The four types of naturalization
- Ordinary: the most common — for any resident who meets the legal time requirement
- Extraordinary: for anyone who has lived in Brazil for more than 15 uninterrupted years, with no criminal record, with no language or income requirement
- Special: for the spouse of a Brazilian diplomat or government employee abroad for a set period
- Provisional: for a foreign child who settled in Brazil before age 10, filed by their legal guardian
Requirements for ordinary naturalization (most common)
Base requirement: 4 years of uninterrupted residency after obtaining indefinite residency, plus:
- Full civil capacity
- Ability to communicate in Portuguese
- No criminal conviction (or rehabilitated)
💡 The clock starts from your indefinite-residency date (not your entry date into Brazil). You can check this date on your CRNM or in the SISMIGRA system.
Cases reduced to just 1 year
The requirement drops from 4 years to 1 year in these cases:
- Having a Brazilian child, by birth or naturalization
- Being married to, or in a stable union with, a Brazilian national, without being separated at the time of the request
- Being a national of a Portuguese-speaking country (CPLP)
It also drops to 2 years for anyone who has rendered relevant service to Brazil or is recommended for professional, scientific, or artistic ability.
⚠️ Important update: bill under review
There is a bill currently moving through Brazil's Congress (2026) that may change the rules for ordinary naturalization — reinforcing the 4-year uninterrupted residency requirement, blocking naturalization for anyone facing an open criminal case, and requiring proof of lawful income. The law currently in force is Law 13.445/2017, and we'll update this page as soon as any official change passes.
Documents generally required
- Valid passport and CRNM
- Proof of continuous residency throughout the required period (at least one document per year)
- Criminal record certificate from Brazil and from your home country
- Birth certificate of your Brazilian child or marriage certificate (depending on which reduced-time case applies)
Note: mobile phone bills are no longer accepted as proof of address in the naturalization process — electricity, water, or home internet bills are preferred.
We help you with
- An initial assessment of your situation and which naturalization path applies
- Calculating the exact required time from your residency date
- Organizing all documents before filing
- Following up on your case until the result
Request this service
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