Please read the general information on how to apply for a Brazilian visa.

1. WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR A WORK VISA?

Foreign citizens with work permit previously approved by the Brazilian Ministry of Labor traveling to Brazil as follows:

With an employment contract:

• to exercise remunerated employment activities (consulting included) at a legally established entity in Brazil (RN 74/07, RN 79/08 and RN 80/08);
• to undertake temporary employment for the Brazilian Government under a contract resulting from an international agreement in which Brazil participates (RN. 35/99);
• to work as a maritime crew member aboard a foreign fishing ship leased by a Brazilian company (RN 81/08).

Without an employment contract:

• to assist a Brazilian company with a technology transfer contract and/or with a technical assistance services contract based on a cooperation agreement between companies, without employment in Brazil and to professionally train people or deliver technical courses in Brazil (RN.61/04 – max. stay one year);
• to receive professional training or work experience, considered as the activity that immediately follows the conclusion of a higher degree of specialized professional education, with the objective of developing his/her competence and acquiring knowledge through practical work, for a period no longer than one year [RN. 94/11];
• to undertake an internship (professional training) at a Brazilian branch or subsidiary of a foreign company, for a period no longer than one year (the foreign citizen will not be allowed to work in Brazil) [RN 87/10];
• to work as a maritime crew member aboard foreign cruise ships operating in Brazilian waters (RN 71/06);
• to work on an offshore platform as crew or back-up personnel (RN 72/06);

Please note: work visas may be extended to dependants of a VITEM-V visa holder or of a VITEM-V applicant under certain circumstances. It is forbidden for dependents of a VITEM V to engage in any paid activities while in Brazil.

A VITEM V does not apply to:

• Those receiving training on how to operate and maintenance of Brazilian-made machines and equipment, which requires a VITEM-I;
• Professors, researchers or scientists that enter Brazil to exercise educational and/or research activities at a legal, public, private, educational, scientific or R&D institution, which requires a VITEM I based on RN 01/97;
• Artists or athletes with an employment contract in Brazil, which requires a VITEM III;
• Investors intending to establish themselves in Brazil, which requires a permanent visa based on RN 84/09;
• Directors, managers, administrators or executives of a commercial or civil organization (RN 62/04), of a financial institution not based in Brazil (RN 63/05) or of a non-profitable organization (RN 70/06) which requires a permanent visa.

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EMERGENCY WORK VISAS (RN 61/06 Art. 7º)

An emergency work visa may be granted to professionals requested to perform emergency technical work in Brazil due to fortuitous circumstances (extraordinary events that could not have been foreseen or prevented) which represent an imminent risk for human lives, the environment or assets of a Brazilian company or have caused a significant interruption on the production of goods or provision or services of a Brazilian company.

Emergency work visas may not be granted to the same person more than once in a three month period. It will be valid for 30 days and cannot be extended.

Emergency work visas may be granted without previous consent from the Brazilian Ministry of Labor. Only after the complete visa request has been submitted at this Consulate will it be submitted to a consular authority for analysis.

Emergency work visa requests must be accompanied by all standard work visa requirements, fee(s) and a detailed letter from a senior manager of the Brazilian company on their standard letterhead with contact information requesting the visa to be granted. This letter must be presented on its original duly notarized by a "Cartório" in Brazil.

2. WHAT ARE THE WORK VISA REQUIREMENTS?

Work visa applications must be accompanied by the following documents at the time the visa application is submitted at this Consulate:

STANDARD REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL WORK VISAS

A) Applicant's Passport: original, valid for at least another 6 months on submission date, with at least two blank visa pages. The Consulate reserves the right not to accept soiled, damaged or defaced passports. Amendments and Endorsements pages are for the sole use of issuing country authorities and visas will not be placed on those pages;

B) Visa Application Form: printed receipt page of the visa application form filled out and successfully submitted online duly signed by the passport holder (or parents/legal guardian of a minor) and with the photo attached on the appropriate boxes;

C) Photograph: one professional 2" x 2" passport photo of the applicant in color. Snapshots, photocopies and computer pictures are not accepted. Photos must be:

• Recent: taken within the last 6 months to reflect your current appearance;
• Front view: taken in full-face view directly facing the camera. Your full face must be visible. Your head must be centered and not tilted. There cannot be any apparel casting shadows on your face or glare on your glasses;
• Clear: blurry, underexposed, overexposed and low quality photos are not accepted;
• With a plain white or off-white background;
• With a neutral facial expression and both eyes open.

Click here for sample pictures.

Please glue the photo onto the visa application receipt page;

OTHER REQUIREMENTS FOR WORK VISAS

If the applicant is under 18 years of age:

D) Please verify the special requirements for minors.

If you already have a valid visa on another passport:

E)        Passport with the valid visa and a notarized letter from the applicant requesting the cancellation of the valid visa. Please note that if your previous valid visa is a VITEM V or VIPER, a letter from the work permit sponsor requesting the cancellation of the work visa or a document from the Brazilian Ministry of Labor stating that the work permit has been cancelled must be presented in order for the new visa to be issued. This applies even if your previous passport was cancelled.

