Good practices in access to universal birth registration for the prevention of childhood statelessness The law also has safeguards for foundlings, adopted children and children born to Portuguese citizens outside Portugal. In addition, a 2022 amendment to the Nationality Regulation establishes that, if the authorities of a third country do not reply to an official query about a person’s nationality within three months, it is presumed that the person concerned does not have the nationality of that country.175 Further, in 2023, the Parliament adopted a new law (in force since 10 August 2023) which provides a definition of a stateless person and establishes that people who are recognized as stateless pursuant to the 1954 Convention have an entitlement to legal status in Portugal on the basis of statelessness and to a travel document. This necessitates the establishment of a statelessness determination procedure.176 The impact of good practices in birth registration Portugal’s pro-active approach to birth registration and nationality appears to have resulted in no or very low numbers of stateless children being born in Portugal. 175 Regulation on Portuguese Nationality, Decree Law n. 237-A/2006, amended by Decree Law n. 41/2023, as amended 2 June 2023, Article 36, [in Portuguese]. 176 Decree Law n. 41/2023, 10 August 2023, Portugal/Official Gazette No. 155/2023, 10 August 2023, [in Portuguese]. 64