Brazil election 2026 results: what changes for expats

A margin of 4.4 million votes out of 124 million: Lula won the runoff against Flávio Bolsonaro after losing the first round to him. What the result means for residence permits, taxes and moving to Brazil, and why the loser is heading to court.

On Sunday, 25 October 2026, Brazil elected a president, and it elected the same one. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took 51.79% of the runoff vote, or 64.26 million votes, against 48.21% and 59.83 million for Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, the former president's son. Three weeks earlier, on 4 October, Lula had lost the first round, 45.16% to 47.03%. Overturning that deficit in twenty days in a country the size of a continent is a story Brazilian political scientists will be unpacking for a long time. And two days before his 81st birthday, Lula secured a fourth presidential term.

For anyone living in Brazil, planning to move there or holding money there, the key question is simple: what changes? The short answer: the rules of the game stay, the uncertainty of the next few weeks does not. Details below.

Brazil election 2026 results in numbers

Note the inauguration date. Brazilian presidents used to take office on 1 January, but a constitutional amendment moved the ceremony to 5 January, and this term will be the first under the new rule. Voting is compulsory for citizens aged 18 to 70, so 80% turnout is normal here, not a record.

Why the loser is going to court

On election night Flávio Bolsonaro said he does not recognise the result and will ask the Superior Electoral Court (Tribunal Superior Eleitoral, TSE, the body that runs elections and certifies results) to annul the runoff. His complaint targets a decision by Supreme Federal Court Justice Cristiano Zanin to extend voting by two hours at some polling stations. The PL campaign argues this put voters in different cities on an unequal footing.

The electoral court stands by the count. Announcing a challenge annuls nothing on its own: the result is in, a petition still has to be filed and accepted. Brazil went through a similar episode after the 2022 election, and its institutions held. The dispute does not affect day-to-day life for foreigners: consulates, the Federal Police and the tax authority are working as usual.

Will residence and visa rules change?

Brazil's migration framework rests on Law 13.445 of 2017 (Lei de Migração, the Migration Law), which has already outlasted three presidents of very different views. Specific residence grounds are set by resolutions of the National Immigration Council and government acts, and neither candidate made revising them a campaign issue. For foreigners, Lula's win means continuity above all.

Birthright citizenship, meaning citizenship for anyone born on Brazilian soil, is set out in Article 12 of the Brazilian Constitution. Ordinary legislation cannot change it, and it was not part of either candidate's platform. For families planning to give birth in Brazil, the election changes nothing.

One detail worth remembering: on 10 April 2025, Lula's government reinstated visas for citizens of the United States, Canada and Australia on the basis of reciprocity. That mirror logic in foreign policy will continue, so visa rules for individual countries may shift in response to what their governments do.

Taxes: what stays in force

Lula's win locks in his flagship tax reform. Law 15.270, signed in November 2025, has applied since 1 January 2026:

• Income tax. Income up to 5,000 reais a month (about $1,000) is tax-free, with relief up to 7,350 reais. Above that, the existing scale up to 27.5% applies.
• Dividends. Taxed for the first time in thirty years: 10% withheld at source when a resident receives more than 50,000 reais a month from a single company. The tax applies to the full amount, not just the excess.
• Minimum tax on high incomes. Total income above 600,000 reais a year triggers a minimum rate rising to 10%.

Two takeaways for expats. First, you become a Brazilian tax resident after more than 183 days in the country within 12 months, and from then on Brazil taxes your worldwide income. Second, if you own a company and take profits as dividends, rework the structure before you move, not after. Rates are covered in detail on our Brazil taxes page, and our tax residency calculator helps you count the days.

What to do if you are planning a move

• Already filed for residence. Change nothing: the Federal Police procedure does not depend on the election. Keep an eye on the validity of certificates and translations.
• Still choosing a country. Brazil remains one of the most accessible residence destinations in Latin America. Weigh the pros and cons in our piece on whether to move to Brazil and see our guides to Florianópolis and São Paulo.
• Buying property for residence. Exchange-rate policy after the election deserves its own calculation. Currency swings in the first weeks after a vote are normal, so fix the price in the contract and do not convert the whole amount in one go.
• Running a business in Brazil. Check how the new dividend rules work for your structure and, if needed, consider company formation in another jurisdiction.

If you want a backup

Brazil works well as a base, but a fallback in the region is sensible. Neighbouring Paraguay offers residence with clear requirements and light taxes, Argentina opens a path to a passport after two years of residence, and Uruguay runs a visa for remote workers. If you are thinking about a full second passport, see the options in our citizenship section.

Our Brazil services

We handle moves to Brazil from the first consultation to the passport: choosing the legal basis, assembling documents, and supporting filings with the Federal Police and consulates.

Plus the formalities you cannot skip in Brazil: the CPF (Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas, the individual taxpayer number needed for a bank account, a lease and most purchases), Federal Police registration and a bank account. All programmes are on the Brazil overview.

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