Foreign Citizens

The visa is a document granted by the Brazilian embassies and consulates abroad that authorizes the entry of foreign citizens into the national territory. We highlight the consular visa configures a mere expectation of a right.  The entrance or stay of the foreigner in Brazil may be forbidden by the Immigration Police.

- Transit Visa: Meant to foreigners who will pass by Brazil during a trip between the country of origin and another country, allowing the traveler to leave the airport’s transit area. This visa allows a 10 (ten) days non-extendable period and one single entry.

- Tourist Visa: Meant to visits or tourism trips without migration purposes. It foresees a maximum stay period of 90 (ninety) days; however it may be valid for up to 5 (five) years, depending on the reciprocity treaties in force.  It may be extended only once before the Federal Police Bureau, before it is expired. It is worthy to highlight that this type of visa cannot be transformed and does not allow any type of remunerated activity in Brazil.

- Temporary Visa: Meant to foreign citizens who intend to come to Brazil temporarily in the following events.

I- Cultural trip or survey mission: for researchers, lecturers, among others.  It is valid for 2 (two) years, and may be extended for an equal period, if the conditions that justified the visa’s granting remain.

II – Business trip: for professionals who come to Brazil for business reasons, not intended to migrate. It allows stays of 90 (ninety) days per year, and may be valid for up to 5 (five) years, depending on the reciprocity treaties. It may be extended at the federal Police Bureau before its expiry.

III – Artists and sportsmen: for these professionals who come to Brazil to participate in artistic or sports events, without employment bond in the country. It is valid for up to 90 (ninety) days, and may be extended at the Federal Police Bureau, before its expiry. It is worthy to remind that the institution that will receive the foreigner shall obtain prior authorization from the Ministry of Labor and Employment.

IV - Student: for students of regular courses (low school, high school, college education, post-graduation, and others).

NOTES: a) remunerated activities are forbidden to foreign students, under penalty of fine, notification or deportation; b) The student visa shall be valid for up to 1 (one) year, extendable for an equal period until the end of the course; c) the application for visa extension shall be lodged up to 30 (thirty) days before its validness expires, at the Federal Police Bureau or at the General Protocol of the Ministry of Justice; d) it is worthy reminding that the student may not change courses or institutions, and must remain in the ones that justified the visa, otherwise, he shall apply for a new visa before the Brazilian consular authorities abroad.

V – Work Visa: mean to foreign citizens who come to Brazil to exert their professional activities in Brazilian companies. The work authorization, issued by the Ministry of Labor and Employment, is necessary to grant visas to foreign workers. The visa may be granted with a period of effectiveness of up to 2 (two) years, and is extendable for an equal period, also being potentially transformable into a permanent visa.

VI - Journalists: for correspondents from newspapers, magazines, radio or television stations or foreign news agencies, whose remuneration comes from abroad and not from a Brazilian company. The visa is effective for 4 (our) years at the most, and is extendable for an equal period.

VII – Religious Missions: applicable to those who travel with assignment of religious mission ministers or members of consecrated life institutes and of religious orders or congregations. The visa is grated for up to 1 (one) year, and is extendable for an equal period; if the term expires, the traveler may apply for a permanent visa.

- Permanent Visa: Meant to foreign citizens who intend to definitely fix residence in Brazil. We highlight that certain visas require prior authorization from the Ministry of Labor and Employment, in accordance with the regulations of the National Immigration Council. (see legislation - resolutions).  The permanent identity card (RNE – Registro Nacional de Estrangeiros) shall be renewed at the Federal Police Bureau.

- Courtesy Visa: Granted to domestic foreign employees of the mission heads and diplomatic and consular officers assigned by the Brazilian Government; it is also granted to foreign authorities in non-official trips to Brazil; and to the dependents of carriers of official diplomatic visas, over 21 (twenty-one) years of age, or up to 24 (twenty-four) years of age, if they are students. It is valid for ninety days, extendable for an equal period at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

- Official Visa: Meant to the employees of international agencies in official mission and to employees of embassies and consulates that are not diplomats, as well as to their spouses and children younger than 21 years of age. It is effective for 2 (two) years or for as long as the mission lasts, and complies with the reciprocity treaties.

- Diplomatic Visa: Meant to diplomats and employees with diplomatic status, and to the head officers of international agencies’ representation offices, as well as to their spouses and children of less than 21 years of age.

A foreign citizen who wishes to dwell in Brazil to begin an economic activity by means of a company that will eventually contribute for the national development, may be granted a permanent visa, upon approval of the investment of foreign capital.

The investment’s purpose shall be the generation of qualified manpower in the several industries of the Brazilian economy, and contribution for the increase of productivity, transfer of technology, and stimulation of resources in the specialized industries, whereas this law does not apply to the purchase of real estate properties, since the mere property does not assure granting of the visa.

