Retirement Visa for Brazil

Mike  - I applied in the US,  under jurisdiction of the Chicago consulate in January 2021.  It was in the early days of the pandemic and I had been prepared to go to Chicago with my paperwork,  but they closed down and we ended up doing everything online.  The consulate had a link with a list of all the required documents, the cost and how to pay. I sent in my passport and they used a full page visa: VITEM XIV and gave me one year to use the visa (i.e., enter Brasil). The visa indicates the "authority" under which the visa was issued [RN 40/2019-CNIG ... the Resolution which authorized the current  retirement visa]. It also states in the visa itself that I needed to register with the Federal Police within 90 days of my first entry. About 2 months later, after I settled in, I went to the PF here in town to register and present the originals of the documents I had submitted to Chicago. I was questioned about my intentions, fingerprinted and my photo was taken again. They told me my i.d. card (my RNM) would be available for pickup in about a month.

Ad Abthree mentioned, I  was one of the first to apply for this new/greatly modified category of visa. Indeed, i was advised to bring a copy of the Resolution referenced above to the PF where, interestingly, it was also shown to a supervisor.  So, honestly,  I am barely surprised that the process of renewal has had its twists and turns. Indeed, two years ago when i inquired what i would need to do in 2023, the PF said I'd need to come back with updated documents (funding, police reports, proof of continued retirement). "Come back" to me meant back to the PF, right?  But, in January, when i was ready to schedule my return visit, I met a brick wall.  I was only told that I needed to go to the Minister of Justice.  Eventually, and I do mean eventually, I was referred to MigranteWeb (a site run by the MoJ).  But that threw me, too, because the form on the site  appeared to be for migrants wanting to work.  I worked with Brazilian friends more accustomed to the ways of Brazil and filled out what I could, ab d submitted the required attachments (all relevant and current,  but fewer than I was prepared to offer).  I paid the fee (GRU -Banco fo Brasil), had no place to submit the proof of payment to MigranteWeb,  but I have been reassured that the payment would somehow be matched with my application.  So now I'm waiting to hear that the request has been approved and I should NOW set an appointment with the PF. At that time, as I  understand it (to be confirmed or revised later ), I'll take a printed copy of the approval by Justice and my original and updated paperwork.  I'll be fingerprinted and photographed again. And then head home to wait for notice that my new CRNM is ready for pickup. As stated, this is subject to revision as/if I learn more.

Hope this helps and that the detail doesn't overwhelm.

@Viajanete Hey thanks for the reply.  Yes, it is completely confusing but you're on the right path.  I followed the instructions, Here is what I received from Justice today (first in portuguese, then the english translation).  It appears that we need to basically upload more or less all the things we presented to the consulate for the visa and fill out an electronic form.  Then we get a protocol number to track status on migrantweb.  When justice is finished reviewing, we then have to make an appointment at the PF.  I'm assuming that this time we'll get the DOU information.  I don't quite get why I'm re-uploading everything again, because when I did this the first time it was scanned in by the PF, but whatever.   Regarding the receipt for payment, there actually was an attachment prompt for that.  If you missed it, don't worry, I'm sure they'll let you know.  In anycase, that was checked at the PF when I went this week and was turned away for not having the DOU.  I agree, this is a new process and everyone is learning what to do.  Unfortunately, we're part of that training process. 

====== PORTUGUESE =======

Informamos que se o interessado deseja permanecer no Brasil, com finalidade para aposentado, deverá entrar com o pedido de Renovação pela Coordenação, observamos que consta na CRNM que foi aprovado o pedido no Consulado pelo prazo de 2 (dois) anos.

A solicitação deverá ser realizada no MigranteWeb 2.0.

O interessado deverá consultar a legislação migratória, especialmente, as Resoluções Normativas no Portal https://portaldeimigracao.mj.gov.br/pt/ … rmativas-1

Verifique qual Resolução Normativa (RN) identifica a atividade a ser exercida pelo imigrante. Identificou? Essa RN será o fundamento legal a ser escolhido dentro do sistema MIGRANTEWEB 2.0.

