Do you need a Brazil tourist visa? If so, how long does it take to get one? Do you have to apply? How much does it cost? How long is it valid for? Can you extend it? How?
These are all stressful questions that may or may not cross your mind before flying out for your dream vacation.
Stress no more! I shall ease your troubled mind and answer all of the above.
(***FYI*** This guide is only for passport holders from the UK wanting to extend their Brazil tourist visa)
(***FYI*** Updated May 2019 after my second successful extension)
(***FYI*** Updated April 2020 – If you’re in Brazil during quarantine check out this post)
The British passport is pretty strong. According to the Global Visa Power Index (how cool does THAT sound!?!) it ranks 4th, granting visa-free access to 186 countries… including Brazil! Whoop whoop!
That means for 90 days you can wander between the beaches, mountains, jungle and desert, all for free! All they require is proof that you’ll depart their fine shores when your time is up – an onward flight/bus ticket is sufficient.
How do you get the initial Brazil tourist visa? There’s no need to apply. As long as you have the proof that you’ll be moving on, you’ll be able to board the plane and just fill in a short form (Cartão de Entrada e Saída) before landing. (No longer required or checked at Immigration Control)
Table of Contents
A note about onward tickets
In my experience, onward tickets are rarely asked for. I’ve spent 3 years bouncing around South America and I’ve only ever been asked for proof of onward travel once. Some say it’s a waste of money, but I always book something just in case. A $10 bus from Iguazu to Asuncion is sufficient (book a cheap ticket through Busbud/NSA), and it saved me a lot of tears.
So you have your onward ticket, you’re wandering around Brazil, you realise that IT’S JUST TOO BEAUTIFUL and you need more time to take it all in. What do you do?
It is possible to extend your Brazil tourist visa from 3 months up to 6, but this is where it can get tricky.
Are you sitting comfortably? Then let us begin.
The business of extending visas in Brazil is not so straightforward. Although the general information is the same (all the information below is tried and tested twice over), the actual procedure or requirements may vary. Some offices require you to make an appointment, others don’t and you just walk in. Some have a dress code, some don’t. If in doubt, check first.
If you know any Brazilian citizens or friend, I’d recommend bringing them. Not all the offices will have English speakers, and the language/questions they use may be beyond the average visitor. (Brush up on your Portuguese with some of the best language learning apps of 2019 here).
To extend your Brazilian tourist visa you will need:
Your Cartão de Entrada e Saída (the little form you filled in on the plane)No longer required.- Go to the Brazilian Federal Police website and generate an invoice
- Proof of residency (A bill containing the name, address and CPF number of a Brazilian resident – If you have a Brazilian partner, awesome. If not, then something from your hostel or Airbnb host should suffice)
- Proof of sufficient funds (I just took a photocopy of my credit card and not a statement, but they never even looked at it)
- Proof of onward travel
- A photocopy of your passport – The photo ID page plus any pages containing stamps
How to renew it – From start to finish
When you go to the Brazilian Federal Police website you’ll need to go to the section for Imigração / Estrangeiros. Before selecting Pessoas e entidades estrangeiras (option 3), scroll down to the Atenção!
Did I also mention that you should do this in plenty of time, as it’s not a simple process?
The instructions for installing the security certificate vary depending on your browser, but at least it provides them when you click on that link.
Once you’ve installed the certificate, then you’ll want to click on Pessoas e entidades estrangeiras (option 3), and fill in the form.
When you get to the section below, STOP! (for 2 reasons)
The Unidade Arrecadadora is the exact Federal station that you’ll be going to. If you choose one and then try and apply at another station, you will be turned away. Also, not all stations provide the visa extension service, so it’s best to choose the one in your State starting with “SUPERINTENDENCIA…” (the main Office).
***Additional note: Check with the Federal station before printing/paying. The second time I applied was in Rio de Janeiro, the office had moved and they hadn’t updated the website.***
The Codigo Receita STN is the code for the service you are requesting. Whichever code you enter will generate the Valor Total below. The code for extending your travel visa is 140090 (Price accurate as of June 2018).
