In Brazil, according to Law 13,445/17 and Decree 9,199/17 , a stateless person is “a person who is not considered a national by any State, according to its legislation, under the terms of the Convention on the Status of Stateless Persons, of 1954 , promulgated by Decree 4.246/2002 , or so recognized by the Brazilian State”.
Statelessness occurs for many reasons, such as discrimination against minorities in national legislation, failure to recognize all residents of the country as citizens when this country becomes independent (secession of states) and conflicts of law between countries.
How can I obtain recognition of statelessness status in Brazil?
On February 28, 2018, Interministerial Ordinance No. 5 was published, which provides for the procedure for recognizing statelessness and facilitated naturalization. To access the document in its entirety, click here .
Through the system of the Federal Government of Brazil, SisApatridia , it is possible to request this recognition online. To request it is necessary:
- Not be considered as a national by any State, under the terms of the Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons , 1954;
- Reside in Brazil; and
- Have no criminal record in the countries where you have resided in the last five years.
Then, the applicant must complete the online form and make an appointment to go to the Federal Police. For more information, visit the official website by clicking here.