If the applicant is over 18 years of age:

  F) Police Clearance which must:

• Be an original document issued within the past 60 days on a standard letterhead with contact information of the issuing authority.
• Have sufficient information about the applicant to determine it is not a homonym. Examples: full name, residential address, date of birth, identification document (passport, driver’s license or state ID), social security number.
• Reflect where the applicant has lived on the past 12 months.
• Bare either an official seal (dry or wet stamp) or have the signature of the sheriff or clerk notarized.
• Match the applicant’s proof of address: notarized copy of driver's license, utility bills, lease or mortgage, or bank statements.

If any of the above statements are not true, please get a police clearance from a higher rank such as county, state or the FBI.

Please note that online background checks and print-outs of the police data base without a standard notarized letter from the Police Department are not acceptable.

Notes:

1)      The Police Clearance may be waived if visa was authorized under RN 61/04, Articles 6º or 7º;

2)      If the visa was authorized under RNs 71/06, 72/06 or 81/08, the police clearance may be substituted by a notarized original letter from the Brazilian company who is sponsoring the work visa stating under the sanctions of the law that the applicant does not have a criminal record and assuming full responsibility for its conduct while operating in Brazilian waters.

If the applicant is a dependent of a VITEM V not listed on the original work permit authorization:

G) Proof of Relationship with the main VITEM V holder:

• Marriage license for spouses.
• Birth certificate for children under 18, or under 24 if the dependent is a student and unmarried.

H) Affidavit of Financial and Moral Responsibility for the Dependents signed by the VITEM V main holder and duly notarized by a notary public in the United States or a Brazilian notary (“Cartório”).

If the applicant is a dependent of a VITEM V and the main visa holder has already entered Brazil with the visa:

I) Registration with the Federal Police of the main visa holder stating the validity of the visa and/or entrance/exit stamps from the Brazilian Immigration.

Please note that THE CONSULATE MAY REQUEST ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR DOCUMENTATION AS DEEMED NECESSARY.

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3. HOW MUCH DOES THE VISA COST?

Please consult visa fees.

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4. HOW CAN I SUBMIT A VISA APPLICATION? HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO PROCESS A VISA APPLICATION?

Please consult how to apply for a visa and processing times on the Applying for a Visa section of our website.

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5. HOW CAN I OBTAIN A WORK PERMIT?

Working in Brazil is a proviledge, not a right. Applicants seeking work in Brazil must be sponsored by a Brazilian employer. Requirements must be met by both the employer and the applicant.

A work permit process is to be submited by the Brazilian sponsoring company to the Brazilian Ministry of Labor to be analysed. On average, it takes 30-90 days to obtain a work permit approval.

Further information on how to apply for a work permit is to be obtained with the sposoring company's lawyer or at the Ministry of Labor's Website (http://portal.mte.gov.br/trab_estrang_ing/). A procedure guide is available.

If you need assistance on legalizing or authenticating documents for a work permit process, please look for information on the Consular Services section of our website. Questions on these matters must be addressed to the Assistance to Brazilians and Legalization Department at consular.houston@itamaraty.gov.br.

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6. HOW DO I KNOW IF MY WORK PERMIT HAS ALREADY BEEN GRANTED?

You may verify the status of a work permit process by following these steps:

1. Go to the Ministry of Labor's website (http://portal.mte.gov.br/trab_estrang_ing/).
2. Click on Process Consultation.
3. Select either:

• "Nº Processo" and input the work permit process number; or
• "Nome do Estrangeiro" and input the name of the applicant.

1. Click on "Pesquisar" to search the database.
2. If the work permit already submitted at the Ministry of Labor, it will show the information concerning its process. It will show its current status which can be:

• “ENCAMINHADO PARA ANÁLISE”, or “EXIGÊNCIA”, or “JUNTADA DE DOCUMENTO”, or “PROPOSTA DE DEFERIMENTO”: which mean it is being analized.
• “DEFERIDO” or “AGUARDANDO PUBLICAÇÃO”: which means it was approved.
• “PUBLICADO”: which means it was published in the official gazette and sent to the Ministry of External Relations to be sent out to the consular office assigned to issue the “work visa” for that specific “work permit” process.

The work permit authorization is usually available to the consular office assigned to it about a week after it was published in Brazil. Only then you may contact the Visa Department to confirm if the work permit is available at this consulate or not (visa.houston@itamaraty.gov.br). Please do not send more than one message per week concerning the same work permit.

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7. NOTES

ATTENTION: VITEM V holders must be registered with the Federal Police within the first 30 days of their arrival regardless of the length of their stay in Brazil. A Visa Form will be issued in order to proceed with the registration. The form must be an original. Please be diligent. Failing to register in time will result in daily fines.

Currently there are no mandatory vaccines required to visit Brazil. It is recommended to take a yellow fever shot prior to entering Brazil under certain circumstances

Citizens of the following countries must enter Brazil within 90 days from the date the visa has been issued: Angola, Bahrain, Cambodia, Cape Verde, China, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Greece, Honduras, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Laos, Libya, Myanmar, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand and Tunisia. The visa will be considered void if its holder does not enter Brazilian territory within the above-mentioned time frame. 

Kosovo and Taiwan passport holders will have their visa issued on a “laissez-passer”.

Incomplete applications will be returned at the expense of the applicant. The Consulate may at any time request further information or additional documents deemed necessary. General conditions are subject to change without prior notice.

Please note that a visa is not an applicant’s right and may be denied. It does not guarantee the right of entry or stay in Brazil and can be cancelled at the discretion of the Brazilian immigration authorities.

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