If the form fails to submit, or you receive an error message, or some of the fields don’t auto-populate… DON’T GIVE UP! It took over an hour of constantly resubmitting, refreshing and resubmitting before it finally went through.
Once you’ve generated your invoice, take it to the nearest Caixa, Banco do Brasil or Caixa Loterias to pay.
So you have all the documents. Surely my Brazil tourist visa is all sorted, right? Wrong… now the fun begins!
Be firm and wear long pants.
Those 6 words will keep you sane, trust me.
You will not be allowed into the Federal building if your legs are exposed. Obviously I learned the hard way and was turned away at my first attempt (wearing some snazzy shorts).
The second time I applied was in Santos Dumont Airport in Rio de Janeiro. It was much more relaxed, but I believe it’s because it’s not a Federal building. If in doubt, cover your legs.
Once inside, be firm!
If your Portuguese is not so strong, try and take a native speaker. Depending on the mood of the Officer, you may get a variety of responses. They may try and turn you away, claiming you needed to book an appointment. It’s possible they might claim your visa has expired due to the poor quality of the passport stamp. They may even take your passport away 5 separate times to show the supervisor.
All of these were hurdles I would have stumbled over with my poor Portuguese, but easily countered with a majestically stern performance from my Brazilian girlfriend.
And then suddenly it was all over. The passport was handed back with the new extended Brazil tourist visa stamp inside, and we were free to go explore Brazil for another 3 months!
Whoop whoop!
It’s just a shame I have to leave and cannot return for 6 months once the extension passes. You can only stay in Brazil for 180 days out of the year. There are other visas you can apply for – Business, Student etc, but they each have their own rules, complications and costs involved.
Will this information change if/when Brexit kicks in? Who knows? I imagine that British citizens travelling to Brazil for vacation will be fine. Unless the UK Government decide to charge Brazilians then I imagine the 90 day stay will remain free of charge.
There’s still no news of an E-visa for British folk. It’s currently only for Nationals of Australia, Japan, Canada and USA (and then only valid for 90 days in 1 year so we’re still winning).
While the services and processing time vary slightly between cities, if you follow the above information and bring the correct documentation you’ll be fine. If your passport is clean then you’ll be able to extend your stay, have more time to practice your Portuguese and really get a feel for living in Brazil.
If, like me, 6 months just isn’t enough then you’ll to head elsewhere until you’re valid to enter again. Paraguay is always fun, there’s plenty to do in Argentina and Uruguay, or you can go further afield to Colombia etc Hopefully the switch from Portuguese to Spanish isn’t as difficult for you like it was for me. If you need to brish up on your Spanish then check out my review of the best language learning apps of 2019.
Was this helpful? Did it make sense? I hope I didn’t put you off applying to extend your Brazil tourist visa with all the requirements, but I wanted to give you a step by step, foolproof plan.
If I missed anything, or you have any questions then please drop a comment below and I’ll get back to you.
I’ve extended my visa twice now, once in Fortaleza (2018) and then again in Rio de Janeiro (2019). The second time in Rio was much quicker and less stressful. I just handed over all the documents listed above and then sat in the waiting area for an hour until I was called and it was handed back to me.
Good luck and happy holidays.
Hi Adam,
Thank you for this very useful article ! Do you know if there is any deadline to go through this procedure?
I have just paid for my visa and wanted to go to the Federal Police after the holidays, right now it is a mission to get around and we (Brazilian boyfriend and I) are not in Rio.
Technically I have another month left, but I read on one website this morning that you need to apply for the second visa within the first 60 days of your stay. That would be a very close call in my case, and I am a bit stressed. However, on the website of the Police there was no such thing written.
If I overstay this visa, will I be banned from re-entering the country or simply have to pay the fine? Naturally I want to avoid this as it quickly gets very expensive….
Thanks a lot in advance, would be great to get your feedback !
All the best from Arraial do Cabo
Katy
Hi Katy,
I’ve got a meeting with the Feds tomorrow morning. The information they provided is very confusing, so hopefully I’ll get some clarity tomorrow.
