Portuguese Inquiry Into Roman Abramovich’s Fast-Track Citizenship Remains Unresolved Five Years Later
A long-running investigation into the “exceptional” speed with which Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich obtained Portuguese citizenship has reached its fifth anniversary without a definitive conclusion.
Abramovich was granted Portuguese nationality on April 30, 2021. The process was completed in just two and a half months, a timeframe that experts have characterized as extraordinary. The lack of resolution in the subsequent inquiry underscores the complexities of tracking high-level citizenship grants and the legal scrutiny surrounding the movement of wealth by global elites.
The timing of the citizenship grant proved critical. By September 2021, Abramovich had received his Portuguese passport, granting him access to 188 countries, including those within the European Union. This occurred approximately five months before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a development that later triggered sweeping international sanctions against Russian oligarchs. The acquisition of the passport effectively provided a strategic layer of mobility and financial flexibility just before the geopolitical landscape shifted.
Details of the application process reveal significant bureaucratic anomalies. The Conservatória dos Registos Centrais (CRC), the body responsible for processing citizenship, typically requires input from both the Polícia Judiciária (PJ) and the Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras (SEF). Although these agencies generally have 30 to 60 days to respond, the PJ reportedly issued its opinion the very day after the process was opened at the CRC. In contrast, the SEF’s response took over a month.
To qualify for this specific path to citizenship, applicants must provide certification as descendants of Sephardic Jews. In Abramovich’s case, this certification was granted by the Jewish community of Porto.
As of April 30, 2026, the investigation into the irregularities of the process continues, though no final conclusions have been reached. The case remains a point of contention, highlighting the tension between national citizenship laws and the pressures of international diplomacy and financial oversight.
