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BrazilNaturalisation

Ordinary naturalisation in Brazil

A foreign national with a settled place of residence in Brazil acquires Brazilian citizenship of their own free will. The applicant has legal capacity under Brazilian law, has registered settled residence with the Federal Police, has command of Portuguese and has no unspent criminal conviction. The required period of residence is accrued beforehand — by the time of filing it must already be complete. The application is filed online and the decision is taken by the Ministry of Justice.

Source: Ministério da Justiça e Segurança Pública — Naturalização ordinária: residence requirement

How many years of residence are needed to qualify for naturalisation

The basic period of residence is reduced on certain family, cultural or professional grounds — these are assessed by the Migration Department of the Ministry of Justice.

The general period — with no special grounds

  • A settled place of residence formally registered with the Federal Police
  • Have lived in Brazil for the period of settled residence laid down by law before filing the application
  • Have command of Portuguese, have legal capacity under Brazilian law and have no unspent criminal conviction

Recognised merit or special status

  • Recognised by Brazil as a stateless person
  • Have rendered significant services to the country — assessed by the Migration Department
  • Have recognised professional, scientific or artistic ability

Family and language grounds

  • Have a Brazilian child — by birth or by naturalisation, except in cases of temporary naturalisation
  • Are married to or in a stable union with a Brazilian national, and the union has not been dissolved at the time of the decision
  • Come from a Portuguese-speaking country

When this programme is not suitable

The required period of settled residence has not yet accrued at the time of filing

Wait until the required period of residence has run — it cannot be accrued after the application has been filed

You have lived in Brazil permanently for fifteen years or more

Extraordinary naturalisation — it is designed precisely for such a long period of residence

The case concerns the child of foreign nationals who settled in Brazil before the age of ten

Temporary naturalisation — it is arranged for children and adolescents rather than for adult applicants

The applicant works abroad for a Brazilian institution or is married to a Brazilian diplomat

Special naturalisation for the staff of overseas missions and their spouses — arranged through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under a different procedure

Documents to gather

The list applies to ordinary naturalisation; some documents are needed only by those claiming a reduced period of residence on family grounds.

  • The completed and signed application form
  • The CRNM card (migration identity document) — copy and original, an expired one is accepted
  • A certificate of registration in the CPF (Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas)
  • Criminal record certificates from the federal court and the state court covering the whole period of residence in Brazil
  • A criminal record certificate from the country of origin, legalised and translated by a sworn translator
  • Proof of place of residence for each year of residence — utility bills, a tenancy agreement, a bank certificate or proof of employment
  • A passport or other international travel document, including an expired one
  • Proof of command of Portuguese — a Celpe-Bras certificate, a diploma from a Brazilian educational institution or another document
  • A marriage certificate, a civil union certificate or children's birth certificates — where the applicant relies on a reduced period of residence on family grounds
  • A rehabilitation certificate — where there was a conviction in the past that has since been spent

How the process runs

From registration of a settled place of residence to publication of the decision — this is how ordinary naturalisation proceeds.

  1. 1

    Registration of a settled place of residence with the Federal Police

    The foreign national registers a settled place of residence and receives the CRNM migration card — the period of residence required for naturalisation runs from that moment.

  2. 2

    Filing the application through the Naturalizar-se system

    The applicant logs into their personal account on the gov.br portal, completes the ordinary naturalisation form and attaches the documents in PDF format; a protocol number for the application is generated as a result.

  3. 3

    Checks by the Federal Police

    The Federal Police carry out a preliminary analysis of the documents filed and may request missing papers or call the applicant in for biometric data to be taken.

  4. 4

    The final decision of the Ministry of Justice

    up to 180 calendar days

    The Migration Department of the National Secretariat of Justice takes the final decision — to approve, to refuse or to archive the application. The period may be extended by a separate decision of the minister.

  5. 5

    Publication of the decision in the Official Journal of the Union

    The decision is published in the Diário Oficial da União, and the rights of naturalisation take effect from the date of that publication; a separate naturalisation certificate is no longer issued — the publication serves as the supporting document.

  6. 6

    Obtaining Brazilian documents and registering as a voter

    Once the decision has been published the new citizen applies to the Federal Police for an identity document and must register in the electoral system within one year.

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to citizenship

The basic period is 4 years of residence. Reduction to 1 year: having a Brazilian child (except in cases of temporary naturalisation), having a Brazilian spouse or stable-union partner (the marriage not dissolved at the time of the decision), or origin in a Portuguese-speaking country. Reduction to 2 years: recognition by Brazil as a stateless person, the rendering of significant services to the country, or recognition of professional, scientific or artistic ability.

Frequently asked questions about Ordinary naturalisation

Is there a fee for filing a naturalisation application?
No. Under the law in force, filing a naturalisation application in Brazil, ordinary naturalisation included, is free of charge — the Ministry of Justice levies no fees for this service.
How long does an ordinary naturalisation application take to be examined?
The law allows one hundred and eighty calendar days for the whole procedure from receipt of the application; that period may be extended by a separate decision of the Minister of Justice.
How can I find out what is happening with my application after filing?
The status is tracked in the personal account on the gov.br portal — the applications section shows whether the case is under analysis or whether further documents have been requested; notifications also arrive by email.
What should I do if naturalisation is refused?
Once the refusal has been published an appeal may be filed within the Naturalizar-se system itself: open your application, choose the response option, set out the grounds of disagreement and attach documents evidencing the changed circumstances.
Which documents evidence that I have lived in Brazil for the required period?
At least one supporting document is required for each year of residence: utility bills, a tenancy or property purchase agreement, a bank certificate confirming that you are a customer, employment documents, diplomas or study certificates, medical documents or extracts from social and health insurance records.

Other ways to move to Brazil

Every route in one list — migration programmes: Brazil.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.