By Juliana Mitico Valente Riccardi
Lawyer & Global Mobility Expert
Partner at Mitico Advogados and BR-Visa
Visas to Brazil
Brazil has the following visa alternatives for those non-Brazilians who intend to enter or remain in Brazilian territory:
- visitor;
- temporary;
- diplomatic;
- officer;
- courtesy.
Visitor Visa
The visitor visa may be granted to the visitor who comes to the country for a short stay, without the intention of establishing residence, for the purposes of tourism, business, transit, carrying out artistic or sports activities or in exceptional situations, for a purpose of national interest. Visitor visa holders are prohibited from engaging in paid activity in the country.
For the visitor visa concept:
- tourism includes carrying out activities of a touristic, informative, cultural, educational or recreational nature, family visits, participation in conferences, seminars, congresses or meetings, carrying out voluntary service or research activity, teaching or academic extension, provided that the beneficiary of the visa does not carry out remunerated activity in the country and the activity does not last longer than the period allowed, as indicated below;
- business includes participation in meetings, fairs and business events, journalistic coverage or filming and reporting, prospecting for commercial opportunities, signing contracts, carrying out audits or consulting, and acting as an aircraft or vessel crew member, provided that the visa beneficiary does not engage in paid activity in the country and the activity does not last longer than the period allowed, as indicated below.
Validity Period and Period of Stay
The validity period of the visitor visa is the period during which the visa may be used to enter the country. As a general rule, the period of validity of the visitor visa will be one year and the date of its expiration is stated in the visa stamped in the passport. Multiple entries to Brazil are allowed during the validity of the visa. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs may reduce the period at its discretion.
The allowed period of stay is the period during which the visa holder may remain in the country. The period of stay is up to 90 days, extendable by the Federal Police for up to another 90 days, provided that the maximum stay in the country does not exceed 180 days in each migratory year. The period of stay counts from the first entry and is suspended whenever the visitor leaves the country.
Visa Waiver
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs may issue rules on simplifying procedures for granting or waiving a visa. The Itamaraty website shows an updated table of countries exempted from visitor visas for Brazil:
Visa Transformation
There is legal provision for the transformation of a visitor visa into a residence permit, diplomatic visa, official or courtesy visa, provided that the visitor meets the legal requirements.