I’ll update the post as soon as I get back
Awesome article, thanks so much ! I actually lost my Cartão de Entrada e Saída and am VERY relived that apparently you don’t need it anymore… In case the police still asks me, how would I be able to replace it?
Has anybody made experiences with this process now in Covid times? Thanks a lot !
Hey, so it’s Sunday and I took the day off tomorrow to go get my visa extended. I’ve left everything to the last minute. I have some questions. I can go to the local Internet café and fill out the forms there.
Do I need to arrive super early, and if so, what time?
Do I go to Santos Dumont?
Is it essential to have proof of onward travel? Do they ask you for it? I don’t have any onward travel as I don’t want to buy it and get turned away and then I’ve wasted 600 dollars.
Cheers
I’m in the Corona virus circumstances when the visa has been frozen from 16th March 2020 to apparently 3rd November 2020. I first entered the country on 30th January 2020.
So I have a few questions if someone could help me it would be greatly appreciated. My resumed visa count after 3rd November will take me until 2nd January 2020. But because I’m from Slovakia, EU, and the situation with second wave of Corona is pretty bad I want to do all I can to not have to come back to Europe yet at this time…
So I thought of several options and I wanted to check if someone knows more about it. I heard that I could go to policía Federal in Sao Paulo once my days are over, say I’m illegally in the country but don’t have enough finances to go back and they should freeze my visa up until this situation is fixed for me. Is this true? Has anyone heard about it?
Secondly I’m thinking of any way I can stay a bit longer, so in case I lost my passport let’s say a few days before my visa ends and therefore was unable to fly and I’d had to ask my embassy for another passport, would that be counted as overstaying??
And is overstaying an actual crime or it’s not serious? I mean just in the lines of wanting to get a working or study visa later on and wondering if this will be a problem. Also if I overstay, let’s say the flight is possible more later in January only, do I have to stay out of the country for 6 months because of overstayed? I heard it somewhere…
Also in my case, I can only stay in the country for 90 days, cannot extend and then have to stay out 90 days before entering. But doesn’t my ‘travel year’ reset on 29th January 2021? So technically even if I left 2nd January, could I then come back on 29th January even if I wasn’t away for 90 days but within the year period I didn’t pass my days? Hope it makes sense…
Also has anyone heard of volunteering visa and if I could change to volunteer visa from within Brazil?
Please if anyone knows of some way of helping me, please you can suggest anything. In my case, if I had to leave in January, I’ll be in very bad situation because apart from it being very unsafe to travel right now, to get to my country I have to take a minimum of 3/4 flights and there is a huge risk of some of them being cancelled and me being stranded at some European airport in a lockdown country. I’m very desperate to just stay in Brazil where I have a place to stay and I’m safe and I’m beyond anxious about travelling in January. I’d think they would make an exception for my case but not sure. Do you think it’s worth to try to ask for extension of my visa under these circumstances if otherwise it’s not possible for Slovak people? Or I even thought about travelling to just a nearby country, asking for a new passport and hoping they will let me back in without having to stay out of the country for 90 days since this would be a new passport and they wouldn’t see the stamp…not sure how much they check the staying outside in reality…
Anyway, please if anyone can help if some way, any words are appreciated ? I’m in a very sticky situation.
Hello All,
thank you Adam for this website and all help you provide to all of us.
I want to share my yesterday’s experience from Sao Paulo Superinternedencia in Lapa. I went there in trouser (it was very hot day) but I saw many people there in shorts, so i consider this as not important information. Anyway, as being a Czech (Czech Republic is part of EU) I was told that there is no option for me to extend my tourist visa and that I have to leave country after expiring 90days and I can return after 180days period runs out and new period starts. Luckily enough for me it is just 2 weeks, so I guess i will make a trip to Argentina or Chile for a while and return back to my brazilian girlfriend afterwards. But it is a little bit annoying that this option is not possible for us. After next 3 months I will have only 3 options how to stay futher in the country and that is to obtain a job here, to start studying or get married, according to what I was told there is no other option.
One more thing, my portuguese is also rough (learn about 4months), but I have to say all people in Federal Policia were nice, friendly and patient to repeat all what I needed in order to understand them better. So thumbs up for them. Also they wrote down everything for me, so I had it in black and white for my future reference.
