Brazilian Dual Citizenship in the U.S. — 2026 Guide

Brazil permits dual nationality, and a child born in the United States to a Brazilian father or mother is Brazilian by birth. What makes the status usable is the consular birth registration: without it, nothing in the Brazilian system recognises the child, and with it the child holds a Brazilian certificate identical in effect to one issued in Brazil.

Quick facts

Registration is a recognition of a status that already exists, not a naturalisation. Neither country asks the child to choose, and acquiring U.S. citizenship does not by itself cost an adult their Brazilian nationality.

Fees breakdown

The expensive scenario is the historical one: certificates carrying a nationality annotation, where confirming the status requires a court procedure in Brazil rather than a counter appointment.

How to register a child

1. Order the long-form U.S. birth certificate naming both parents.
2. Open a birth registration request in e-consular under the consulate covering the place of birth.
3. Upload the certificate and both parents’ documents for validation.
4. Send the physical file with the money order and a prepaid return envelope, or attend in person where the consulate offers it.
5. Receive the Brazilian birth certificate.
6. Apply for the taxpayer number and then the passport, in that order.

Required documents

• Long-form U.S. birth certificate of the child.
• Brazilian parent’s passport or identity card and birth or marriage certificate.
• Other parent’s identity document, whatever their nationality.
• Parents’ marriage certificate where they are married.
• Proof of address in the consular district.
• Consent of both parents.

Where to register

At the consulate covering the place where the child was born. Families who have since moved states should check which office holds the file before asking for copies.

Additional notes

What it unlocks

A Brazilian passport, the taxpayer number, inheritance on the same footing as any citizen, public education at national rates and, for men, military enrolment obligations at the appropriate age.

Adults registering late

There is no age limit, but files opened long after the birth are examined more closely and may need additional evidence of the parental link.

Military enrolment

Brazilian men must deal with military enrolment at the appropriate age, and consulates handle it. Ignoring it complicates later passport applications.

Names

Brazilian records use the full name as registered. Differences between the U.S. certificate and the parents’ Brazilian documents should be resolved before filing, not after.