Even without dual citizenship, Portuguese residents in Brazil can vote in Brazilian elections. To do this, it suffices to apply for the so-called equal political rights status, available after three years of legal residence in the country. Currently, 26,184 Portuguese have the right to vote in Brazil, according to data provided by the TSE (Superior Electoral Court).
In addition to the right to vote, the Portuguese can also be candidates. From 2002 to 2020, there were already 436 candidates of Portuguese nationality benefiting from the status.
The possibility for the Portuguese to vote in Brazil – and for the Brazilians to vote in Portugal – was guaranteed in April 2000, in the so-called Treaty of Porto Seguro, signed on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the discovery.
It is a bilateral agreement between the two countries, which guarantees yet another mechanism: the status of equal rights and duties. With it, Portuguese residents in Brazil (and Brazilians living in Portugal) now have the same rights as a national citizen.
This ensures, for example, that the Portuguese can compete for public tenders in Brazil.
In Portugal, an initiative tries to encourage the electoral participation of the immigrant community, in particular of Brazilians.
In the case of municipal (municipal) elections, it is not even necessary to apply for equal political rights status. Two years of legal residence is sufficient.