玩偶姐姐

When will I qualify to apply for citizenship through marriage?

Marriage reduces the time from 4 to 1 year.Do temporary absences (like the ones I鈥檝e had/will have) affect the eligibility timeline?

You can have an absence of 90 days in 1 year. In your case the clock started counting again in January this year. Wait until January next year. They are strict on this, another forum member had his application rejected because of applying before the deadline.Additionally, I understand that a Portuguese language test is part of the process.

In principle, yes. It's called Celpe-Bras and it's what I did. It's also possible to do certain specific language courses in selected schools. I don't know all the details, but there are other topics on this forum where people discuss this.

05/23/25 @Planetf1.聽 Welcome!聽 As @JNSQ86 wrote above, you became eligible in principle for naturalization once you had been a permanent resident for one year, so you have qualified since April 2025.

As he also wrote, the guideline for permissible absences that don't break continuous residence is proportional, and is understood as no more than three months in any one year.聽 聽The best official presentation of the guidelines appears at the bottom of this page:

The language requirement is comprehensive and goes far beyond simple conversation.聽 Several expats have reported success with an online course with in-person testing that will be accepted for naturalization in lieu of passing Celpe-Bras.聽 See this thread:

/en/forum/south-am 鈥� ation.html

Just this week, the government has announced new restrictions on university-level distance learning.聽 It may only apply to degree-bearing programs and not to extension courses like this one; in discussing it with the school, you'll want to be sure that the course will still be accepted by the Federal Police as satisfying the language requirement for naturalization.

For in-person courses to teach you how to take and pass CelpeBras, check with the federal and state universities near you for Portuguese for Foreigners courses.

Best of luck!

@Planetf1

Regarding Portuguese language lessons for foreigners:

1) Duolingo - 15-20 min per day. Although criticized by many, Duolingo gave me a foundation in vocabulary and grammar (esp verb conjugation and gender) that helped me quickly pick up conversational Portuguese when I met my Brasileira.

2) YouTube - there are two fantastic professoras on YT who specialize in teaching foreigners Brazilian Portuguese. I will not post links because this app/site seems to omit them. Both have hundreds of free videos and, if you are interested, group classes that start every 4-6 months. Search YT for these channels:

a) 鈥淧ortuguese with Marcio Macedo鈥�

b) 鈥淪peaking Brazilian with Virginia Langhammer鈥� -聽 she also has free lessons in the Apple Podcast Store.

These professoras are both wonderful teachers. They are very patient and speak in a neutral accent (sotaque) that will help you be understood anywhere in Brazil.

Good luck!

05/24/25 @Ipanema777.聽 I can personally vouch for Duolingo in several languages.聽 The Portuguese course is not their best, but it's still quite good.聽 It helped me to correct a nagging little error that had become habitual, and I'm university-trained in the language.聽 It's also pretty good on teaching up-to-date informal vocabulary, and getting the "feel" of the language generally.聽

I'm not familiar with the other courses that you mention, but I'll take your word for them.聽 ANY regular training is more efficient and will give better results that trying to pick the language up by osmosis.聽 I firmly believe that anyone who aspires to speak better than broken Portuguese should put in the time and effort with at least a conversational course like these, and stick with it.聽 It's worth the effort.

No conversational course or combination of conversational courses, however, will be sufficient to meet the language requirement for naturalization.聽 As I wrote above, the requirement is comprehensive:聽 it weights oral ability and writing ability equally and having passed CelpeBras myself,聽 I estimate that it requires a candidate to speak, understand, read, and write at about the level of a native Brazilian high school graduate.聽 It's only waived for immigrants from Portuguese-speaking countries, or those who have lived in the Brazil continuously for fifteen years.聽 Anyone seriously interested in becoming a Brazilian citizen will need to successfully complete either a reputable CelpeBras preparation course and take the test, or one of the courses that the Ministry of Education has approved as a substitute.聽

Thank you so much for all the helpful responses to my earlier post 鈥� I really appreciate the guidance and shared experiences!

@abthree thanks for sending the link to the FAAP Portuguese course. I鈥檓 planning to register for either the June or September session. Quick question for anyone familiar with the course:

馃憠 Do I need to register for Level 1 or Level 2, or is either one sufficient for the citizenship requirement?