Good luck to all of you who will have to go through this in future.
Thanks for the guide. It’s the same process for Australians too. I just extended my visa in natal. I just handed over the receipt, the form and my passport. They didn’t ask any questions. I waited for about 10mins and they came back with my stamped passport. I had my onward travel just in case but they didn’t ask for it.
Thank you so much for writing and posting this! The details of what to expect saved a lot of questions and I’m sure frustrations in going through the process. I’m about to try it myself, wish me luck…..
Did they really ask you to provide the name and CPF of a Brazilian resident? Can you use a temporary (ex. Airbnb) address?
Thanks again! 🙂
Thank you, I hope it helps smooth the process.
Yep, they asked for the name and address. My girlfriend is Brazilian so I was fine but I think you should be fine to use an Airbnb address. You will need a CPF too. Would the Airbnb host allow you to use theirs?
The process is really random so I’d always recommend going to the office first, speaking with the staff, getting them to write down exactly what they want and then come back with everything fully prepared. They like to throw curveballs depending what mood they’re in.
Definitely good to know before going there! Yes my Airbnb host helped me out thankfully. Thanks again 🙂
If anyone is attempting to extend their visa in Salvador, the address on the form you generate online directs you to the superintendent’s office, which no longer handles visas. The one to go to is in the airpot in a little room on the 2nd floor.
Awesome. Thank you for contributing the information!
Hey, great article but I have a question! Under Unidade Arrecadadora there is no option for Santos Dumont airport, which apparently the office moved to instead of GIG airport where it used to be. Should I select Delegacia do aeroporto internacional Galeão RJ or Superintendencia regional no estado do Rio de Janeiro? Thanks
Hi David,
Yes, the fact their website is out of date when it’s such an important area… it’s infuriating!
That is what I did, but if you have the time I’d go to Santos Dumont first and speak to the staff there. Ask them to write down exactly what you need to bring so there are no surprises.
I tried to extend my visa in Rio. I went to the major airport Galeão, but the federal police wouldn’t help me. They sent me to the smaller airport Santos Dumont. There, I was asked to present a printed bank statement, which I didn’t have. Then they told me that I could not renew my visa yet, because I had to wait until the last month of my current visa. Lot of time wasted running around today…
It’s complete Russian Roulette as to what they ask for. I’ve extended mine twice and never been asked for a bank statement.
The renewal restrictions are news to me too.
I’ll be going through the process again soon, so we’ll see what happens.
Bro you’re a lifesaver. Thanks so much for uploading this.
Hey dude,
No problem at all. I’ll be going back in February and renewing again in April so I’ll keep it updated with relevant information.
Glad it helped. Enjoy your extra time!
Adam
I’m in Rio right now, about to walk from my hostel to the airport to extend my visa for an additional 90 days. The rules have changed for residents of Canada (me), USA, Japan, and Australia. As of June 2019, we can extend our visas to the 180 day limit that your UK passport affords you, so we’re catching up, buddy! Hahaha… sincerely though, I appreciate your taking the time to spell this all out for us. This is a beautiful country, and you are absolutely right when you say that three months is not enough time. I’m hiding from the brutal Canadian winter, and I will try to do the same thing next year. Thanks again!
That’s awesome Mark! I’ll update the post to reflect it, thanks for the information.
Are you using an E-visa? Is your extension process the same amount of hoop-jumping?
Nice Article.
Just a couple of questions
On February 26th 2019 I came to Brazil and stayed for 60 days. With my passport I can stay up to 90 days.
However I am coming back to Brazil in 2020 for the carnival on 16th for 60 days.
The Question I have is do I need apply for an extention of my visa ? Because it is 90 days per calender year.
When my calender year ends on FEB 24th 2019I would have been in the country for like 70 days. So after 24th of feb 2019 will I get a fresh 90 days as the calender resets ? Or do I need to apply for an extention ?
Hello,
Are you on a UK passport? If so then it’s absolutely fine. You’re technically allowed 180 days per year (with the extension) so you should have no problems whatsoever.
