Understanding Real Ouro
The Real Ouro is the currency created as a unique rate for Brazilian consular charges in other countries. It is used for calculating the price of official documents and other services provided by consulates.
Real Ouro is used as a single rate to determine the exchange rate of different international currencies. This rate takes into consideration international transaction fees, inflation, foreign exchange fluctuations and other factors. With Real Ouro it is possible to set a worldwide fixed and constant rate for consular fees. This means that the charges in Real Ouro are the same all around the world.
The fees are paid in the currency of the country where the consulate or embassy is located, but this amount is calculated according to the Real Ouro current rate. This is why prices vary according to the consulate location, ensuring that the Real Ouro matches the market. Every equivalent of Real Ouro is calculated based on the variation between the local currency and US dollars, ensuring it is not below one US dollar per Real Ouro.
Possible exchange rate variations can cause a depreciation of the Real Ouro. In these conditions, a safety margin can be added to customize the rate of Real Ouro at any time of the day. The fees collected monthly by the consulate or embassy are exchanged into US dollars and kept in a specific account of the Ministry of International Relations in the United States.
In short, the consul services are charged in Real Ouro, at a fixed rate for all consulates. But, these same services are charged in the local currency of the country you are located in. What varies is the rate of the Real Ouro to other currencies.
Current Rate for Real Ouro
Rates can change at any time but as an example, here are a few as of March 2015:
- R$ Ouro 1 = EUR 1
- R$ Ouro 1 = USD $ 1
- R$ Ouro 1 = ARS 11,1
- R$ Ouro 1 = CNY 7,5
- R$ Ouro 1 = 90 JPY
Consular Fees in Real Ouro
A chart with consular service prices is published by the Brazilian consulate of New York. The prices are indicated in Real Ouro and every consulate follows this same chart. A tourist visa, for example, ranges between R$ Ouro 0 to R$ Ouro 1.000 and a Permanent Visa is R$ Ouro 200.
The services offered by the Brazilian consulates have seven categories with prices ranging from R$ Ouro 0 to R$ Ouro 1.000. Here are the categories:
- Travel Documents
- Visa for travel documents or Brazilian Laissez-passer
- Civil Registration Acts
- Notary Acts
- Consularization
- Acts Referred to Navigation
- Fees Exemption
No fees are charged to those who are part of an organization that Brazil is a member of or visas for foreign travel documents classified as:
- Diplomats
- Officials
- From Courtesy
- Transit, temporary or tourist visa if conceded to a diplomatic passport or from service
- Regulated by and courtesy agreement
Also, no charges are applied to legalization of letters from non-profit donations to social assistance, scientific or educational entities. Other fees can be found in Portuguese only on the New York Brazilian consulate website.