Visa, Health Insurance, MigranteWeb and CPF FAQ

1. Do I need a visa to go to Brazil?

Find out what visa type is appropriate for you. It depends basically on three factors:

1. how long you will be staying in Brazil;
2. your nationality;
3. the purpose of your trip.

Here’s a brief overview:

• Short stay (up to 90 days): Depending on your NATIONALITY, you may be required to obtain a visa to enter Brazil (visit visa = VIVIS) or can travel visa-free. To find out if you need a VIVIS to travel to Brazil, click here.
• Long stay (more than 90 days): Depending on the PURPOSE OF YOUR TRIP, you must apply for one of the following temporary visas (VITEM):

VITEM	PURPOSE	WHO CAN APPLY	LEGAL BASIS (in Portuguese)
I	research or teaching	visiting professors, researchers and postdocs – with NO employment relationship with a Brazilian institution	Resolução normativa 20 de 20/12/2017
I	research or teaching	visiting professors, researchers and postdocs – with employment relationship with a Brazilian institution	Resolução normativa 24 de 20/02/2018
IV	study	undergraduate and graduate students	Portaria interministerial 7 de 13/03/2018
XI	family reunion	those on family ties with a Brazilian citizen or a foreign citizen who’s a temporary or permanent resident in Brazil	Portaria interministerial 12 de 13/06/2018
XIII	MERCOSUR Residence Agreement	citizens from Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru	Decreto 6975 de 07/10/2009

Mercosur citzens (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Perú and Uruguay) can enter in Brazil without Visa and stay up to 3 months (90 days). For stays lasting longer than 3 months (90 days), students from Mercosur has two options: 1) Enter in Brazil as a tourist and require the residency permit while here (CRNM) at the Brazilian Federal Police; 2) Get a VITEM XIII Visa at the consulate in your home country. For more information: https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/consulado-buenos-aires/vistos-1/residencia-en-brasil




2. Can I apply for a visa upon my arrival in brazil?


No. If you do not qualify for a visa waiver, you must apply for a visa before your departure date. The airlines are not permitted to let you board a plane to Brazil if you do not have a visa. If they do, upon your arrival in Brazil the airline will be heavily fined and you will be deported.
3. How and where to apply for a Brazilian visa?

If you have any questions concerning immigration and visa requirements for Brazil (e.g., required documents, fees and deadlines), please contact the Brazilian Consulate or Embassy where your application will be processed. For a list of the Brazilian consular network around the world, visit 

www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/assuntos/portal-consular/reparticoes-consulares-do-brasil/reparticoes-consulares-do-brasil

Time-saving tip: When applying for your visa at the Brazilian Consulate, take the opportunity to also request your CPF (Brazilian tax number). It is faster and much easier than requesting it after your arrival in Brazil!

4. Do I need to register my visa with any Brazilian authority once I have entered Brazil?

Check your visa “vignette” (sticker in your passport). You must register if it has “Register with the Federal Police, within 90 days of first entry/ Registro na Polícia Federal dentro de 90 dias da primeira entrada” on it.

5. How to register my visa with the Federal Police? How do I get a RNM / RNE?


Steps in the application process:

1. Gather the required documents (here);
2. Schedule an appointment (here); if there is no appointements available, please keep trying because new openings are included every week.
3. Submit your RNM application in person to the Federal Police.

Need help? Find answers to your questions in the step-by-step guide (Guide made by USP Institute of Physics International Office - if you are FM international visitor, please send your questions to international@usp.br).

Time-saving tips:

• Once you know your arrival date and full address in Brazil, you can start the online visa registration process.
• Bring all the copies of your documents and photos from your country. This may speed up the initial arrangements.




6. Scheduling your RNM appointment via AUCANI USP

In case you are unable to get an appointment by yourself and your deadline is about to expire or you are in a hurry and wish to register as soon as possible, you can apply via AUCANI USP Migration Office. Please note that the Federal Police only opens 15 slots/week for USP international students/researchers. Priority is given to those applicants whose deadline is about to expire.