Envie todos os documentos de forma on line para serem analisados. No novo MIGRANTEWEB 2.0 não é mais necessário a obrigatoriedade da certificação digital.

Realizou o cadastro e enviou os documentos? Agora você possui um número de processo (08XXX.XXXXXX/2023-XX) para acompanhar o processo;

A consulta do processo poderá ser realizada acessando por meio de login único do Governo Federal;

Após o deferimento da autorização de Residência:

        Se Residência prévia (o imigrante está no exterior), logo a Coordenação enviará ofício eletrônico ao Ministério das Relações Exteriores informando o referido deferimento com dados do imigrante e da empresa. Esses dados, por sua vez, serão encaminhados à repartição consular, indicada pelo imigrante no pedido inicial, a quem cabe à emissão do respectivo visto;

        Se Residência O imigrante já está no território nacional e após o deferimento da autorização o interessado deverá procurar a Polícia Federal para registro.

O interessado deverá ler com atenção a RESOLUÇÃO NORMATIVA Nº 30, DE 12 DE JUNHO DE 2018 - Formulário de Requerimento de Renovação do prazo de residência laboral ou de alteração do prazo para indeterminado

Disciplina a renovação do prazo de autorização de residência ou a alteração para prazo indeterminado.

https://portaldeimigracao.mj.gov.br/pt/ … rmativas-1 ;

https://portaldeimigracao.mj.gov.br/ima … 0-2018.pdf ;

Veja o Tutorial de como realizar o pedido pela Coordenação Geral de Imigração Laboral:

https://sway.office.com/TTm1nKd0gem6rbpH?ref=Link ;

=== ENGLISH===

We inform you that if the interested party wishes to remain in Brazil, with the purpose of retirement, he must apply for Renewal by the Coordination, we note that the CRNM states that the request was approved at the Consulate for a period of 2 (two) years.

The request must be made in MigranteWeb 2.0.

The interested party should consult the immigration legislation, especially the Normative Resolutions on the Portal https://portaldeimigracao.mj.gov.br/pt/ … rmativas-1 .

Check which Normative Resolution (RN) identifies the activity to be carried out by the immigrant. Did you identify? This RN will be the legal basis to be chosen within the MIGRANTEWEB 2.0 system.

Submit all documents online for review. In the new MIGRANTEWEB 2.0, the mandatory digital certification is no longer necessary.

Did you register and send the documents? You now have a case number ( 08XXX.XXXXXX/2023-XX ) to track the case;

The consultation of the process can be carried out by accessing through a single login of the Federal Government;

After granting the residence permit:

        If Previous Residence (the immigrant is abroad), the Coordination will soon send an electronic letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informing the said approval with data on the immigrant and the company. This data, in turn, will be forwarded to the consular office, indicated by the immigrant in the initial application, which is responsible for issuing the respective visa;

        If Residence The immigrant is already in the national territory and after the approval of the authorization, the interested party must go to the Federal Police for registration.

The interested party must carefully read NORMATIVE RESOLUTION No. 30, OF JUNE 12, 2018 - Request Form for Renewal of the period of residence or change of period to indefinite

Disciplines the renewal of the residence permit period or the change to an indefinite period.

https://portaldeimigracao.mj.gov.br/pt/ … rmativas-1 ;

https://portaldeimigracao.mj.gov.br/ima … 0-2018.pdf ;

See the Tutorial on how to apply for the General Coordination of Labor Immigration:

https://sway.office.com/TTm1nKd0gem6rbpH?ref=Link ;

Thanks for sharing, Mike.  And so grateful that Expat Forum exists - with such generous participants.

@abthree Is this also if you submit to the embassy? or is it 90 days max when you land in Brazil, do the embassy pre-approve visas?

