Voting at Municipal Elections for foreign residents
Municipal Elections are held in Portugal every 4 years and the next ones will be on the 26th September 2021. According to the Portuguese National Elections Commission (CNE) foreigner citizens can vote on these Elections according to some directives.
This being said, those who have residency in Portugal can register for voter’s registration, but only if they come from the following countries:
- Member States of the European Union
- United Kingdom (with residence in Portugal prior to Brexit);
- Brazil (citizens with status of equal political rights) and Cape Verde, with legal residence in Portugal for more than 2 years;
- Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Iceland, Norway, New Zealand, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela, with legal residence in Portugal for over 3 years.
If foreigner citizens comply with these criteria, they can apply within their local Parish, the same that corresponds to their residence permit. It is important to mention that one cannot change the voting area since it corresponds to the address of the residence permit.
In order to register, depending on the nationality, they should bring their ID and residence permit and, if none of these includes an address, they can submit a utility bill or leasing contract for example.
Please be mindful that voter’s registration must be completed 60 days prior to the election, therefore, if you have not registered yet, when the September elections come, it will be no longer possible to vote.
Lastly, in case you have any doubts about your voting location, check with your local Parish.
For more information please click here.