The extension is only if you want two consecutive periods of 90 days back to back.
I may see you around as I’ll be shaking my tail feather at Carnival yet again.
Thanks Adam, this post was so useful to me in applying to extend my tourist visa.
I’m in the taxi fresh from successfully renewing at the Superintendência in São Paulo. Some observations:
* All documents mentioned were checked. The process is arbitrary so best to have everything.
* I thought a proof of £1500 for 3 months would be sufficient. However, proof of the equivalent of 15,000 reais was expected (around £3000). Luckily my uncle who helped me with the process was there and signed a guarantor form. But if you don’t have a handy uncle, be careful to have at least this amount. My uncle asked the man who stamped the passport (not the woman who asked for the proof) why 15,000 reais was expected. He said that he didn’t known but it was an internal rule rather than a federal regulation. It’s possibly practice in the office in SP, or perhaps made up on the spot. Who knows? Best to be prepared or overprepared in this respect and recognise that what flies in SP may not in Rio or Bahia.
*The process was quick – 40 mins.
*The staff, although thorough and demanding weren’t unpleasant
*Here is the address of the Superintendência
Polícia Federal – Passaporte
R. Hugo D’Antola, 95 – Lapa, São Paulo – SP, 05038-090
(11) 3538-5000
I’m glad it all went well James and thank you for the extra information!
I’ve never been asked for the proof of money, and £3000 is insane! I’m glad I’ve been lucky and avoided that.
Enjoy your extension. I can’t wait to go back in February
Hi Adam
Thanks for the info as it really is a right palava getting the 180 days in Brazil! It really does help to have a Brazilian fight your corner in Portuguese with the Feds. Even the Brazilians get frustrated with the needless hassle.
I managed to get 8 months as a tourist back in 2017-2018 but it was only because they were updating the immigration system at the time at the Federal Police in Rio. So on my first visit to them they extended my stay for an additional 2 months and asked me to return to them at the end of this period. When I did they added on an extra 3 months! Giving me a stay of 8 months which I was really shocked but very pleased about.
Now I’m applying to return to Brazil on another longer term visa and I was wondering if you know of anyone who has been granted a temporary visa and has been able to travel to a different country and return to Brazil during the term of the visa – without problems?!! I’ve asked the Brazilian consulate in London and they say its up to the Feds in Brazil which was not what I was wanting to hear.
Hey Dani,
You got 8 months? Awesome! Although they claim to have limits and regulations I truly believe it’s completely on the whim of the agent you speak to. We spoke to multiple different people and got multiple answers. All of them claimed theirs were the concrete facts and nobody would tell us differently, yet it was also telling that none of them were willing to put any of these ‘facts’ in writing.
Having a convincing, charming yet forceful Brazilian in your corner is an absolute must to get the best outcome.
Unfortunately I don’t know of anyone, but I’m always asking and researching as this 6 month in/6 month out policy puts a real strain on our relationship
Hi Adam,
I just extended my stamp today. (I’ve an Irish passport). The Unidade Arrecadadora relates to the region you are applying in and not the exact station to go to. For example, there were three options in Pernambuco, but only one in Recife – the Federal Police headquarters of Pernambuco. However, the renewal needed to be carried out at the airport. To clarify, the airport was not on the list. I had actually went to the headquarters first as I thought the same – that I have to go the same location as I select on the list. They told me I was at the wrong place and sent me to the airport where there is a Federal Polic tourist service.
Jonathon, apologies for the slow reply but I’ve been in the Paraguayan wilderness for a while.
The government website is certainly not well maintained. They rarely update it when buildings close or move location.
That’s definitely why I’d recommend going to the listed building first before printing anything or paying any fees. That way, if it’s moved, someone can hopefully direct you to the latest location.
Hey Sam and Fray,
Thanks so much for the article, really useful.
Sam, I’m currently in the same situation as you – I have plans to leave Brazil at the end of my 90 days this week but would like to return to Brazil later this year. It seems there’s no clear answer on whether you will automatically be renewed another 90 days when you return or if you need to do the visa extension, so would love to know what they tell you and your girlfriend at the Federal Police station if you’re happy to share? Please and thanks!
