations of the Portuguese Nationality Law, one of the most noteworthy changes are those related to Portuguese nationality by Sephardic origin, which establishes that the state may grant Portuguese nationality to the descendants of Sephardic Jews expelled from Portugal in the 16th century. Now it will not be enough to prove this Sephardic descent, but as has been planned, it will be necessary to prove ties with Portugal, which, according to Article 24, must be certified by “regular trips for life”, which demonstrate an effective and lasting connection with Portugal. It will also be possible to prove this connection with Portugal by means of a document of ownership, “transmitted ‘mortis causa’, of real rights over real estate” in Portugal, and of “other personal rights to enjoy social participation in commercial companies” in Portuguese territory. In addition to this, it will be a requirement not to have been convicted, with a sentence of imprisonment equal to or exceeding three years, for criminal conduct, according to Portuguese law, with these measures a drastic reduction in the number of candidates for Portuguese citizenship is foreseen. In this way, the authorities will also be able to better control the process. But this is not a reason to panic, these changes **will become effective September 1, 2022.**The changes will not affect those that are already in the process of application, nor those that will be applied in the coming months until these regulatory changes come into effect. ### Do you want to apply for Portuguese Nationality by Sephardic Origin? We are [expert lawyers in Portuguese Nationality by Sephardic Origin](https://serviciolegal.com.co/immigration-law/portuguese-nationality-by-sephardic-origin/?lang=en), we know how the process to obtain the nationality works and we guarantee an effective legal advice. Count on the best legal allies, our commitment is to help you obtain the results you need. ##### [Talk to an Immigration Lawyer Here ](https://wa.me/573124660974)

Before being able to apply for Portuguese nationality by Sephardic origin, it is necessary to have a certificate issued by a Jewish community indicating that you are indeed a descendant of a Sephardic Jew, although in order to prove this, several studies and tests are required to determine your genealogical relationship. On the internet there are many lists of names and surnames that are of Sephardic origin, and give the notion that possessing these names and surnames automatically makes you a Sephardic descendant. The reality is that these data are not sufficient proof for you to be certified, so it is necessary to have other elements with much more probative weight when requesting the certificate of Sephardic origin. In this opportunity, we want to talk a little bit about how you can prove your Sephardic ancestry and what documents or proofs you can present to the Jewish communities to obtain the certificate of Sephardic origin. ## Jewish Community of Lisbon and Jewish Community of Oporto As mentioned above, in order to obtain Portuguese nationality by Sephardic origin, you must have a certificate attesting to your Sephardic origin from a recognized Jewish community in Portugal and the only communities that can certify your Sephardic origin for Portuguese nationality are the Jewish Community of Lisbon and the Jewish Community of Porto. The Jewish Community of Porto only issues certificates of Sephardic origin to Jews whose parents and grandparents are Orthodox; the Jewish Community of Lisbon, on the other hand, can issue this certificate of Sephardic origin to Sephardic Jews who are practicing Jews, as well as to those who are not Jews, but, through a series of documents, can prove their Sephardic ancestry. In this blog, we will discuss the process and documentation to obtain the certificate of Sephardic origin with the Jewish Community of Lisbon, as this represents an advantage for both Jews and non-Jews who can prove their ancestry.  ## Application for certificate with the Lisbon Jewish community All this process can be done digitally, the documents must be delivered in PDF format and in separate and properly marked files, in order to be able to perform a correct analysis. The application must be made to the Comunidade Israelita de Lisboa, taking into account that the procedure is currently carried out virtually, through the official website of the entity ( **<https://cilisboa.org/>** ); additionally, it is indispensable to prove to be a descendant of an ancestor belonging to a community of Sephardic origin in Spain or Portugal and to attach the corresponding documentation; which will be listed below: When the person belongs to a Jewish community: * * Certification Request Form * Birth or Marriage Certificate or Birth or Marriage Register * Death certificate or burial in Jewish cemetery * Documents to accredit immigration of ancestors, in which the place of origin is accredited, issued by the host country. * Testimony of the Sephardic community