Can Foreigners Vote in Portugal? Local, European and Brazilian Rules

Foreign residents can vote in Portugal’s local elections if they are EU citizens, Brazilians or Cabo Verdeans with more than 2 years of legal residence, or nationals of ten reciprocity countries, including the UK and Norway, with more than 3 years. EU citizens can also vote for Portugal’s MEPs. Only Brazilians with equal political rights status can vote in all elections.

In every case you must first register on the electoral roll (recenseamento eleitoral) at your parish council. For foreigners registration is voluntary, and it closes 60 days before each election. The rules below come from the Ministry of Internal Administration’s Portal do Eleitor, as of November 2026.

Which foreign residents can vote, and in which elections?

The list of countries is fixed by Declaration 105/2025/2 of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Internal Administration, published in the Diário da República on 15 May 2025.

Everyone else, including US, Indian, Chinese or Ukrainian residents, cannot vote in Portuguese elections until they become Portuguese citizens. Our guide to Portuguese citizenship requirements covers that route.

What are local elections, and when are they held?

Local elections (eleições autárquicas) choose the city council (Câmara Municipal), the municipal assembly and the parish assemblies (Assembleias de Freguesia). They are held every four years across the country; the last regular round was in 2025. In Lisbon this means voting for the mayor’s list and for one of the city’s 24 parishes.

By-elections in single parishes happen between rounds; the Portal do Eleitor announces them. European Parliament elections are held every five years, with the next due in 2029.

How do I register to vote as a foreign resident?

1. Find your parish council (Junta de Freguesia): it is the one for the address shown on your residence document, which acts as the registration commission.
2. Bring a valid identity document and your residence document. EU citizens use the EU registration certificate or permanent residence certificate; others use their residence permit.
3. The parish prints your voter record from the national system (SIGRE). Check the details and sign it.
4. EU citizens who want to vote in European elections in Portugal make a formal declaration that they will vote only in Portugal and are not deprived of that right in their home state.
5. Register before the 60th day before an election: the roll is frozen from that date.

You must be 17 or over to register and 18 to vote. If your address changes, the registration follows the address on your residence document, so update it. EU citizens who still need the certificate should read our guide to the EU citizen registration certificate in Lisbon.

What is the equal political rights status for Brazilians?

The Treaty of Porto Seguro lets Brazilians living in Portugal ask for an equality status (estatuto de igualdade). It has two levels: civil rights, which can be granted right after a residence permit, and civil and political rights, recognized only after three years of habitual residence and only on request.

With political rights, a Brazilian can vote in all Portuguese elections and referendums on the same terms as a Portuguese citizen, and is placed on the electoral roll automatically. The Constitution still reserves the offices of President, President of Parliament, Prime Minister and presidents of the supreme courts for Portuguese citizens. In exchange, the right to vote in Brazil is suspended while the status lasts, and the status ends if the residence permit lapses or is canceled.

Brazilians without this status can still vote in local elections after 2 years of legal residence, by registering at their parish, and keep their Brazilian voting rights.

How do I check where I vote?

In the 15 days before an election you can find your polling station:

• at your parish council or the city council;
• online at recenseamento.mai.gov.pt;
• through the voter helpline, 808 206 206.

The Portal do Eleitor’s euEleitor area also shows your registration and voting details, but logging in needs a Portuguese Citizen Card or the Chave Móvel Digital. Bring an identity document to vote. Voting is not compulsory in Portugal, and not voting carries no penalty. The Portal do Eleitor FAQ for foreign residents has the full rules, and the National Elections Commission (CNE) answers questions on the conduct of elections.

Bottom line

For most foreign residents of Lisbon the vote that is available is the local one, and the step that is easy to miss is registration: it is not automatic, and the roll closes 60 days before polling day. Register once at your parish council and keep your address current, and you will be ready for the next local round, due in 2029.

FAQ

Can EU citizens vote in Portuguese parliamentary elections?

No. EU citizens resident in Portugal can vote in local elections and for Portugal’s members of the European Parliament, but not for the national Parliament or the President.

Can British residents vote in Portugal after Brexit?

Yes, in local elections, if they have legally resided in Portugal for more than 3 years and registered. The UK is on the reciprocity list, and British residents can also stand as candidates.

Is voter registration automatic for foreign residents?

No, except for Brazilians with equal political rights status. Everyone else must register in person at the parish council for their address.

Can I lose my right to vote in my home country?

Only Brazilians who take the equal political rights status have their voting rights in Brazil suspended. Registering to vote in Portuguese local elections does not affect other nationalities’ home voting rights under Portuguese rules; check your own country’s law.