Hi Lottie,
How long will you be away from Brazil?
Hi Adam,
Thanks for the helpful up to date info. My girlfriend and I are arriving in Rio his weekend and on Monday 20th May is our 90th day in the country. We would both like to extend that day but our situations are different, I have a return flight back to the Uk that day, returning to Rio 10 days later. My question to you is do you know if I need to extend my visa as well or will the fact I am exiting the country allow me to reset and use the second 90 days on re-entry automatically?
For my girlfriend, she has broken her wrist (the reason for our late arrival in Rio and last minute extension application!) which was operated on here in Chapada Diamantina after a fall on the trails in the park.
We’re hoping that this combined with our reasonable Portuguese and turning up with all of the documents for both of us (just in case (except for the entry card which we never received)) will be enough for her extension and mine if needed.
Thanks,
Sam
Hi Sam,
Sorry to hear about your girlfriend. I’m sure that’s not the memory of Chapada you were hoping for.
So, just so I understand: You both want to extend your visas, but you will be going back to the UK for 10 days while your girlfriend stays here in Brazil, right?
Here is my advice:
Fill in the online form (one each). For the office, choose Superintendencia (code: 0213 Superintendencia regional no estado do Rio de Janeiro (as I said in the post, they’ve moved offices but haven’t updated the website)
STN Code:140090 0094 R$110.44
Print out the forms but don’t pay them yet (there’s a lottery kiosk in the airport where you can pay).
Collect all the other necessary documents – photocopies of passports/card, a bill/cpf.
When you arrive in Rio you both go to Santos Dumont airport. It’s really close to Centro, only a couple of stops away on the VLT (overland tram).
Go up to the top level to the Federal office. That’s where you’ll need to give your documents to extend.
From my understanding, only your girlfriend should extend her visa. If you do too, then you leave and attempt to re-enter you may find your extension is invalid and you just wasted your money.
As I said in the post, it sometimes feels like they make decisions on a whim, so head straight there, explain everything and clarify the situation with a Federal agent. If they say you should both extend then just pop down to the kiosk to pay then go back and give all your documents to the agent and wait (1 or 2 hours).
If only your girlfriend has to extend (meaning you get a free 90 days when you return) then she pays at the kiosk and all you’ve lost is the cost of your photocopies (a couple of £).
What do you think? Makes sense? If you need anything else let me know
experience from the regional federal police superintendency in SP (not Rio)
– they didn’t ask me for “proof of tourism” or proof of residency
– i didn’t have to wear long pants/trousers to enter the building
– they asked for a copy of my credit card (????)
– i didn’t realize you need a photocopy of your passport (the page with your photo; the page with your physical visa if you have one; the page with the entry stamp)
– my new 90 day period began after the end of my first 90 day period thankfully
Hi Danny,
I will be updating this post next week after I extend mine again. This time I’ll do it in Rio, so hopefully it will be a smoother operation.
Even though they love their bureaucracy, it seems like pot luck which rules they choose to enforce. I was under the impression that the long trousers was absolutely mandatory nationwide.
The advised me that they could request to see a photocopy of my visa credit card (Why? I have no idea), but when I offered it to the official she waved it away.
I’ll update it after my new experience.
I hope you’re enjoying yourself in SP
I’m confused. Every website mentions the Cartão de Entrada e Saída but I didn’t receive one when I came to the country back in October 2018 on my first trip and I didn’t receive one when I arrived my second time December 2018. When I left the first time nobody ever asked me for that document either. I found that I can print one from the Brazilian government’s website and fill it out but there is a box that is apparently necessary to be filled out by an official upon arrival of course. I’m from the USA and came in using an E-Visa which I’m assuming might have removed my need for this card. Any idea about this?
Hello Stewart,
To my understanding, the e-visa removes the need to fill in the cartão. As It’s a multi-entry visa it wouldn’t be necessary.
If I’m correct, the e-visa enables you to spend up to 90 days a year in the country, so you’d be unable to do a 6 month stint like other nationalities (who can renew).
