The Complete Guide To Brazilian Visas

Brazil is the largest country and economy in Latin America, a founding member of the BRICS bloc and an emergent country filled with opportunities for expats. Its biodiversity and extension provide multiple landscapes, cities, towns, and villages from which to choose. Brazil has it all if you want a beachfront property, a city apartment or a mountain retreat.

If you want to live here or simply visit this country, you need to apply for the correct visa. Depending on the purpose of your stay, you can find one that caters to your particular needs. In this article, you’ll learn about the available visas, their requirements, and how to apply for each. Let’s begin. 

Light Station in São Paulo

VISITOR VISA – VIVIS

As its name suggests, this visa is meant for travellers who don’t intend to become residents. It allows for a stay of no more than 90 days for purposes such as tourism, business conferences, events and transit. The VIVIS visa doesn’t allow holders to engage in paid work. Still, they can get payments from the government or private companies intended for daily allowances or travel expenses. Foreign nationals who enjoy visa-free travel to Brazil benefit from the VIVIS waiver. Here, you can find out whether or not you need to get a VIVIS visa.

The application process is as follows:

• Access the online form on the Government website and fill in the required details;

• Once you've completed the form, print it out;

• Sign the Visa Request Form (RER) and gather the following documents:

  • Valid Traveller's Passport;

  • Original Birth Certificate;

  • One passport-size photo with a white background (3x4 or 5x7cm);

  • Police Clearance Certificate;

  • Self-written introduction letter with your contact details, including telephone numbers, residential address, and email address. Make sure to include the purpose of your trip to Brazil;

  • Original letter from your employer confirming your employment details and contact information;

  • Letter of invitation to the Conference or any other documentation related to the Conference hosts that provides information about it;

  • If you're not a Brazilian national, provide the original permit;

  • The latest personal and/or company bank statement for the past three months, accompanied by a bank cover letter;

  • Provisional Flight Itinerary;

  • Provisional Hotel Reservation;

  • Bank Deposit Slip for the Consular Fee. Deposit the fee into the Embassy's Consular Account with the following details:

    • Bank name: Stanbic;

    • Account name: Embassy of Brazil - Consular;

    • Account number (USD): 9120002966385.

Remember to submit the completed Visa Request Form and all other required documents to the Embassy at least 30 days before your expected travel date. Note that the fee is $80 USD for all foreign nationals except for citizens of Angola ($180 USD) and China ($115 USD).

Historical Square in Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil

TEMPORARY WORK VISA - VITEM V

This visa requires a job offer from a Brazilian employer, who will ensure the work contract gets approved by the Ministry of Justice and Public Security. Once approved, you receive a document called “Previous Residence Authorization,” which legally allows you to live and work in Brazil. The stay can’t be longer than two years. Please note that EU nationals are not required to have any visa if they are in the country for tourism or business purposes. However, they need a temporary work visa when they go for work purposes. 

Upon authorization by the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, these are the documents that you need. 

• To prove your application, complete the online form on  the Government website and save the delivery receipt;

• Submit 1 photo that complies with the requirements listed on the Government website;

• Ensure your passport is at least six months old and contains three blank pages for visas or stamps. Include copies of the pages that show the expiration date, passport number, and other identifying information. If appropriate, include a copy of the stamp from the most recent entry;

• Include a letter asking for a visa from your company. The letter should include information on your itinerary and the duties you will have while in Brazil. It should be acknowledged with a signature and signed;

• Obtain a certificate showing no criminal history;

• Pay the visa fee.

Florianopolis, Santa Catarina

PERMANENT VISA – VIPER

This is the perfect visa for those who want to settle in Brazil or even use it as a plan B location. It requires a bigger financial commitment, and the main avenues are real estate and business investment. 

REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT VISA

To get a permanent visa through the real estate route, you must acquire real estate in an urban area. The price must be no less than BRL 1,000,000 (around $204,000 USD). However, if the investment is located in the Northeast Region (Alagoas, Bahia, Ceará, Maranhão, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte, Sergipe), the minimum investment drops to BRL 700,000 (around $143,000 USD). The property can be under construction or already built. 

This visa requires some investor’s personal and professional information, with a brief description of occupation, professional experience and documents provided by the seller. The Ministry of Justice and Public Security will analyze the previous residence authorization request for the granting of a temporary visa.

Requests can be made at the Immigration Portal according to the Normative Resolution No. 36 of the National Immigration Council, and the initial period granted by a visa is four years. After the period, the initial residence permit may be changed for an indefinite period upon presentation of the following documents:

• Proof of maintenance of investment conditions;

• Copy of the National Migration Registration Card (CRNM);

• Criminal record certificates or equivalent documents issued by the competent judicial authority where you resided during the temporary residence permit.

The real estate investor must remain in the national territory for at least 14 (fourteen) days, consecutive or not, every two years, counting from registration with the Federal Police.

BUSINESS VISA

For business investments, the Ministry of Labour may grant a residency permit to individual immigrants who intend to invest in a legal entity in Brazil in a project that could eventually create jobs or income for the country. The minimum investment is BRL 500,000 (around $102,000 USD) or, in the case of investments in innovation or research activities of a scientific or technological nature, BRL 150,000 (around $31,000 USD).

Foreign investors must present an Investment or Business Plan with a minimum execution period of three years. The Ministry of Labor will analyze the request upon presentation of the company's Social Contract or Constitutive Act, proof of external investment, Investment or Business Plan and other understandings that authorities deem necessary.

Related content: What You Need To Know To Get A Brazilian Visa

Gramado, Rio Grande do Sul

CONCLUSION

In this article, we’ve covered the key visas for your next stay in Brazil. If you just want to get a taste of the country, go for a visitor visa. However, if you want to stay longer, you can work or even invest in the country. Brazil also offers other visas for researchers, religious people, and foreign correspondents that we didn’t cover here.

Brazil might be an excellent option for you, considering its low cost of living, affordable real estate and delicious food. As a vast country strategically located on the South American Atlantic coast, you’ll have access to a wide variety of countries all over the world. Brazil is more than a tourist destination; it’s a place worth considering for expats looking for a plan B or even a new home.