Also, just to clarify my situation: I was out of Brazil from September 2024 to January 2025 鈥� about four months. Based on that, I understand the earliest I could apply for citizenship would be January 2026 (please correct me if I'm wrong!).

I鈥檒l be leaving Brazil again next month, but I鈥檒l make sure to keep the trip under three months so I don鈥檛 affect the continuity of residency.

05/25/25 Also, just to clarify my situation: I was out of Brazil from September 2024 to January 2025 鈥� about four months. Based on that, I understand the earliest I could apply for citizenship would be January 2026 (please correct me if I'm wrong!).

I鈥檒l be leaving Brazil again next month, but I鈥檒l make sure to keep the trip under three months so I don鈥檛 affect the continuity of residency. - @Planetf1

That sounds like a good plan.聽 The long pole in the tent for you, as it is for most people, will be the criminal background check/police report from your home country.聽 The Federal Police expect that to be no more than 90 days old when you present it in support of your naturalization request.聽 There may be some flexibility on that, but you can't count on it; for most people, that means a quick trip home shortly before applying.聽 Whether in your case that means the UK or the Netherlands -- your profile and post are confusing on that point聽 -- it's the same either way.聽 Unless the country you need the document from will grant it remotely, you'll have to go back to get it.聽

@Planetf1

Out of interest, did you think that mandated 2 stops on Sunday solved the problem of the annual procession that the Monaco GP has become recently?

Thank you so much for all the helpful responses to my earlier post 鈥� I really appreciate the guidance and shared experiences!
@abthree thanks for sending the link to the FAAP Portuguese course. I鈥檓 planning to register for either the June or September session. Quick question for anyone familiar with the course:
馃憠 Do I need to register for Level 1 or Level 2, or is either one sufficient for the citizenship requirement?

- @Planetf1

Re: FAAP courses - I have taken online courses A1, A2, and just completed B1.

Just a few things to know about FAAP

1. FAAP in S茫o Paulo has more intensive in person courses that can speed up the process.聽 Since I only took online courses, I did not inquire about in-person courses.
2. According to FAAP, the actual level that CELPE-BRAS requires is minimum B2.
3. In order to receive a certificate for use for CELPE-BRAS, you will need to attend an in-person test at FAAP as it is a Brazil requirement to have an in location FAAP and in-person test.
4. Once you have completed the test and have achieved the CELPE-BRAS level, then the FAAP certificate can be used for naturalization purposes.

In general, I agree with @abthree, it is way better to learn Portuguese in a class setting and on a schedule as this allows you to learn the language the proper way. The disadvantage of learning the language by osmosis is that there are so many non-grammatically correct way of speaking in Brazil - which is great for communication but considered "mal educado" in professional settings.聽 Best to start learning the proper way and then deciding to be more colloquial would be easier.

Re:聽 what is the CELPE -BRAS requirement?聽 Having just completed B1, I had to master all the forms of verb tenses - indicativo, subjuntivo, imperativo, infinitivo - which is quite extensive.聽 It was a good mental exercise as it was actually hard - harder than what I have done in Spanish before.

I am considering taking B2 and I think that this would be a requirement for anyone considering finding work in Brazil.

Hope that this helps.

PS:聽 If you want a contact at FAAP, please message me and I'll put you in touch with the "Portugu锚s para estrangeiros" program director.

05/28/25 @Pablo888.聽 Great summary.聽

The rigor of CelpeBras is that writing ability and oral ability are tested separately, and the applicant's final grade is the lower of the two, not the average.聽 Not many people both speak and write a foreign language with exactly equal fluency; factors like fatigue can lower one grade or the other, and are more likely to affect the oral test, since it's generally taken either the day after, or later the same day, as the written test.聽 The advantage of taking an approved course like the FAAP course -- aside from the huge advantage of learning the language well in itself -- is that by doing well enough in the course the applicant can bypass that particular risk.

Before the 2017 immigration law reform (Lei n潞 13.445/2017), it was common for naturalization applicants to demonstrate their ability to speak Portuguese through a simple interview with the Pol铆cia Federal. While this method is less talked about today, current law may still permit it鈥攃reating a possible legal loophole.

