Patrick Bruha

Patrick Bruha

Staff Writer
The Brazil Business

Updated

Shutterstock / pcruciatti

Visa For Business Events In Brazil

Patrick Bruha

Patrick Bruha

Staff Writer
The Brazil Business

Updated

Amongst the many different temporary visas Brazil offer to foreigners, one of them is the visa for Business Events, known as VITEM II. In this article, we will learn how to get a VITEM II.

Visa for Business Events in Brazil

Brazil has different policies for different countries concerning visa requirements. Non-Brazilians that want to attend business events in Brazil need to apply for a special temporary visa at the nearest General Consulate or Brazilian Embassy. Visas for business events in Brazil are called Temporary Visa II, or VITEM II.

Cases when a Visa for a Business Event is not needed

Holders of passports in the following 76 jurisdictions do not require a visa to visit Brazil as they are already granted up to 90 days for tourism or business purposes.

  • European Union

  • Andorra

  • Argentina

  • Bahamas

  • Barbados

  • Bolivia

  • Bosnia and Herzegovina

  • Chile

  • Colombia

  • Costa Rica

  • Ecuador

  • El Salvador

  • Granada

  • Guatemala

  • Guyana

  • Honduras

  • Hong Kong

  • Iceland

  • Israel

  • Lichtenstein

  • Macau

  • Malaysia

  • Malta

  • Mexico

  • Monaco

  • Morocco

  • New Zealand

  • Namibia

  • Norway

  • Panama

  • Paraguay

  • Peru

  • Philippines

  • Russia

  • San Marino

  • Serbia

  • Singapore

  • South Africa

  • South Korea

  • Suriname

  • Switzerland

  • Thailand

  • Trinidad and Tobago

  • Tunisia

  • Turkey

  • Ukraine

  • Uruguay

  • Vatican City

  • Venezuela

Who is required to apply for a Visa for Business Events

If a foreigner comes from a country that is not listed above, they will have to apply for a visa to visit Brazil.

Individuals - from countries not listed above - visiting Brazil for any of the following reasons without gaining any compensation in Brazil are required to apply for the VITEM II:

Besides the above mentioned cases, the VITEM II is also applicable to:

  • Flight/ship crew members without an international crew card

  • Travel for media coverage and/or filmmaking

  • Adoption of a Brazilian child. Note: custody must have already been granted

Regardless of the source of payment, when the trip involves the provision of services, such as technical assistance, installation, maintenance or repairs of equipment, or any offshore work another type of visa, VITEM V, is mandatory.

It is noteworthy to mention that it is illegal to provide professional training, technical assistance or to engage in voluntary work or any professional activities on a business visa. Transgressors are subject to heavy immigration penalties applicable in Brazil, which normally means being deported to the country of origin.

Requirements for a Business Event Visa

Business visa applications must be accompanied by the following documents at the time of submission at the General Consulate or Brazilian Embassy:

Standard requirements for all business Visas

  • Applicant's Passport: original, valid for at least another 6 months on submission date, with at least two blank visa pages. The Consulate has the right not to accept soiled, damaged or defaced passports

  • Visa Application Form: printed receipt page of the visa application form completed and successfully submitted online duly signed by the passport holder and with the photo attached in the appropriate place. The Visa application form can be found here

  • Photograph: one professional 2" x 2" color passport photo of the applicant - snapshots, photocopies and computer pictures are not accepted. There are several other photo requirements such as not being older than six months; front view without any shadow; clear; taken on a plain white background; presenting a neutral facial expression with both eyes open

  • Itinerary: copy of the applicant’s round-trip ticket, reservations or letter from a travel agent under applicant’s name, with complete itinerary, flight number and arrival/departure dates and reservation code provided by the airline company. Note: The itinerary may be waived if all the mandatory information for the itinerary is listed on the business letter

A business letter intended for applying for a business event visa needs to be provided by the employer or sponsoring company. The letter should be on the company’s letterhead, signed by a senior manager, addressed to the General Consulate or Embassy and must state the following information:

  • Nature of business of the company

  • Applicant’s title and/or function in the company

  • Nature of business and activities to be conducted in Brazil

  • Name(s) and address(es) of Brazilian company(ies) with which the applicant is going to deal with

  • Name(s) of person(s) to be contacted in Brazil, phone number(s) and their position(s) in the Brazilian company(ies).

  • Expected travel dates

  • Responsibility of the company for the applicant’s stay in Brazil and their return to the country of origin

Other requirements for Business visas

If the visa application can not be submitted in person, a notarized copy of one of the following documents must be provided in the name of the applicant:

  • Drivers license

  • Utility bill

  • Bank statement

If the applicant will be applying for a visa on a passport issued by Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kosovo, Lebanon, Libya, Nepal, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Palestine, Senegal, South Sudan, Sudan or Syria they must provide detailed information on the applicant's place of lodging in Brazil (hotel reservation or letter from Brazilian host), flight details and notarized bank statements reflecting the past 3 months.

The cost of applying for a Visa for Business Events varies according to the nationality of the applicant, but the values vary between USD 60 and USD 160. Also, the complete process of applying for a Business visa takes around 10 to 15 working days.

Validity of a Visa for Business Events

The duration of stay in Brazil is written on the visa and varies from 30 to 90 days at first. Extension for further periods may be requested at the Brazilian Federal Police before the visa expires but it can be denied. Under no circumstances can visitors remain in Brazil longer than 180 days in any 12 month period counting from the day of first entry in Brazil. Visas for business events are usually good for multiple entries in Brazil.

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

  • Indonesia

  • Japan

  • Jordan

  • Kazakhstan

  • Kuwait

  • Laos

  • Libya

  • Myanmar

  • Nigeria

  • Oman

  • Pakistan

  • Qatar

  • Sao Tome and Principe

  • Saudi Arabia

  • South Korea

  • Syria

  • Taiwan

For these cases, the visa will be considered void if its holder does not enter Brazilian territory within the above mentioned time frame.