To enter and stay in Brazil, students of all nationalities must issue the Temporary Visa IV (for study purposes). Before starting the application, it is recommended to contact the Brazilian Consulate or Embassy about additional documents required and deadlines.
To issue the visa, it is necessary to fill out the electronic visa application form and present the documentation required by the Brazilian Consulate or Embassy in the country where the student resides before coming to Brazil.
National Migration Registry (RMN) and Residence Permit
All foreign students must go to the Federal Police within 30 days after arriving in Brazil to obtain the National Migration Registration Card and the residence permit. Some of the required documents should preferably be requested in advance, while the student is still in their home country, to avoid delays in the registration process.:
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- Legalized birth or marriage certificate*, or consular certificate, containing the affiliation data (parents’ full names);
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- Legalized criminal record certificate* or equivalent document issued by the competent judicial authority where the student has resided for the last 5 years;
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- Documentation proving their own financial capacity or those responsible for maintaining the concerned person in Brazil during the period they intend to remain in the country (bank statements), or proof of scholarship granting, when applicable (if the student receives a scholarship from UFABC, the declaration will be issued by the University itself).
All foreign students who will stay in Brazil for more than 90 days must report to the Federal Police within 30 days of their arrival. In most cases, they will apply for the National Migration Registration Card (CRNM).
If the CRNM later expires and the student remains in Brazil, they must then request a Residence Permit.
In some cases, students may arrive without a visa even though they intend to stay longer than 90 days. Although this is legally possible for some nationalities and situations, we strongly recommend that students do not enter Brazil without the appropriate visa, as applying directly for a residence permit is significantly more complex and requires additional documentation.
For detailed information, please refer to the step-by-step guides below:
– How to obtain the CRNM (PDF)
– How to apply for a residence permit (PDF)
Legalization of Documents:
This procedure involves two sequential steps:
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- 1 ) “Legalization”: usually done at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country where the document was issued;
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- 2 ) “Consularization”: carried out at the Consular Office of the country for which the document is intended.
Apostille : In order to eliminate steps 1 and 2, and speeding up the legalization process, some countries have signed the Hague Apostille Convention , allowing, with a single act – of the ” apostille “, that the document is valid in all other signatory countries to the Convention. Check if your country is a signatory in order to have the documents apostilled.
Translation: In Brazil, foreign documents, even apostilled, are only able to produce effects alongside the respective sworn translation. This, in turn, can only be carried out in Brazil. Thus, it is necessary to provide a sworn translation in Brazil of the documents that have been apostilled.
Taxpayer Number (CPF)
The CPF is an essential document in Brazil, in addition to being mandatory for those who desire to open bank accounts, buy cell phone chips, among other needs.
We recommend that the student obtains the CPF by filling out the electronic form and going to the Brazilian Consular Authority closest to their city in the country of residence.
It is possible to obtain the CPF upon arrival in Brazil, but the student must be aware that the procedure may be more difficult and time-consuming.