- I live in Portugal and am a foreigner. Can I vote in the elections?
As long as registered in the census in the national territory, all the Portuguese and the citizens of the following countries can vote in the elections of the in the elections of local authority bodies:
- European Union Member States (Austria, Belgium, Germany, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Netherlands, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania and Sweden);
- Brazil and Cape Verde;
- Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Iceland, Norway, New Zealand, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.
For that, it is necessary that they fulfil one of these conditions:
- To be a citizen of a Member States of the European Union where the Portuguese citizens are legally entitled to vote;
- To be a citizen of a Portuguese-speaking countries with legal residence for more than two years, where the Portuguese citizens are legally entitled to vote;
- To be a citizen with legal residence in Portugal for more than three years, as long as nationals of countries that, under conditions of reciprocity, attribute active electoral capacity to the Portuguese residents.
In the elections to the European Parliament, the citizens of the European Union, who are not nationals of the Portuguese State, but are registered in Portugal, can choose to elect the deputies of their country or the Portuguese deputies.
In the elections for the Assembly of the Republic and Legislative Assemblies of the Autonomous Regions, Brazilian citizens holders of the Statute of Equality of Political Rights (Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Consultation between the Portuguese Republic and the Federative Republic of the Brazil, signed in Porto Seguro on April 22, 2000) are able to vote.
- I am a foreigner. Can I join a Portuguese political party?
In general, the registration of foreigners is permitted by the statutes of political parties with parliamentary representation, as long as they have political rights in Portugal.
- How can I register for the voter registration?
To register, you must go to the voter registration commission (Comissão Recenseadora), at the parish council corresponding to the address indicated in the valid residence permit. The period is continuous, being suspended only from the 60th day prior to each election until it is held.