In order to obtain the respective permanent visa, the foreign stakeholder shall invest, at least, an amount equivalent to U$ 50,000.00 (fifty thousand US Dollars) in a new company or in an existing company.

Permanence of the investor in Brazil is conditioned to the execution of the investment used as a basis to apply for the visa. The application for authorization to issue the permanent visa starts in Brasilia, at the Ministry of Labor and Employment, by the very stakeholder or by his proxy.

For that purpose, the stakeholder shall submit the following documentation:

• Work authorization Form (template provided by the General Immigration Coordination);
• Personal and professional identification documents (of the stakeholder and his dependants), and indication of the Brazilian consulate where the visa will be issued;
• Certificate of Good Standing, dated no longer than three months ago.
• Evidence of payment of individual immigration fees.
• Duly registered Bylaws or Articles of Incorporation of the company where the investor intends to invest.
• Detailed Technical Project and Brazilian Manpower Absorption Plan (at least 10 new job positions in five years).
• Certificate of registration of foreign capital for investment (Sisbacen), issued by the Central Bank of Brazil.
• Receipt of the company’s last income tax return statement.

Whenever the investment is made in an existing Brazilian company, in addition to the above-mentioned documents, the stakeholder shall also submit the following documents: a) Evidence of the company’s good standing before the Federal Revenue (Tax collection), the Social Security (INSS - Instituto Nacional of Seguridade Social) and the Severance Indemnity Fund (FGTS - Fundo de Garantia por Tempo de Serviço); b) K-bis issued by the Federal Police.

The application for extension shall be filed 30 (thirty) days before the visa expires.

Applications for extension of the other temporary visas shall be filed at any Federal Police agency or at the General Protocol of the Ministry of Justice.

The period of transformation takes place up to 30 (thirty) days before expiry of the former visa, at the Federal Police Bureau.

Carriers of Diplomatic, Official, Temporary V (with work agreement), and Temporary VII (religious mission) visas may apply for transformation into permanent visa. Furthermore, the Diplomatic and the Official visas may be transformed into a Temporary I (cultural trip or survey mission), IV (student), V (work), or VI (journalist) visa.

Application for permanence shall be filed at the Federal Police agency closest to the place of residence.

Whenever the foreigner who holds the condition of permanence leaves Brazil and stays absent for a period of more than two non-interrupted years loses that condition. Those who are provenly absent to complete college education or post-graduation courses, professional training, research activity through an institution acknowledged by the Ministry of Science and Technology, professional activity at the Brazilian Government’s services, or due to acts of God or force majeure, as duly evidenced, may be granted a new permanent visa or definitive permanence (provided he is in regular standing in Brazil), as provided by Normative Resolution 05/97 of the National Immigration Council.

• Definitive permanence granted to exiled persons or refugees.
• Definitive permanence granted based on Brazilian spouse or companion.
• Definitive permanence based on Brazilian son or daughter.
• Definitive permanence based on family reunion.
• Definitive permanence base don loss of former condition of permanence due to a non interrupted two-year absence.
• Definitive permanence based in the condition of holder of a temporary visa who is a high-level professor, researcher or scientist.
• Definitive permanence base don the condition of employer change.
• Definitive permanence base don granting of political asylum.

Naturalization occurs when a country grants the quality of national to a foreign citizen who applies for it. It is a means of acquiring a nationality different than that of one’s origin.

Common Naturalization – If a foreign citizen is interested in becoming a Brazilian citizen, he shall fulfill the requirements described on article 112 of Act nº 6.815/80, and apply for such modality at the closest Federal Police agency, which will, among other things, make sure the stakeholder knows how to read and write in Portuguese, given his condition.

Extraordinary Naturalization – This mode of naturalization is meant to foreign citizens who have lived in Brazil for more than fifteen years, and are interested in acquiring Brazilian citizenship, once he is already dwelling in the national territory, provided the other requirements of article 12, item “b” of the Federal Constitution are complied with.

Special Naturalization - Special naturalization is meant to foreign citizens married with a Brazilian diplomat for more than five years, or to a foreign citizen who has been non-interruptedly employed in a Brazilian diplomatic mission or consular agency for more than ten years.

Provisional Naturalization – If a foreign citizen has entered Brazil during his first five years of life and has definitely established himself in the national territory, he may apply, before the Federal Police Bureau or General Protocol of the Ministry of Justice for naturalization, or by means of his legal representative if he is not 21 years old, yet.

The holder of a provisional certificate of naturalization, up to two year after the age of 21, is allowed to expressly confirm, before the Ministry of Justice, his intent to remain as a Brazilian citizen.