Emigration to Brazil Part II
Travel and Visa
Changed travel regulations during and after the corona pandemic
Entry and transit of foreigners by air are generally permitted. Travelers entering or passing through Brazil are required to provide the airline with evidence of a negative PCR test result in English, Portuguese or Spanish at check-in. The test must be carried out 72 hours before departure at the earliest. Travelers must also present a health declaration (printed out and in English, Portuguese or Spanish) upon check-in. The health declaration can be found on the website of the Brazilian Health Authority.
Entry of foreigners across land or sea borders is still prohibited; only entry by land from Paraguay is permitted in compliance with the applicable Brazilian entry regulations. Further exceptions for entry across land or sea borders also apply to people who have a residence permit in Brazil.
The landing of flights coming from or via Great Britain and Northern Ireland, India or South Africa, as well as the carriage of foreign nationals who have stayed in or have traveled through Great Britain and Northern Ireland, India or South Africa within the last 14 days, is temporarily prohibited.
Source: Federal Foreign Office on July 22, 2021
General provisions for travel and residence (until the corona pandemic)
Any EU citizen with a passport that is valid for at least 180 days is allowed to enter the country. Without a visa, you can currently only stay in the country for 90 days at a time. After that, you have to leave the country for at least 90 days in order to be able to stay in the country for 90 days again. In this way, you can stay in the country for a maximum of 180 days a year without a visa.
If you intend to stay longer than 90 days from the outset, you must apply for a visa at the Brazilian diplomatic mission in Germany responsible for your place of residence before leaving the country. It is not possible to issue a visa in Brazil at a later date.
Immigration, temporary immigrant visas, permanent visas
An immigrant visa can only be issued with prior approval from the capital, Brasilia. To do this, at least one of the following requirements must be met:
- Employment contract with a Brazilian company (the Brazilian company applies for approval from the Ministry of Labor in Brasilia)
- As the husband / wife of a Brazilian
- As the husband / wife of a foreign citizen with a valid permanent visa for Brazil
- As a pensioner including a maximum of 2 relatives (wife or children), as long as a monthly pension (or in combination with other income) of 6,000 BRL can be proven
- When investing at least 500,000 BRL in an existing or newly founded company; the investment must demonstrably create at least ten new jobs; the electronic proof of investment SISBACEN as well as the confirmation of receipt of the invested capital on the account of the company based in Brazil must be presented (further information)
- The same applies to investments of BRL 600,000 per seconded director, manager or other executive
- Minor children of foreign nationals with permanent residence in Brazil and a valid permanent visa
- Parents of Brazilians or foreigners with permanent residence in Brazil and a valid permanent visa (this only applies if parents / parents can be proven that they are no longer able to live their own lives due to financial / health / age reasons and rely on the in Child living in Brazil are / is dependent)
- Brother, sister, grandchild or granddaughter of Brazilians or foreigners with a valid permanent visa for Brazil, provided that the former are orphans, single and minors (i.e. under 18 years of age)
Temporary Visa I (research, bilateral scientific cooperation, teaching staff)
Temporary visa Art. 13, I – up to 2 years – for teachers, scientists and project managers with a German service passport. No salaries may be drawn! Appropriate grants, such as food, transport, and accommodation, are permitted. Further information on the website
Temporary Visa I – Exchange Students (Intercâmbio Estudantil)
It is recommended to apply for the visa approx. 4 weeks before departure. The processing of the visa takes approx. 7 working days. Free of charge for German citizens. The visa can be issued for a stay of up to one year. Further information on the website
Temporary Visa V (technical assistance, work, internship at Brazilian branches)
Such a visa for Brazil is only granted to those who are requested by a company based in Brazil as an employee or trainee. The Brazilian company or branch must submit an application to the local Ministry of Labor and at the same time include all accompanying family members in the application, if this is desired. The consulate can only issue a visa with the approval of the Ministry of Labor. This regulation applies to all work visas (up to 180 days) and to internships or trainees (further information). Visa fee 100 euros.
Visitor Visa – VIVIS Business Travel
For a stay of up to 90 days within a time window of one year (multiple entries possible) for the following purposes: meetings in the administrative area, business trips, trade fairs, film recordings, artists, athletes, reports (journalists), adoptions. No salaries may be obtained from Brazilian sources. German citizens do not need this visa (exception: adoptions). When filming, the visa is also recommended for Germans, especially if you have expensive equipment with you.
Other visas
- Temporary Visa IV for students / interns up to a maximum of 12 months stay – more information on the website
- Temporary visa Art. 13, VI for correspondents – information website
- Temporary visa Art. 13, VII for spiritual persons – information website
- Temporary Visa VIII for voluntary social services up to 12 months – information website
- Temporary visa XII for sporting and artistic activities – information website
Brazilian citizenship
In order to be able to apply for Brazilian citizenship, one must have proven to have resided in the country for at least four years without interruption, speak the Brazilian language and state a reputation.