There is no single answer to this question. In fact, whether the children of a person who acquired Portuguese nationality based on their legal residence in Portugal can also obtain Portuguese nationality depends on several factors. For this reason, it is necessary to distinguish between different situations: on the one hand, whether the children were already born or not when the parent acquired Portuguese nationality. On the other hand, if they were already born at that time, whether they were minors or adults when the parent became Portuguese.

Let’s look at the first scenario. If the children of this Portuguese citizen were not yet born when the parent acquired Portuguese nationality, then when they are born, they will be considered Portuguese in the same way as the children of parents who were born in Portugal and are Portuguese. If these children are born in Portugal, nationality will be granted to them as soon as their birth is registered. If they are born abroad, it will be necessary to initiate a nationality attribution process under Article 1(1)(c) of the Nationality Law, which states that individuals are Portuguese by origin if they are “children of a Portuguese mother or father born abroad, provided that their birth is registered with the Portuguese civil registry or they declare that they want to be Portuguese.”

Now let’s consider the second scenario — when the children of the Portuguese citizen were already born when the parent acquired Portuguese nationality. To answer this question, we need to make a further distinction: whether, at the time the parent acquired nationality, the children were adults or minors.

If they were adults, the answer is no: they cannot acquire Portuguese nationality simply by being the children of a Portuguese citizen. However, they may be able to follow another path — the same one their parent followed: acquiring Portuguese nationality based on legal residence in the country. In this case, the children themselves must meet the requirements set out in Article 6(1) of the Nationality Law.

If the children of this Portuguese citizen are minors, they may acquire Portuguese nationality as long as certain conditions are met. The possibility for these minor children to acquire Portuguese nationality is established in Article 2 of the Nationality Law, which states that “minor or legally incapacitated children of a father or mother who acquires Portuguese nationality may also acquire it, upon declaration.”

However, it is important to note that it is not enough for the child to be a minor and for one of the parents to have acquired Portuguese nationality. It is also necessary to prove that the child has an effective connection to the Portuguese community.

This connection can be demonstrated in different ways. In the case of minors who do not live in Portugal, it may be proven through trips they have made to the country over the years. In the case of minors who live in Portugal, Portuguese law presumes the existence of an effective connection to the national community when, at the time of the application, the minor has legally resided in Portugal for the five years immediately prior to the application and, if of school age, can prove school attendance in an educational institution in Portugal.