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Citizenship — naturalisation

How a foreigner becomes a Brazilian citizen: residence period, proof of Portuguese, documents, real timelines and what to do after the portaria.

Brazilian citizenship by naturalisation is processed through the Ministry of Justice (MJSP) and the Polícia Federal. Here is the general scheme, the proof of language, the documents and the timelines from people who went through it in 2023–2025. The requirements are set by law and the ministry's website, so official links are at the end.

Checked on 8 October 2026. Rules and the document list change: check the official pages at the end.

In short

  • Ordinary naturalisation: 4 years of residence, legal capacity (18 years), command of Portuguese and no criminal conviction (Lei 13.445/2017, art. 65).
  • The period is reduced to a minimum of 1 year if you have a Brazilian child or a Brazilian spouse (partner) (art. 66).
  • The application is filed online in the "Naturalizar-se" system with a gov.br account; the PF then summons you for biometrics.
  • The whole path from filing to the portaria took the authors about a year.

Proof of Portuguese

You need one document from the list the ministry gives with a reference to Portaria 623/2020, art. 5:

  • a Celpe-Bras certificate;
  • a diploma from a Brazilian university accredited by MEC;
  • passing the Exame de Ordem of the bar association;
  • completion of a Portuguese course for immigrants at a university accredited by MEC (it can be remote, but at least one assessment must be in person);
  • ENCCEJA: a certificate of completing primary or secondary school through the exam;
  • a school transcript showing completion of primary, secondary or "supletivo" at a Brazilian school;
  • an appointment as a teacher, technician or scientist at a public university; a revalidated medical diploma.

According to the authors, in practice people choose among four options:

  • Celpe-Bras: the exam is held once or twice a year, in person. A written part (about three hours, four tasks: two based on a video and an audio recording, two on texts) and an oral part (about 30 minutes: questions about yourself and a conversation about pictures). The minimum required level is Intermediário (B1) (post, 26.04.2025); how the exam goes is described in the post of 28.04.2023. One author sat it in July 2026 without any preparation and got B1 (post, 01.07.2026).
  • EJA / supletivo: an exam for a secondary-school certificate. In Paraíba state in December 2023 it was held monthly, preparation took about three weeks, and it cost about R$ 580, plus R$ 200 to issue the certificate (post, 15.12.2023, overview of options, 04.02.2024).
  • ENCCEJA: a national exam held once a year; a test and an essay, with a pass mark. Registration, according to the author, opens in spring (post, 21.01.2023, post, 04.02.2024).
  • A Portuguese course for immigrants at a university with an in-person final exam. In 2023 one author chose the free online course of the University of São Paulo and wrote the final exam in person in São Paulo (post, 25.03.2023). In December 2025 there was a free two-month online course from Paraná state (Saturdays, two hours) with an in-person exam in Foz do Iguaçu; the certificate was accepted for naturalisation (post, 21.12.2025).

Documents

According to the ministry's official checklist, ordinary naturalisation requires:

  • the CRNM, even if expired;
  • the Comprovante de Situação Cadastral no CPF (a status confirmation generated in the Receita Federal public lookup), not a plain CPF printout: the author sent an ordinary scan and "got away with it", but you should not count on that (post, 14.08.2023);
  • criminal-record certificates from the federal and state courts for the places you lived in the last four years;
  • a criminal-record certificate from your country of citizenship, legalised and translated by a sworn translator (Translations and apostille);
  • proof of residence for each year;
  • a passport, even an expired one; a document proving knowledge of Portuguese; documents for the shortened period (a marriage certificate or the birth certificate of a Brazilian child).

In 2023 the author obtained the certificate in Russia through a proxy at a MFC office, with an apostille: about three to four weeks including delivery; for Muscovites it is easier through "Gosuslugi", already with the apostille. Opinions differed on whether a certificate from the consulate could be used (post, 04.07.2023).

How the process goes: two examples

  • Rio, 2023–2024. The process was opened on 18 June 2023, documents were uploaded on 4 July, biometrics were given on 12 September, on 23 October the case went to the ministry, and the portaria came out on 23 July 2024: about 12–13 months. There was no home visit or interview; the PF only took fingerprints (post, 23.07.2024, post, 24.10.2023).
  • A second example, 2024–2025. Filed on 6 March 2024, biometrics on 12 September, with the ministry from 5 November, portaria on 5 March 2025: exactly a year (post, 06.03.2025).

In Rio the author was asked nothing at the biometrics appointment, they only took fingerprints; in other cities the procedure may differ (post, 09.01.2024).

After the portaria

The portaria is published in the official gazette. Next, according to an author's account from 2024–2025:

  1. ID card (CIN / RG): an appointment on the DETRAN website, a printout of the portaria, proof of address, an identity document (post, 26.07.2024). More in CIN and a child's documents.
  2. For men aged 18 to 45, military registration (alistamento); the certificate is issued in about a week.
  3. Título eleitoral, the voter card: a form on the TSE court website, then biometrics at a polling station, about 10 minutes (post, 06.02.2025).

The author names military registration and the voter card as conditions for getting a Brazilian passport, in addition to the ID card (post, 08.08.2024).

Children

For a child under 18 who received indefinite residence before the age of 10, there is "provisional naturalisation" (naturalização provisória). What counts is the date of registration with the PF, not the date of arrival; the application is filed by the legal representative. At 18 the provisional citizenship has to be converted into permanent. The channel author adds that such children do not have to take a Portuguese exam (post, 18.08.2023). For children over 10 there is no simplified procedure. More on the ministry's "Naturalização provisória" page.

Sources

Official:

Personal experience (channels @brazil_lifehacks and @russo_no_brasil, in Russian):