Under Ordinance No. 623, dated November 13, 2020:

- Article 5 lists accepted forms of proof of Portuguese ability鈥擟ELPE-Bras certification, Brazilian academic diplomas, approved language courses for immigrants, etc.鈥攂ut does not state that these are exclusive.

- Article 7, Section IV says the Pol铆cia Federal may conduct a recorded interview when necessary for the 鈥渋nstruction of the process.鈥�

Here鈥檚 where it gets interesting: 鈥渋nstruction of the process鈥� (instru莽茫o do processo) is a legal term in Brazilian administrative law. It refers to the collection of facts and evidence needed to evaluate a request鈥攊n this case, a request for naturalization. It does not mean instruction as in 鈥渢eaching,鈥� but rather supporting the decision-making process with sufficient documentation or testimony.

So, if an applicant has no formal diploma or certificate but can clearly communicate in Portuguese, a recorded interview may legally serve to fulfill this requirement. This flexibility is especially important for older residents or spouses of Brazilian citizens who already use Portuguese in daily life but may not have formal academic qualifications.

As is often the case, ambiguity in Brazilian Law, which makes lawyers profitable 馃ぃ.

The PF has a lot of power in this process.

05/28/25 Before the 2017 immigration law reform (Lei n潞 13.445/2017), it was common for naturalization applicants to demonstrate their ability to speak Portuguese through a simple interview with the Pol铆cia Federal. While this method is less talked about today, current law may still permit it鈥攃reating a possible legal loophole.

- @bepmoht

I never say "never" in Brazil,聽 but i wouldn't roll the dice on this one.聽

I was one of the last people to enter Brazil on the old VIPER permanent visa -- three weeks before the current Law of Migration took effect -- so when I applied for naturalization after completing my twelve months continuous residence (and a little more) it was under the current law.聽 I hadn't taken CelpeBras yet when I applied, although I was scheduled to take it a month later.聽 聽I included a US Peace Corps certificate of fluency with a Sworn Translation and it was obvious to the officer that I was a Portuguese speaker; he looked confused by the document but he didn't reject the application outright.

About six months later when I had my CelpeBras certificate I went to the PF "to check on the status of my petition" because my Protocolo was about to expire.聽 After a while, a different officer came out with my folder, showed me the Peace Corps certificate, and told me that they'd have to reject my petition as not satisfying the language requirement.聽 So I whipped out the CelpeBras cert and asked, "can we replace it with this?" and everything was back on track, all was right with the world again.

Most of the officers along the review path between the local PF and the Ministry of Justice in Bras铆lia are probably going to treat the list in Portaria No. 623 as definitive -- and it only takes one.

what are the benefits of being a citizen if one has a Euro or U.S. passport?

You become a tax resident after 6 months total in the country citizen or not.

06/02/25 what are the benefits of being a citizen if one has a Euro or U.S. passport? You become a tax resident after 6 months total in the country citizen or not. - @jc1234

Good question.聽 The answer is "not many", at least for the countries you mentioned.

Brazil has a strong passport -- No. 17 on the Henley & Partners list (), which is important to some immigrants, particularly refugees.聽 But the passports of the EU countries, Scandinavia, the UK, Canada, and the United States are all as strong or stronger.

Brazil is unusually generous in granting rights to resident foreigners.聽 Permanent residents have all the rights of Brazilian citizens except the right to vote and hold office, and to compete in concursos for civil service jobs, not things that are important to most expats.聽 The only limitations they suffer are a requirement to register changes of address with the Federal Police (which can be done online, and which many perhaps forget anyway) and some limitations on buying real estate in rural areas and in areas designated as important to national defense.

Brazil's constitutional ban on extraditing its citizens to other countries is a bit less absolute for naturalized citizens with respect to crimes committed in their countries of origin prior to naturalization, but still very strong.聽 Permanent residents also have strong protections, though:聽 Brazil is and always has been opposed to extradition, period.

So the only reason for someone with a Euro, US, Canadian, or other passport stronger than Brazil's to become a citizen is love for Brazil, and a desire to become a member of this society as completely as possible.聽 In theory, I suppose, citizenship does provide some additional protection against changes in immigration law,聽 But the current law adopted in 2017 replaced one that was fifty years old, so a major change in immigration law seems to be literally a once in a lifetime event.

