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Registering to Vote in Portugal as a Foreign Resident

Researched and written with AI tools from official sources. How we make our guides

Which foreign residents can vote in Portugal, which elections, how long you must have lived here, and how to register at your parish council.

The Portugal Brief 6 min read

Registering to Vote in Portugal as a Foreign Resident

Last verified: October 2026.

Who this is for

  • You are an EU citizen living in Portugal and want to vote in local or European elections.
  • You are from Brazil, Cape Verde, the UK, or another country with a voting agreement with Portugal.
  • You have become Portuguese, or hold Brazilian equal political rights, and want to know if you must register.

Not for you if: you are a Brazilian citizen deciding whether to apply for equal rights status. Read Getting Equal Rights Status as a Brazilian in Portugal instead.

Some foreign residents can vote in Portugal, but only if they register first. EU citizens can register as soon as they live here legally and can vote in local and European Parliament elections. Citizens of Brazil and Cape Verde need more than two years of legal residence. Citizens of ten other countries, including the UK, need more than three years. They vote in local elections only. You register free, in person, at the parish council (junta de freguesia) for the address on your residence document. To vote in a given election, register before the 60th day before it.

Who can register

Registration is voluntary for foreign residents. You can register from age 17 if one of these applies:

You are a citizen ofLegal residence neededYou can vote in
Another EU countryNoneLocal and European Parliament elections
The UK, and you lived in Portugal before BrexitNoneLocal elections
Brazil or Cape VerdeMore than 2 yearsLocal elections
Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Iceland, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, the UK (after Brexit), Uruguay, or VenezuelaMore than 3 yearsLocal elections

The list of non-EU countries is set by a joint declaration of the Foreign and Internal Affairs ministries. It is based on reciprocity: these countries give Portuguese residents the same right. The current list dates from May 2025.

If your country is not on the list, you cannot vote in Portugal. Citizens of the United States, Canada, Australia, and South Africa, for example, are not on it. The only route to the ballot is Portuguese citizenship.

What local elections cover. Local elections (eleições autárquicas) choose the town council (câmara municipal), the municipal assembly, and the parish assembly. Foreign residents do not vote for the President, the national Parliament, or the regional assemblies of the Azores and Madeira.

Brazilian citizens

Brazilians have two routes.

With equal political rights. Brazilians can apply for the status of equality (estatuto de igualdade). Equal civil rights can be granted as soon as you hold a residence permit. Equal political rights need three years of habitual residence. You apply for them yourself.

If you hold equal political rights, you do not need to register. Your rights are reported to the electoral authority automatically. If you also take a Portuguese Citizen Card, you are registered at the address on the card. You can then vote in all elections and referendums on the same terms as Portuguese citizens. A few top offices, such as President of the Republic and Prime Minister, stay closed to you. Your political rights in Brazil are suspended while you hold this status.

A Citizen Card on its own does not mean you are registered. It does not show whether your status includes political rights.

Without equal political rights. If you have only civil equality, or only a residence permit, you can still vote in local elections after more than two years of legal residence. Register at your parish council. Your political rights in Brazil are not affected.

What to bring

Register at the parish council for the address on your valid residence document. The parish council acts as the registration committee (comissão recenseadora).

If you are an EU citizen:

  • a valid identity document;
  • your EU registration certificate, or permanent residence certificate.

If you are from the UK and lived here before Brexit:

  • a valid identity document;
  • your residence document (registration certificate, residence card, or residence permit).

If you are from Brazil, Cape Verde, or another listed country:

  • your valid residence document, showing legal residence for the period needed.

Everyone also signs a formal declaration giving:

  • your nationality and your address in Portugal;
  • the last electoral roll you were on in your home country, if any;
  • if you are from outside the EU, a statement that you have not lost the right to vote in your home country.

The parish council prints your voter record from the electoral system. You check it and sign it. Registration is free.

If you need an EU registration certificate first, see Registering as an EU Citizen Resident in Portugal (CRUE).

Step by step

  1. Check that you qualify. Find your country in the table above and count your years of legal residence.
  2. Check your residence document. The address on it decides your parish. If you have moved, update the document first.
  3. Go to your parish council during opening hours with the documents above.
  4. Sign the declaration and your voter record.
  5. Check your registration before the next election on the Portal do Eleitor or the electoral register site.

Deadlines

There is no deadline to register. But registration closes on the 60th day before each election and reopens the day after it. If you register later, you stay on the roll but cannot vote in that election.

Register well before you expect an election. Early elections can be called at short notice.

Upcoming elections. The last local elections took place on 12 October 2025. The next local and European Parliament elections are expected in 2029, but no dates have been set. The National Election Commission (Comissão Nacional de Eleições, CNE) publishes each date once it is fixed.

If you move

If you move house, update the address on your residence document first: your EU registration certificate, residence card, or residence permit. Then take the updated document to the parish council for your new address and transfer your registration there. This does not happen automatically for foreign residents.

If you become Portuguese

You do not need to do anything. All Portuguese citizens are registered automatically when they collect their Citizen Card. You are registered at the address you gave when you applied for the card. From then on you can vote in every election. See Getting Portuguese Citizenship by Naturalisation.

Keep the address on your Citizen Card up to date. To vote in your new area, the change must be requested and confirmed 60 days before an election.

On election day

Voting in Portugal is not compulsory.

Finding your polling station. In the 15 days before an election, you can find it:

  • at your parish council or town hall;
  • on the electoral register site, recenseamento.mai.gov.pt;
  • by SMS to 3838;
  • on the voter helpline, 808 206 206.

Identifying yourself. Bring an identity document with a current photo, such as your passport or residence card. If you have none, two registered voters can confirm your identity under oath, or the polling station staff can all agree they know you.

Voting early. If you are registered in Portugal, you may be able to vote a week early, on the Sunday before the election, at a polling station you choose in any municipality. You must apply between the 14th and 10th day before the election, online or by post to the Ministry of Internal Affairs' electoral administration. Check the Portal do Eleitor for the rules for each election.

Standing as a candidate

Some foreign residents can also stand in local elections, if they are on the electoral roll:

  • EU citizens;
  • UK citizens who lived in Portugal before Brexit;
  • citizens of Brazil or Cape Verde with more than four years of legal residence;
  • citizens of Colombia or the UK with more than five years of legal residence;
  • Brazilians with equal political rights.

Candidates from abroad sign a formal declaration of their nationality, address, and last address in their home country. They also confirm they have not lost the right to stand there. Non-EU candidates show a residence permit proving the years needed.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules change often; check the official source before you act.

Sources

This guide is written from official sources and, where relevant, organisations' own websites.

Last verified October 2026. Rules and fees change; check the official source before acting.

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