Brasilian nationality

Hi Hotspur,

Actually it appears to depend on where in Brazil you are living and apply for naturalization.

In major centers such as São Paulo, Rio, Belo Horizonte, etc., it's quite likely the Policia Federal ARE NOT going to have the time or staff to deal with testing the fluency of applicants and they're simply going to require proof of one's score in the CELPE-Bras test you mentioned.

In other remote areas they probably will administer some kind of test themselves. The definitive word on this will come from the Policia Federal in your area.

Regarding dual/multiple citizenship I think you've misunderstood the text. When you apply for naturalization in Brazil part of the application form requires you to check off that you renounce your other citizenship(s). Don't worry about this, it is simply "pro forma" the renunciation has no legal effect OUTSIDE BRAZIL and certainly does not mean that you will lose your present citizenship unless your country's citizenship laws make loss of citizenship automatic should you voluntarily acquire citizenship in another country. (Check you country's laws because they are NOT all the same in this regard). With regard to applying in Brazil your renunciation simply means that while in Brazil you are considered ONLY as a Brazilian citizen and cannot fall back on any additional citizenship (and protection that may offer) in this country.

Note: If you do not check off the box that you renounce your other citizenship(s) your naturalization application simply will not be accepted.

Cheers,
James    Expat-blog Experts Team

Hi James

Thanks as ever. Good to know I would not lose my British citizenship and passport.
Regards
Leslie

Just don't forget that naturalizing as a Brazilian citizen probably carries with it many more obligations than rights (or more correctly disadvantages than advantages) especially as you get older.

It is NOT something to enter into lightly. You need to weigh all the pros and cons first. There are a number of serious tax implications that go along with it, so you're going to have to research the UK/Brazil Tax Treaty to see what those are. I don't know the details, but I can give you an example of the Canada/Brazil Treaty and why I'd never recommend naturalization to a Canadian citizen.

Under our Treaty if I were naturalized my Canada Pension Plan retirement pension payments would be taxed here in Brazil. Brazil has one of the highest income tax rates in the civilized world and I would end up paying. Since I'm not a Brazilian citizen my pension is not taxed here in Brazil, but in Canada and because I earn less than the basic personal exemption I pay no tax on my pension. Although taxes are deducted I get every penny back after I file my annual income tax return. I'm sure that your Treaty is going to be pretty much the same.

Another disadvantage is that should you, God forbid, run afoul of the Brazilian justice system and be convicted of some crime you're a Brazilian (first and foremost) so you lose any protection that the UK offers it's citizens in such cases. They won't even try to help you under those circumstances, because they simply can't. You would be ineligible to be returned to the UK to serve any sentence there, for example.

Really about the ONLY advantage of Brazilian citizenship (and this is only for those who are young and have many productive working years ahead of them) is that it opens up the possibility of applying for competitions for the traditionally much higher jobs in the public service. Non-citizens cannot work in the public service.

Even the Brazilian passport is not much of an advantage, it's ranked No. 19 on the Henley & Partners list, as opposed to the UK passport which is No. 1. It's really only advantageous to citizens of countries whose passports are much further down the list.

Cheers,
James