DILI, 19 april 2024 (TATOLI) – About 200 adult immigrants took the oath of allegiance and became Timorese citizens, according to the General Directorate of Registry and Notary Services of the Ministry of Justice.
The Director General of the Registry and Notary Services of the Ministry of Justice said that Timor-Leste, through the Ministry of Justice, has granted Timorese citizens to 186 foreign nationals from Portugal, Indonesia, the Philippines, Cuba, the United States of America, Bangladesh, Brazil, Australia, Uganda, Malaysia and South Korea.
He said that the application to become a Timorese citizen must be submitted to the Ministry of Justice, and can be obtained through marriage or naturalization.
The Oath of Allegiance, which took place at the Ministry of Justice, Justine Minister, Sérgio Hornai, asked the new citizens to contribute to the country’s development, adding that from now on they will be able to access Timorese documents such as identity cards, electoral cards, birth certificates and passports.
Norberto Antão Cortez, a Portuguese officer from the National Republican Guard (GNR), said that he arrived in Timor-Leste in 2000: “I like the country and the Timorese people. I married a Timorese woman! That’s why I applied and acquired nationality by marriage.”
Another foreigner who was granted Timorese citizenship was the CEO of Pelican Paradise, Jeremiah Chan, who has lived in Timor-Leste since 2008.
Figures from the Court of Justice show that since 2007, 1,409 foreign citizens have been granted Timorese nationality.
Journalist: Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Filomeno Martins
