Brazilian naturalisation rules explained as Flamengo have three eligible players | OneFootball

The CBF has approved a phased reduction in the number of foreign players clubs can register, prompting teams to consider naturalisation. Flamengo already have three players eligible for Brazilian citizenship.

According to Coluna Do Fla, ordinary naturalisation requires at least four years of continuous residence in Brazil. The process starts with a Federal Police form and is assessed by the Ministry of Justice.

Applicants must be 18 or over, prove they can communicate in Portuguese and have no criminal conviction, unless legally rehabilitated. The residence period can fall to one year for foreigners with a Brazilian child or spouse, and for citizens of Portuguese-speaking countries such as Portugal and Angola.

The four-year residence must be uninterrupted, though the law allows up to one year spent abroad within that span. If a player moves overseas and stays more than one year with the new club, the clock resets.

Arrascaeta began his citizenship application in 2023 and has lived in Brazil since 2015, when he joined Cruzeiro. Guillermo Varela and Erick Pulgar have been resident since August 2022, meeting the four-year threshold.

From 2027 clubs may register eight foreigners, then seven in 2028, six in 2029 and five in 2030. Flamengo, Bahia and Londrina voted against the change, while other clubs in Brazil’s leading divisions backed it.

Source: Coluna Do Fla

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”