So the only reason for someone with a Euro, US, Canadian, or other passport stronger than Brazil's to become a citizen is love for Brazil, and a desire to become a member of this society as completely as possible.

While I agree this would be a primary reason for people of many countries to become Brazilian citizens, and is the main reason that I became one, you missed one of the other main advantages. As a citizen you are free to leave Brazil and stay out of the country as long as you wish. Permanent residency, in most cases, places a two-year limit on the time you can be out of the country. Staying away for more than two consecutive years usually means you must apply for residency again.

June 2, 2025

I thought that one of the benefits of getting a Brazilian citizenship if you have a US Passport is that this will allow you to apply for residency in Portugal - hence become a resident of the EU with potential to become a Portuguese citizen.聽 This is because of this special relationship between Brazil and Portugal....

Is this true?

June 2, 2025I thought that one of the benefits of getting a Brazilian citizenship if you have a US Passport is that this will allow you to apply for residency in Portugal - hence become a resident of the EU with potential to become a Portuguese citizen. This is because of this special relationship between Brazil and Portugal....Is this true? - @Pablo888

Good question! I believe it is possible, but not immediately. While Portugal grants to Brazilian citizens all the rights that they enjoy in Brazil (and that a Portuguese citizen enjoys - like access to health care), there is a minimum period that you must have lived legally in Portugal, before you can apply, plus some other rules. This period is constantly under review, but at the moment I think it is at least 5 or 6 years...

06/03/25聽 Good question! I believe it is possible, but not immediately. While Portugal grants to Brazilian citizens all the rights that they enjoy in Brazil (and that a Portuguese citizen enjoys - like access to health care), there is a minimum period that you must have lived legally in Portugal, before you can apply, plus some other rules. This period is constantly under review, but at the moment I think it is at least 5 or 6 years... - @Peter Itamaraca

This is my impression, too, although I've never researched it thoroughly.聽

Free movement between Brazil and Portugal has been an unbroken tradition for almost 500 years, which is almost certainly why it was allowed to continue when Portugal joined the European Economic Community, now the European Union, in 1986.聽 It has never been popular with the EU, however, and the pressure on Lisbon from Brussels to modify it or end it has been constant.聽 The Equality of Rights that Brazilians obtain within Portugal does not give them the status of Portuguese citizens in the rest of the EU.

The new Portuguese government is implementing an "Action Plan for Migration", and has started issuing notices to leave the country voluntarily to almost 34,000 foreigners that it has identified as overstaying their visas, with forcible removal possible in the case of non-compliance.聽 This applies mostly to South Asians, but more than 5,000 Brazilians are also included ().听

Simultaneously, Portugal has reorganized the agency that grants visa extensions, and it's unclear whether the delays in renewals has more to do with the reorg or with tighter restrictions.聽 This has created consternation in the expat community, as you can see here:

Our Portugal Forum on expat.com will probably be providing current takes on this issue, and our Portugal Expert, @JohnnyPT, really knows his stuff.聽 That Forum can be found here:

/en/forum/europe/portugal/

For French speakers, the French version provides a somewhat different take, with more of an EU-centered point of view:

/fr/forum/europe/portugal/

I鈥檓 planning to pursue citizenship and appreciate the insights shared in this thread. For me, it鈥檚 about long-term stability, in line with what @jonesio mentioned about the ability to come and go freely. I have residency through marriage valid until 2030, but I鈥檇 rather not risk complications if I ever needed to spend extended time outside Brazil due to an unexpected family or health issue, etc.

Thanks to information I found here, I鈥檓 planning to enroll in the intensive online course at FAAP to meet the language requirement. Based on my research, conversations with the school, and feedback from others, I feel comfortable taking this route.

The school is currently working to reach their minimum enrollment for the online course I'm targeting, which is scheduled to run from June 16 to August 1 (I'm currently in the A2-B1 range). If anyone else is considering this option, feel free to reach out. I鈥檓 in no way affiliated with them (except as a potential student), though I do want to advance my Portuguese asap: both for assimilation and naturalization purposes.