Reacquiring Brazilian Citizenship: Getting Your Nationality Back
If you were once Brazilian and lost it — most often by becoming a citizen of another country under the old rules — you may be able to get it back. And a 2023 change to the Constitution has made this far easier than it used to be, to the point where many people discover they may never really have needed to lose it at all. This page explains how loss of nationality works now, the two routes back, and how to tell which one fits your situation.
Reviewed by Luciano Oliveira — Brazil–US attorney
This page is general information about Brazilian nationality law, not legal advice, and reading it doesn’t create an attorney–client relationship. Your situation turns on its own facts; only a consultation with a licensed attorney can tell you which route applies to you.
What changed in 2023 — and why it matters to you
For decades, a Brazilian who voluntarily acquired another nationality could lose their Brazilian nationality, and many did — often without fully realizing it — when they naturalized in the United States or elsewhere. Constitutional Amendment 131/2023 rewrote that rule. Under the current text of the Constitution (art. 12, §4), Brazilian nationality is now lost in only two situations: when a court cancels a naturalization for fraud or an attack on the constitutional order, or when the person makes an express request to give it up (and even then, not if it would leave them stateless).
The headline consequence: acquiring another citizenship no longer costs you your Brazilian one. Going forward, dual (or multiple) nationality is simply allowed. And looking backward, it opens a path for people whose Brazilian nationality was declared lost under the old rule to have that loss undone.
Route 1 — Revoking the old loss (revogação)
If your Brazilian nationality was declared lost because you naturalized abroad, the cleanest route is often to ask for that loss to be revoked. Because the basis for the old loss — acquiring another nationality — is no longer a valid ground, you can seek to have the loss ordinance set aside and be treated as never having lost your nationality at all. For someone who was born Brazilian, that matters a great deal: it restores your original, born-Brazilian (nato) status, rather than turning you into a naturalized citizen. This is the route that fits most people who “lost” their citizenship simply by taking another passport.
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Route 2 — Formal reacquisition (reaquisição)
Where revocation doesn’t fit, Brazilian law provides a formal reacquisition procedure. The Constitution (art. 12, §5, added in 2023) confirms that having renounced Brazilian nationality does not bar you from reacquiring your original nationality, and the mechanics run through the Ministry of Justice under the Migration Law (Lei 13.445/2017, art. 76) and its regulations. The exact steps and any time conditions have been in flux since the 2023 amendment, so this is a route to map carefully with counsel for your specific facts.
“Do I even need to do anything?”
For many people, the honest answer is reassuring. If your worry is that a past or planned naturalization abroad will cost you your Brazilian citizenship, under today’s rules it generally does not — dual nationality is allowed. If you are currently a dual national and no loss was ever formally declared against you, there may be nothing to fix. Where action is needed is the specific case of a loss that was formally declared under the old regime; that’s what the two routes above address.
A note on renouncing (if that’s really what you want)
Some people arrive here looking for the opposite — how to give up Brazilian nationality. That is still possible, but only by your own express request, and it will not be granted if it would leave you stateless. It’s also worth pausing on: because dual nationality is now freely allowed, the old reasons people felt forced to renounce have largely fallen away.
How we help
We assess whether your situation calls for revoking an old loss or a formal reacquisition, prepare and file the request with the Ministry of Justice, and handle the documentation and follow-through. We work to present a clear, well-supported case; we don’t promise a particular decision, which rests with the authorities.
Frequently asked questions
I became a US citizen years ago and think I lost my Brazilian citizenship. Can I get it back?
Very likely there’s a route. Since EC 131/2023, acquiring another nationality no longer causes loss, and a loss declared under the old rule can often be revoked — restoring your original born-Brazilian status as if it were never lost. The right approach depends on exactly how and when the loss was recorded.
What’s the difference between “revoking the loss” and “reacquisition”?
Revoking the old loss treats you as never having lost your nationality (keeping your nato status). Reacquisition is a formal procedure to get it back. Which fits depends on your history; we help you determine that.
Will reacquiring my Brazilian citizenship affect my other citizenship?
Brazil allows dual nationality, so from Brazil’s side there’s no conflict. Whether your other country is affected is governed by that country’s law.
Does my Brazilian citizenship pass to my children?
If your born-Brazilian status is restored, the jus sanguinis rules for children born abroad may apply — see our Citizenship by Descent pages. It’s a common and important follow-on question.
I only want the right to live in Brazil, not citizenship back — is there a simpler route?
Yes. There’s a separate residency pathway for former Brazilian citizens; see that page if residency, rather than reacquiring nationality, is your goal.
Related pages
The main Brazilian Citizenship guide (including dual citizenship); Citizenship by Descent (for passing nationality to children); and, if you want residency rather than citizenship, the residency route for former Brazilians.
A final note: this page is general information about Brazilian nationality law, not legal advice, and reading it creates no attorney–client relationship. Whether this route fits you — and how to pursue it — turns on your specific facts, which only a consultation with a licensed attorney can assess.