From: john menezes
JM's rejoinder:
Dear Jose,
Congratulations for your forthright reply.
My remarks pertain to those of my age-group who are applying for
Portuguese citizenship for themselves, their children and grand-children,
and a legitimate question is: Why have they waited 40 long years to apply?
In 1963 I obtained a Certidao de Teor of my birth, got it legalized, and
forwarded it to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lisbon, along with a
Documento para Viagem, through the Braziliam Embassy in New Delhi. In 1965 I
received Cedula Pessoal duly issued by the Conservatoria dos Registros
Centrais in Lisbon through the Brazilian Embassy without my having paid even
one Escudo.
The problem arose in 1991 when I had to submit to the Conservatoria in
Lisbon evidence that I was resident in India between April 1974 and December
1975. The issue was resolved with a letter in Portuguese from my parish
priest in Bombay which was legalized through a Notary Public in Bombay, the
State General Administration Department in Bombay, the Ministry of External
Affairs in Delhi, and the Embassy of Portugal in Delhi.
On 31 October 1995 I applied at the Consulate General of Portugal in Goa for
my Bilhete de Identidade. I was extended every courtesy in the processing
and the document was received in February 1997. Renewal of Consular
Registration every five years has been accomplished in Goa always on the
same day with minimum effort on my part.
Regards,
John Menezes
