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In depth
Sephardic citizenship is the Portuguese path to citizenship for descendants of Sephardic Jews expelled during the Portuguese Inquisition (1496-1536). The Portuguese nationality law was amended in 2013 and 2015 to grant eligibility to descendants of Sephardic Jews who can demonstrate a 'traditional connection' to a Sephardic community.
To qualify, applicants must obtain a certificate from the Jewish community of Porto or Lisbon, confirming Sephardic ancestry based on surnames, family traditions, language (Ladino), and genealogical research.
Spain offered a similar path under its 2015 law, but the application window closed in October 2019. Portugal's path remains open (as of 2025), though the requirements were tightened in 2022 to require either a 'effective connection' to Portugal or residence in Portugal for 3 years.
Related terms
The Inquisição (Portuguese Inquisition, 1536-1821) was the persecution that expelled Sephardic Jews from Portugal, whose descendants are eligible for Portuguese citizenship.
The Comunidade Israelita (Jewish Community) of Lisbon or Porto issues the certificates of Sephardic ancestry required for Portuguese citizenship applications.
The Ley de Memoria Democrática (Democratic Memory Law, 2022) is the Spanish law that opened citizenship to descendants of Civil War and Franco-era exiles.
The Ley de Memoria Histórica (Historical Memory Law, 2007) was the predecessor Spanish law granting citizenship to descendants of Civil War exiles, replaced by the 2022 Democratic Memory Law.
The Registro Civil is the civil registry in Spain and Latin American countries that maintains records of births, marriages, and deaths.
The Ministerio de Justicia (Ministry of Justice) is the Spanish government ministry that processes citizenship applications under the Memory Law.