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Where do I pick up my RNE?

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acpr

I'm here on a temporary 1-yr residency visa and I went to the PF in Rio in January to get my photo taken and fingerprints done, as well as hand over all the paperwork. They rushed me out at the end and just told me to wait for an email. I never got an email (not in spam folder either) and never received the RNE in the mail at my apt (address listed on all my paperwork). Since it's been two months, I figured I'd ask around.


How does one obtain their RNE after going through all the steps?

mjs30170

It takes normally about 30 days for them to process your RNE and they'll send you an email but you may want to check with the contact they gave you or go back to the PF (things are often best done in person in Brazil).


Once they've taken your fingerprints and picture, they'll print your RNE card (size of a US driver's license) and then you pick it up at the PF where you applied for it. No other steps required.

duzzimenino

I received an email after my appointment for my RNE at the PF in São Paulo. It had a link to a website. I used the application number on the receipt that was given to me from my appointment to check the status. It was available around 30 days. I returned to the PF to pick up my card. Note: bring a physical copy of your receipt to the PF. I tried to use a photo of the receipt and they made me go across the street to a copy shop a have one printed out. Not a big deal.

abthree

03/16/23 @acpr.  Check the status online, as duzzimenino suggests.  If the status is that it's ready, go to the PF office to pick it up, don't wait for the email. 


CRNMs (that's the correct term) are not mailed:  they have to be picked up in person.  After two months, an in-person visit to the PF office to check status wouldn't be unreasonable. 


Good luck.  Please let us know how it goes.

rraypo

I did not receive an email. They had told me it would be ready in thirty days. I checked online and it was ready, I went back to the same PF office and there it was waiting for us. Very easy

nelsonj35

@acpr from my experience living here in Brasil, if you do not have any way of contacting the PF via email etc, and no one responds, you will have to schedule another agendamento, appointment and physically go in and find out what the situation is.

haragiar

@nelsonj35 No, not just to check the status of the CRNM. You can just go ask if it's ready.

acpr

@abthree thxI didn't receive an email so there's no link to click but I managed to go to Migração, where I eventually found a link to check the progress (in case anyone else is in my situation). Unfortunately the only update was Jan 30th, saying the document was produced but in transit and to await further notice. It's currently two months since my PF appt. I'll wait a few more weeks then go see them if no updates come in.

abthree

03/16/23 @abthree thxI didn't receive an email so there's no link to click but I managed to go to Migração, where I eventually found a link to check the progress (in case anyone else is in my situation). Unfortunately the only update was Jan 30th, saying the document was produced but in transit and to await further notice. It's currently two months since my PF appt. I'll wait a few more weeks then go see them if no updates come in.
-@acpr

After two months, I would definitely not "wait a few more weeks" to go and check in person.   If a CRNM goes too long without being picked up, it's sent back to Brasília and canceled.  As Haragiar said, you're allowed to drop by the office to check on status.   At worst, you'll get some peace of mind, and they'll know that you're still here and waiting.

rraypo

I'll wait a few more weeks then go see them if no updates come in.
-@acpr


At this point, I would definitely not wait to visit the PF. In complete agreement with Abthree here, I'd quickly go in person and check on the status of your CRNM. You do not want it returned

acpr

Thanks everyone. Since I don't live far from the PF, I went there and they had it ready for me. I was asked if I checked my spam folder to which I responded yes, and the lady just shrugged. 1f937.svg

abthree

03/17/23 @acpr.  I'm so glad that it worked out for you - congratulations!


This is a good opportunity to warn members of a general problem I've noticed:  people doing data entry in Brazil tend to be pretty careless, and to have particular problems with email addresses.  Once bad input gets into a database, it tends to stay there.  For example, my health insurance got my email address wrong, and it took me two years to straighten it out.


If at all possible, try to check any input on the screen before the person hits "enter".

ExpatUSATravels

@acpr

I take it that email is not one of their strong assets? 1f617.svg

abthree

03/20/23 @acpr
I take it that email is not one of their strong assets? 1f617.svg
-@ExpatUSATravels


The problem is almost always in front of the screen, not in the infrastructure.


Circular as it seems, the most foolproof way to give someone your email address in Brazil and feel confident that they'll get it right is to send it to them ... in an email.  1f61d.svg


The next most successful way is to write it on a piece of paper -- in plain block letters, NEVER in cursive -- and hand it to them.  In my experience, this has a success rate below 50%, but still results in occasionally getting it right.


To the eternal frustration of the English-speaking peoples, our sovereign remedy for resolving this type of problem, "spelling it out", doesn't work AT ALL.  Brazilian children are never drilled in spelling -- Portuguese orthography is phonetic, so I suppose that they don't have to be -- so Brazilian adults seldom had the ability to visualize a run of quickly pronounced letter names as a word.  It's almost always a fail.  But if you need to do it, like on the phone, the Portuguese word for "@" is "arroba", and the Portuguese word for "dot" is "ponto".

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