Brazil (BR)

Required for visa applications, Federal Police registration (SINCRE), CPF registration at Receita Federal, banking and notarial services. Keep certified copies separate. Brazil requires at least 6 months passport validity for most visa categories.

Temporary visas (VITEM), residence permits and the digital nomad visa (issued under the 2022 digital nomad regime) are issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Itamaraty) and Polícia Federal. After arrival, register with the Polícia Federal within 90 days and obtain your RNE/CRNM (residence ID card). Also apply for a CPF (Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas) at Receita Federal — essential for banking, utilities, employment and virtually all transactions.

Required for marriage registration, dependant residence permits, citizenship applications and notarial processes. Brazil is a Hague Apostille member (since August 2016); foreign birth certificates from Hague member countries require apostille plus certified Portuguese translation by a sworn translator (tradutor juramentado).

Required for spousal and dependant residence permits, school enrolment, healthcare authorisation and estate planning. Apostille from Hague member countries; certified Portuguese translation by a sworn tradutor juramentado required.

Required for residence and work visas, the digital nomad application, naturalization and some employment backgrounds. Obtain from every country of residence in the past 5 years. Brazil is a Hague Apostille member; foreign clearances require apostille and sworn Portuguese translation. Issue date is typically valid for 90–180 days.

Employment contract, payslips, company letter, remote-work contract or pension statements. Foreign-language documents must be translated into Portuguese by a sworn translator (tradutor juramentado). Required for visa applications, digital nomad registration, tenancy and school enrolment.

Required for the digital nomad visa, investor residence, property purchases, private school enrolment and bank KYC/compliance. Certified Portuguese translation required for non-Portuguese documents.

Required for regulated professions, work visas and university recognition. University degrees need official recognition (revalidação) by a Brazilian federal university under MEC (Ministério da Educação) rules. Regulated professions each have their own Federal Council (CFM for medicine, CREA for engineering, OAB for law, etc.) that must certify foreign credentials. Apostille and sworn Portuguese translation required.

Required for school enrolment and healthcare registration. Yellow fever vaccination is strongly recommended and may be required for travel to the Amazon, Mato Grosso and other endemic regions. Keep the International Certificate of Vaccination (yellow WHO card) accessible.

Foreign licences accompanied by an IDP are valid for up to 180 days from the date of arrival. After 180 days, the licence must be converted to a Brazilian CNH (Carteira Nacional de Habilitação) through the state DETRAN office. The conversion process typically requires a medical examination and eye test but not a full driving test for licences from countries with bilateral agreements.

Required for airline import and MAPA (Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento) veterinary import clearance. Core documents: microchip certificate, rabies vaccination record, veterinary health certificate and MAPA import permit. Documents from Hague member countries should be apostilled; certified Portuguese translation is required.

A procuração may be needed for lawyers, property purchases, banking, tax registration (CPF), immigration filings and family legal matters when you cannot be present in person. Executed in Brazil before a notary (tabelião) or, if abroad, apostilled and then sworn-translated into Portuguese.