Practice area · 03
Naturalization: conditions, evidence, steps
Ordinary naturalization usually requires four years of residence, reduced to one year in the cases set out in Law 13.445/2017. The public application is free.
Naturalization is a way to acquire Brazilian nationality and has its own requirements. For ordinary naturalization, the review considers residence, communication in Portuguese and the other legal conditions.
The public application is made through Naturalizar-se. The Federal Police process the application and the Ministry of Justice and Public Security makes the decision. Legal work consists of reviewing the individual requirements, evidence and steps; it does not anticipate the outcome.
Situations
Situations this area covers
I am married to a Brazilian and thinking about naturalization
A tie to a Brazilian spouse or partner is among the reduced-period grounds in the law. Dra. Simone examines actual residence, time spent outside the country and the records before any application is filed.
How documents are reviewedI have lived in Brazil a long time, but I have left the country at times
Length of residence and actual presence are not the same thing. Dra. Simone gathers the record of registrations, contracts and receipts and explains what that set shows, without anticipating the decision.
How documents are reviewedI want to know whether to instruct a lawyer or do it myself
The naturalization application is made through a free public service. The lawyer's work is the individual review and the follow-up; when a case does not call for private assistance, Dra. Simone says so.
How documents are reviewedProving residence for naturalization
The review concerns actual residence during the legally required period, not only the date printed on a card. Registration records, travel history and documents showing everyday life in Brazil help reconstruct that period. Time abroad needs to be examined under the applicable rules.
Examples include lease agreements, records of study or work and proof of address relating to the period being reviewed. They are not a universal checklist or a prediction of the decision. The official list and the individual circumstances determine what is relevant.
Naturalization and a passport are separate steps
Residence does not automatically confer Brazilian nationality or a Brazilian passport. Naturalization concerns the acquisition of nationality. A passport is a travel document requested separately after nationality has been established, subject to the Federal Police requirements.
The public naturalization service is free. It includes online stages and may involve attendance at the Federal Police. Anyone needing public legal assistance can consult the Federal Public Defender’s Office (DPU), which assesses the request under its own criteria. This does not establish eligibility for assistance or predict the naturalization decision.
After residence, everyday legal matters
Living in Brazil also involves leases, purchases, banking and other consumer services. These questions belong to the contract and consumer areas of Dra. Simone’s practice, each with its own scope of review.