Portuguese citizenship is primarily based upon the principle of jus sanguinis (right blood). Instead of being based upon the principle of jus soli (right of the soil). My dad was born on Madeira Island.

So, last week I was notified that Portugal has accepted my application to become a citizen of Portugal.

 I will receive a birth certificate from them that I can then use to get a Portuguese passport. As one of my USA friends said – not a bad thing to have if I want to escape from Trump land.

Since Portugal is part of the European Union, a Portuguese citizen can travel and reside freely in any of the member states that are part of the EU.

Every person holding the nationality of a Member State of the European Union is, as a result, a citizen of the Union.  Citizenship of the Union supplements national citizenship without replacing it.

As a citizen of the European Union, you are able to avail yourself of all of the rights and privileges offered by the country in which you reside, no matter which member country that might be. Health, education, unemployment programs, pensions and the like are all benefits to which you would be entitled with EU citizenship. So if I visit for several months, I too can use the EU  healthcare system.

It will also facilitate buying property and getting a bank account in Portugal. Wahoo.

For all my fellow Massachusetts co-birthplace holders, I thought you might get a kick out of this Ethnicity Map of Massachusetts. Yes that pinkish southeastern Mass area is Taunton, Fall River and New Bedford.