04/07/12 - 14h59

How long can I stay in Brazil?

Brazil has different rules and visas according to the different necessities of foreigners, so find in this article what is the duration of the different visas in the country.

It is very common to see foreigners with doubts about Brazilian visas. It happens due to the large number of different visas the country offers to specific professionals and also countries.

Brazil provides different visas and also different visa’s duration according to many important factors. The relation between countries and the activity to be performed in the country are one of them.

Background

It is important to let you know that this article is exclusive for temporary visas, and in all temporary visa cases the length will depend of many specific points such as visa categories and on the very reason why the foreigner is staying in Brazil.

As the very name says, this “visa” is temporary, so it is improbable to have a temporary visa that allows a stay for four or five years, for example.

This limitation to the length of time a foreigner is allowed to stay in Brazil has the purpose of protecting the internal market. As the economy is growing and the country is gaining visibility on the international market, it is important to reduce the entrance and the permanence of foreigners in Brazil in order to protect the national workforce.

Foreigners from MERCOSUL countries do not need any visa to enter in Brazil, and also can work and open companies in Brazil as easily as any native would. This is included in the agreements of the alliance made between those countries.

The maximum length of staying

As mentioned before, the validity of the temporary visas varies a lot. We have decided to inform the maximum duration for each different visa. It is important to highlight that there are some visas that cannot be renewed being in Brazil.

Four years

• Newspaper correspondent
• Magazine Correspondent
• Working on TV
• Work in a news agency

Two years

• Teachers
• Researchers
• Scientist of high-standing
• Welfare workers
• Cultural trip or study mission
• Working in a project of international cooperation – no renewable
• Technician on an oil platform
• Crew member of a fishing vessels – no renewable

One year

• Student
• Trainee
• Seeking professional experience within a university course – no renewable
• Professional training – no renewable
• Religion Minister
• Professional sportsman
• Sports training – no renewable

There are some temporary visas of 180 days for crew members of tourist vessels and temporary visas of 90 days for professional artists or entertainers, both can be renewed.

If you are in Brazil or planning to visit or also work in the country, it is very important to be aware about visas lengths, once if it is possible to renew yours, it must be done months prior to the expiration date, (normally six months before), once this process takes a long to be completed.

Foreigners already living in Brazil can travel to other countries and come back to without any worries regarding visa validity. You should only worry if your visa is about to expire by the time of your trip. In this case, it is better to regularize the new visa before going on a trip.