leader or experts who know the applicant and can explain the applicant’s Jewish affiliation. When one does not belong directly to a Jewish community: * Certification Request Form * Copy of valid passport, containing personal information and signature * Birth Certificate or Birth Certificate * Proof of residence (Example; utility bill) * Family Tree of maximum two pages * In case there is a family member who carried out the process, he/she must attach a letter of authorization to review the file. Along with this information you must send documents and evidence with which you can prove your Sephardic origin, at this point, the documentation you send may vary. The following are some of the documents and proofs that the Jewish Community of Lisbon admits for this process: ## Of a personal nature Here they may include: Surname study, family records showing Jewish celebrations, such as birthdays, weddings or burials; record of membership in Jewish communities, birth and death certificates of relatives, property deeds, bibliographic records among others. ## Genealogical studies These genealogical studies must be carried out by experts and must include the dates and places of birth, marriage and death of the ancestors. In order to present this genealogical study, it is required that the person can provide these certificates to reconstruct the family tree of the family, which must fit in at least 2 pages, must be visible and understandable, and can be presented graphically or in written form. ## Testimonials These testimonials can be from experts, the Rabbi of the Jewish community to which you belong, or people who know you and can attest to your Jewish affiliation. ## Emotional memory It is a letter where the person can express his or her reasons for acquiring Portuguese nationality through Sephardic origin. This letter may demonstrate proficiency in the Ladino language, or general cultural knowledge of Judaism, but it is not a mandatory requirement. ## Important When the application is not submitted directly by the interested party, a power of attorney must be added, in order to validate the performance of the person in charge of carrying out the procedure. Likewise, most of the documents must have an authenticity stamp and a Portuguese translation. Finally, it is important to highlight that the legislation of Portugal informs the most common surnames of the population of Sephardic origin; however, the list found within the Decree-Law 30A of 2015, is not sufficient proof to accredit and request the certification; since this is not Taxative and therefore, there may be other surnames that have not been taken into account; in this sense, it is necessary to carry out the genealogy study to determine a direct connection with a Sephardic ancestor. Some of the most common surnames are: Latin America * Almeida * Avelar * Bravo * Carvajal * Crespo * Duarte * Ferreira * Franco * Cat * Gonçalves * Guerreiro * Leão * Lopes * Leiria * Wolf * Lousada * Machorro * Martins * Montesino * Moreno * Mota * Macias * Miranda * Oliveira * Osorio * Pardo * Pina * Pinto * Pimentel * Pizarro * Dear * Rei * Ribeiro * Salvador * Towers United Kingdom and the Netherlands * Abrantes * Aguilar * Andrade * Brandão * Brito * Good * Cardoso * Carvalho * Castro * Costa * Coutinho * Dourado * Fonseca * Furtado * Gomes * Gouveia * Granjo * Henriques * Lara * Marques * Melo and Prado * Mesquita * Mendes * Net * Nunes * Pereira * Pinheiro * Rodrigues * Rosa * Sarmento * Silva * Soares * Teixeira World level in general * Amorim * Azevedo * Álvares * Barros * Basto * Belmonte * Cáceres * Caetano * Fields * Carneiro * Cross * Dias * Duarte * Elias * Estrela * Gaiola * Joshua * Lemos * Lombroso * Lopes * Machado * Mascarenhas * Mattos * Meira * Mello and Canto * Mendes da Costa * Miranda * Morão * Morões * Mota * Moucada * Black * Oliveira * Osório (or Ozório) * Paiva * Pilão * Pinto * Pessoa * Preto * Souza * Vaz * Vargas ## Additionally The Jewish Community of Lisbon mentions that, with the exception of the family tree, it is not necessary to present all this documentation, only the one you can obtain, moreover, these documents can be presented in Portuguese, Spanish, French or English. Once the documentation has been sent, the corresponding payment must be made to make the application effective. This application may take approximately 6 months, since there are currently many applications and all documentation must be reviewed before the certificate can be issued. As you can see, obtaining the certificate of Sephardic origin is an important step in obtaining your Portuguese nationality, this process may seem complicated, but an expert lawyer can help you during this stage and at servicio legal we have a team of experts who can help you collect all the necessary documentation for you to submit your application. ## [If you would like us to help you with your Sephardic certificate of origin, you can contact us by clicking here.](https://serviciolegal.com.co/contact/?lang=en)