If you’re an avid traveler, you know most countries require that foreigners apply for a visa before entering said country. For Brazil, the process is not different. If you’re planning on visiting Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Bahia or any other state in this beautiful country, you may need a visa for Brazil.
Every country has different visa agreements with Brazil. So, before requesting your visa, make sure which type of visa – if any – you need for your trip. Check this link for the list of countries and corresponding visa requirements.
You can request your visa at the Itamaraty – Ministry of Foreign Affairs – website (access it here) or with your local Brazilian consulate.
If you don’t have time enough to take care of a Brazilian visa yourself, you can contact an immigration lawyer or a travel agency to help you with that. Visa requests can be bureaucratic and are not always cheap, so make sure this extra cost fits your budget.
Here we have the list of all the types of Visa for Brazil currently issues:
Transit visa – Visto de Trânsito (VITRA)
Imagine you’re traveling to South America and the flight ticket is cheaper for Brazil than your final destination. With the Transit Visa, you’re allowed to enter the Brazilian territory, leave the airport and stay in Brazil for a maximum of 10 days until reaching your final destination. With this visa, you can only enter Brazilian territory once and you cannot extend it. If you’re only stopping over the airport to take another flight somewhere else, no visa is required though. You also don’t need this kind of visa if your country has a visa waiver agreement with Brazil.
Tourist visa – Visto de Turista (VITUR)
This visa is for foreigners who are coming to Brazil for tourism, seminars, competitions, conferences, among other purposes, on a temporary basis, without purposes of immigration or the exercise of paid activity. You can stay in the country for 90 days, being able to extend your visa just once for another 90 days. For the visa extension, you need to go to the Federal Police station and make a requirement before your visa expires. With this kind of visa, you’re not allowed to do a paid job in Brazil.
Temporary Visa for Brazil – Visto Temporário (VITEM)
Business visa – Visto de Negócios (VITEM-II )
For foreigners who need/want to come to Brazil for business, with no intention of immigration, this kind of visa is required. This is a temporary visa and works similarly to the tourist visa: you can stay in Brazil for 90 days and extend the visa for another 90 days if you make a requirement before the visa expiration date. This visa is granted for those who come to Brazil for business meetings; media coverage and/or filmmaking; adoption of a Brazilian child. If you coming to Brazil to do technical assistance services of any nature or engage in any activity under employment contract, you need another type of visa (check Work Visa below).
Work visa – Visto de Trabalho (VITEM-V)
This type of visa is intended for foreigners who come to Brazil to work for companies in the country. The company must previously apply to the Ministry of Labor and Employment for the corresponding work permit. This visa is granted for up to 2 years and may be extended another 2 years before you get permanent status.
Student visa – Visto de Estudante (VITEM-I or VITEM IV)
You can apply for a Student Visa if you are coming to study in a regular school, university or course. You can also request it if you’re in Brazil for a volunteer work. The Student Visa for Brazil is valid up to 2 years – the amount of time you’re legally allowed to stay in Brazil depends on the type of study (high school, cultural course or volunteer work) you’ll be doing. Caminhos Language Centre can help you with a 6-month or 1-year visa if you decide to study Portuguese in Rio de Janeiro. The process is very simple and the school will guide you and support you through the entire process. If a foreigner student stays in Brazil for at least 6 months, immediate family members can also apply for this kind of visa. Foreigners under the Student Visa may have a job with remuneration of any type.
Other Temporary Visas for Brazil
- Artist or sportsman (VITEM-III)
- Media correspondents (VITEM-VI)
- Travel for religious/missionary purposes (VITEM-VII)
Permanent Visa for Brazil – Visto Permanente (VIPER)
The Permanent Visa is issued to foreigners applying for permanent residency who meet the special conditions provided by law. Permanent visas are granted for:
- Family reunion: Spouse (married or under civil union) or informal domestic partner; Brazilian children (under 18, under 24 if attending college, children with special needs); unmarried orphan sibling, grandchildren or great-grandchildren (same conditions as “Brazilian children apply); parents who are unable to provide for themselves and/or with special needs; parents with custody of a Brazilian child that depends on the parent financially.
- Transfer of residence following retirement
- Foreign investors
- Intra-company transferee to work as manager, director or executive
- Director, manager or administrator of a legal and non-profit entity of private law
- Refugee
- Other specific conditions may apply for a Permanent Visa for Brazil
Read here for more information about Brazilian permanency.
Temporary Residency – Visto de Residência Temporária (VRT)
This type of visa is granted to Mercosur citizens, who may apply for a Temporary Residence Visa in a Consular Office. After two years in Brazil, you can request a permanent resident status to the Federal Police.
Courtesy – Visto de Cortesia (VICOR)
This visa is granted to personalities and foreign authorities on an unofficial trip to Brazil; domestic workers of foreign mission based in Brazil or of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; foreign artists and sportsmen traveling to Brazil for free and eminently cultural events.
Diplomatic – Visto Diplomático (VIDIP)
The applicant must be the bearer of a diplomatic passport. This type of visa is granted to foreign authorities and employees who have diplomatic status and come to Brazil on an official mission. Diplomatic Visa may also be granted for tourism trips of Heads of State or royal family member.
Official – Visto Oficial (VISOF)
Granted to foreign administrative staff traveling to Brazil on an official mission or to any foreigner traveling to Brazil under the official seal of their State.
CPF
Besides all the visa options, if you are planning on staying for a longer period in Brazil we advise to get an CPF. A CPF is a sort of social security number all Brazilians have and foreigners can get as well. It doesn’t matter which visa you have and how long you are staying. For some things, like opening a bank account, you need this CPF and it makes a lot of things easier. For example buying things (like tickets) online, to get discounts at stores or to get a Brazilian SIM-card. You can read more about the CPF and how to get it here.
Since you are looking at visas and probably are planning to stay for a longer time, learning some Portuguese can be really rewarding to get to know locals and the local culture. Read more about learning Portugues here.
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