The service is free of charge and available only for the following applications:

• Autorização de residência para fins de estudos;
• Vistos temporários: VITEM I (research) and VITEM IV (studies);
• Publicação no DOU. 

How to apply? Please contact our FM International Office (international@fm.usp.br) before your visa expire date and submit a scanned copy of the required documents (all documents merged in 1 PDF file). Then wait for AUCANI's reply. Attend the interview at the Federal Police. 

• A personal visit to the Federal Police is mandatory for every applicant.
• You must take all the original documents and copies to your interview at the following address: Superintendência da Polícia Federal (Federal Police Office): Rua Hugo D'Antola, 95 - Água Branca, São Paulo - SP, 05038-090
• You will be unable to register if any of the documents are missing.
• Interviews scheduled by AUCANI usually take place on Fridays. Please arrive 15 min before your appointment time to ensure you don't lose your place. If you arrive more than 15 minutes after your appointment time you will be asked to rebook the appointment. 
• When you arrive at the Federal Police, identify yourself at the front desk as a student/ researcher from the University of São Paulo.



7. Problems with your visa or visa application form?


If you came to Brazil without the original visa application form OR the Brazilian Consulate made a mistake when issuing your visa, the Federal Police will not accept your application. You must contact Escritório de Representação em São Paulo - ERESP (Ministry of Foreign Affairs Office in São Paulo). ERESP (Assistência consular) is responsible for correcting visa errors and issuing a new visa application form.

Website: https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/eresp

8. What should I do if I lose my passport containing my Brazilian visa while I am In brazil?


If your passport is lost or stolen, you should:

1. report it to the local police station and get a police report ("boletim de ocorrência");
2. contact the Embassy/Consulate and apply for a new passport or travel document.

Visa: see question "7. Problems with your visa or visa application form?" 

9. Can I stay longer than what my visa says?

Your visa is a document that allows you to enter the country, i.e., the expiration date shown on your visa does not reflect how long you are authorized to stay within Brazil. The permitted stay in Brazil is determined by the Federal Police upon registration (RNM). So if your RNM is about to expire, you must extend your stay with the Federal Police (see how in the next question).

10. How to extend my stay in Brazil?
It is essential that you always have a valid residence permit during your stay in Brazil. As a rule this permit can be extended as long as your purpose of stay is still valid.

	If you are on a	You must apply for a	How?
	VITEM I (research visa)	temporary residence permit for research purposes (via MigranteWeb)	Checklist: Registro com base em publicação em Diário Oficial da União How to get a "Página do Diário Oficial da União em que conste o deferimento"? First RNM extension = Resolução Normativa 20 (12/12/2017).  Second (or more) RNM extension = Resolução Normativa 30 (12/06/2018). Need help? Find answers to your questions in the step-by-step guide
	VITEM IV (student visa)	temporary residence permit for study purposes (renovação de autorização de residência para fins de estudo)	Checklist: Autorização de residência para fins de estudo Need help? Find answers to your questions in the step-by-step guide
	VITEM XIII (Mercosur visa)	change of residence status (temporary > permanent) (alteração de autorização de residência temporária para permanente do Acordo de Residência Mercosul)	Checklist: Acordo sobre Residência do MERCOSUL: Argentina, Bolívia, Chile, Colômbia, Equador, Paraguai, Peru e Uruguai
	VIVIS (visit visa)	(1) VIVIS extension (up to 90 days)	Prorrogar Estada no Brasil
		(2) one of the above mentioned residence permits	see above

Useful links

Exchange students need to provide evidence of medical insurance or appropriate and valid travel medical insurance policy for registration upon arrival. Students must purchase their Health/Travel Insurance before travelling to Brazil (this must cover the entirety of the stay in Brazil).

International students will have access to the Brazilian Public Health System only in cases of emergency.