Brazil · For your nationality or ancestry
Brazilian nationality by descent
Brazilian nationality by birth for children born abroad to a Brazilian parent (Constitution Article 12 I c) – consular birth registration
First checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Brazilian nationality by descent is a for your nationality or ancestry route for Brazil. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.
Time and long term
Where to applyFrom abroad
Brazilian consulate for your place of residence; later transcription at a civil registry in Brazil.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Applications are made from outside Brazil, not after arriving
What you'll need
Who can apply4
- You were born abroad to a Brazilian father or mother.
- Registration at a consulate is possible at any time, including after age 18, as long as no earlier Brazilian registration exists.
- If your foreign birth certificate was transcribed directly at a registry in Brazil, consular registration is no longer possible.
- In that case you opt for Brazilian nationality before the Federal Courts after reaching majority and taking up residence in Brazil.
What you must show1
- The consular registration and first certificate are free of charge.
Steps1
- Apply at the consulate for your residence; procedures differ by the age of the person being registered.
After you arrive1
- To have effect in Brazil the consular certificate must be transcribed at the 1st Civil Registry Office of your Brazilian domicile or of the Federal District.
When you become tax resident
How Brazil decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Tax residence
- At least 184 days in a up to 12 months, temporary visa holdersPresence in Brazil, continuous or not, makes a temporary-visa holder a resident on the day the 184th day is completed
- Foreign-source income
Brazilian tax residents are taxed on worldwide income at progressive rates up to 27.5%, with foreign-source income reported through Carnê-Leão; since 1 January 2026 a reduction cancels the tax on taxable monthly income up to R$5,000.
All tax rules for Brazil Tax records checked
Full official text
A child born abroad to a Brazilian mother or father becomes a Brazilian national by birth when the birth is registered at a Brazilian consulate, which can be done at any age including after 18 and is free of charge. People whose foreign birth certificate was transcribed directly in Brazil instead must opt for nationality before the Federal Courts after reaching majority and taking up residence in Brazil. 1 2
Requirements
- You were born abroad to a Brazilian father or mother. 1
- Registration at a consulate is possible at any time, including after age 18, as long as no earlier Brazilian registration exists. 1
- If your foreign birth certificate was transcribed directly at a registry in Brazil, consular registration is no longer possible. 1
- In that case you opt for Brazilian nationality before the Federal Courts after reaching majority and taking up residence in Brazil. 1 2
- The consular registration and first certificate are free of charge. 1
- Apply at the consulate for your residence; procedures differ by the age of the person being registered. 1
- To have effect in Brazil the consular certificate must be transcribed at the 1st Civil Registry Office of your Brazilian domicile or of the Federal District. 1
Stay
- Citizenship is permanent once acquired; it is not a time-limited permit.
Nationality
Open to anyone born abroad to a Brazilian parent; each generation registers to pass nationality on.
Work
A Brazilian national may live and work in Brazil and benefits from Mercosur residence rights.
Family
Each child is registered individually.
Official sources
- Registro de Nascimento – nacionalidade brasileira originária (art. 12, I, c da Constituição) · Consulado-Geral do Brasil em Lisboa (Ministério das Relações Exteriores) · checked 2026-10-11
- Aquisição da nacionalidade brasileira · Consulado-Geral do Brasil em Edimburgo (Ministério das Relações Exteriores) · checked 2026-10-11
Brazilian nationality by descent and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazilian nationality by descent | – | – | – |
| Mexican nationality by descent Mexico | – | – | Yes |
| Colombian nationality by descent Colombia | – | – | – |
| Argentine nationality by option Argentina | – | – | – |
| PSA status (Surinamese descent) Suriname | – | 6 mo, renewable | – |
Questions people ask
How long can I stay on the Brazilian nationality by descent?
Citizenship is permanent once acquired; it is not a time-limited permit.
Can I work on the Brazilian nationality by descent?
A Brazilian national may live and work in Brazil and benefits from Mercosur residence rights.
Can I bring my family on the Brazilian nationality by descent?
Each child is registered individually.
How are Brazilian nationality by descent holders taxed in Brazil?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Brazilian nationality by descent. The standard rules apply: Brazilian tax residents are taxed on worldwide income at progressive rates up to 27.5%, with foreign-source income reported through Carnê-Leão; since 1 January 2026 a reduction cancels the tax on taxable monthly income up to R$5,000. Under Lei 15.270 of 26 November 2025 the minimum tax on total income above R$600,000 applies to income received in calendar year 2026, assessed in the annual return filed in 2027 (exercício 2027).
More in Brazil
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-11 against 2 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Registro de Nascimento – nacionalidade brasileira originária (art. 12, I, c da Constituição) · Consulado-Geral do Brasil em Lisboa (Ministério das Relações Exteriores) · checked 2026-10-11
- Aquisição da nacionalidade brasileira · Consulado-Geral do Brasil em Edimburgo (Ministério das Relações Exteriores) · checked 2026-10-11
Tracked since 2026-10-11. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.