Did that help? If you need anything else, I’ll be back there next week and explaining the joys of trying to get a CPF
Hey Frey, thank you for all the insightful information! It is really helpful. Which website/bus company did you use to book your bus ticket to Paraguy? You mentioned it was only 10£. I wouldn’t mind a that kind of ticket too. Does the day of the bus trip needs to be at (relatively) the end of your extended 90 day period or it doesn’t make a difference when applying for the visa? Thanks again!
Georgi!
My apologies for the slow reply. Your message was lost in a mountain of spam comments I received over the festive period.
The company I used was NSA… cheap as chips! I just checked for tomorrow and it’s £14, so do it a little in advance to drop the price even more.
As for the date, as long as it’s before the visa expiration date you should be fine. It doesn’t necessarily have to be in the final days.
If you need anything else, let me know.
Happy New Year! I hope it’s an amazing one
Does the 90-day extension begin on the day you are granted it OR does it begin once your initial 90-day period expires? If it’s the former scenario, then to get 180 days total you’d have to leave the extension request until literally the last day you are legally in the country.
Hey John,
It’s tricky trying to get exact information from the Brazilian authorities, but we were told to go 15 days before your visa expires as it may take one or two visits.
In theory the new visa should start after your 90 days finishes, but it’s completely on the whim of the person doing the application. I got less than 90 extra, but she was in a terrible mood when we arrived (our full folder of ready documents eventually put a smile on her face, but the final decision was made by a mysterious guy stood in the wings).
Hi Fray! Thanks for the helpful article- did you set up an appointment with the Federal Police, or just show up? People talk about setting up appointments, but I have no idea where to do it.
Hey Chris,
When we first went I was wearing shorts, and so wasn’t allowed into the Federal Building (keep that in mind… they love the long trousers). This meant that my girlfriend went in, found out all the required documents, arranged the date for next time and so we came back prepared.
With that in mind, when we went back they tried to tell us that we needed to make an appointment. Carolina took no prisoners and stood her ground. It was only when we showed them that we had every document required (and more) that they backed off and processed our application.
They say there are procedures, but I believe it’s completely on the whim of how they feel at the time. If you arrive with all the correct documents (and are persistent with good Spanish) I believe they would do it then and there. If not, then you would just need to return the following week at the designated time with the same documents.
Setting up the appointment is basically just showing up to the Federal Police building. There’s no online appointment system, no phone booking or anything technical. Just arrive and be strong.
Does that help? If you need anything else, give me a shout. If we can help, we totally will.
I like the helpful info you provide in your articles. I’ll bookmark your blog and check again here frequently. I am quite sure I’ll learn lots of new stuff right here! Best of luck for the next!
Hi Fray,
I am trying to fill out the form but I obviously don´t have a CEP as I´m a tourist. But the CEP number is a required field. What do I do?
Hi Kim,
The CEP is different from the CPF. The CEP is the local equivalent of a postcode or zip code. You can use the address of your hostel, Airbnb, or wherever you’re staying. It should be in this format: 12345-000
I hope that helps. If you need anything else please let me know.
Hi Fray,
My boyfriend is from UK and we want to extend his tourism visa. Is there any official brazilian website listing the required documents ? I have heard about needing to show you had bought the flight ticket back.
Thank you!
Hi Nathalia,
I’m not aware of an official site that lists the items I mentioned in the post, but as long as he downloads and pays the invoice, has a copy of his passport (photo page and any pages with stamps), his Cartão de Entrada e Saída, proof of funds (usually a statement, although it’s not always checked), proof of residency in Brazil and finally proof of an onward journey, he should be fine.
The proof of onward journey can be a flight ticket, a bus ticket to Paraguay/Uruguay etc, or in some cases they’ll accept proof that you’ve booked accommodation in another country (although I wouldn’t feel confident only going with this, as you’d probably have to do a lot of convincing). It definitely doesn’t need to be a return ticket to his home country… only one showing he will leave Brazil within the visa allocation.
I hope that answered your question. If you need anything else, don’t hesitate to give me a shout.
P.s. I hope he’s having an awesome time 🙂
Thanks for the excellent article
Thank you kindly. I hope you found it useful