03/19/23 @abthree Is this also if you submit to the embassy? or is it 90 days max when you land in Brazil, do the embassy pre-approve visas?
-@ltoby955

No, you don't have that kind of limitation with the right visa (VITEM XIV)  from a Consulate, and your previous days on a tourist visa no longer count against you.

Your Retirement Visa will say on its face how many days you have to register with the Polícia Federal (I think it's 90 days but it may be less, you have to look at the visa), but you're really just registering to receive your CRNM. You should have all the required documents that you submitted to the Consulate with you just in case the PF ask to see any of them, but chances are that they won't, because the Consulate has already cleared you. After you register and they take your biometrics, it's just wait about a month and then go pick up your CRNM.

After that, you'll only need to see the PF again to report a change of address, or to renew your CRNM as it approaches expiration.

Thank you, I am lucky in one respect as most of my documents are in Portuguese, do your pension documents need to be in Portuguese as my pension are English?

03/19/23 Thank you, I am lucky in one respect as most of my documents are in Portuguese, do your pension documents need to be in Portuguese as my pension are English?
-@ltoby955

That depends on the Consulate.  Brazilian Consulates in the UK will accept documents in English.  Brazilian Consulates in Portugal may do so also, you'll need to check with them.

@abthree Hi. I am applying for my retirement visa. I am sending the (US) documents to the Brazilian consulate in Atlanta. do I need to have the documents translated into Portugese before sending them?

Adam

04/13/23 @abthree Hi. I am applying for my retirement visa. I am sending the (US) documents to the Brazilian consulate in Atlanta. do I need to have the documents translated into Portugese before sending them?
Adam
-@alevinthal

Hi, Adam.  No, US documents in English or Spanish submitted to the Brazilian Consulate responsible for your state do not require either apostilles or Sworn Translations.  If any of your documents are from states outside the Consular District (like my Birth Certificate was, for example), they still don't require an apostille as long as they have a raised seal or some other clear indicator of authenticity. 

Are you planning to be back in the US to complete the visa process?  Coming to Brazil with the correct visa is definitely preferable:  the alternate process of requesting an Authorization for Residency at the Federal Police is only the backup.  However, since you're already in Brazil, there's no reason not to take advantage of the backup, if you can have all of your documents apostilled and obtain Sworn Translations (which should only be a matter of days) before the time is up on your Tourist Visa.   

That’s good news that I don’t have to translate any of the US documents when applying for a visa in the US.

My approved visa will be sent to my US address. I must return to the US to get it because it will also include my returned passport for entry back to Brazil.

Is there anything else I should be aware of?

@alevinthal When you go to the consulate, in addition to the Visa, they'll give you the "Formulario de Pedido de Visto" (Visa Application Form). You'll need to have it when applying for the CRNM at the PF. Also, I was required to show my Birth Certificate, which was required to be apostiled; and translated in Brasil. Again, https://traducaojuramentada24h.com.br/ or another company can do this - the catch is that the PF want to see the paper version, so you'll need to send it electronically, have them prepare the translation, then either have them deliver the paper version (and the seal, which you can attach) to you, or you go to them with the original and pick it up. When showing to the PF the orginal and the translation need to be attached together with the seal. There are other documents you'll also need, but those you just get from the website, complete and print. The other "gotcha" when getting the CRNM for the first time was they want a copy of EVERY SINGLE PAGE of your passport - and I mean EVERY SINGLE PAGE, even the blank ones.  This was the PF in Sao Paulo that requested this, even though it wasn't in the list of required documents - so save yourself a headache and just have it.

@mikehunter Hi mike, did you see that I am planning to apply for my visa  at the Brazilian consulate in Atlanta in the US? I ask because I think the process I plan to follow is not what you describe.

@alevinthal I'm assuming your goal is to obtain retirement residency? Obtaining the temporary Visa from the consulate is step 1, which will give you the ability to apply for residency. Step 2 is making an appointment with the Federal Police in Brasil to obtain your CRNM.  Once the Visa is issued, you have 1 year to use it to enter Brasil.  Upon entry, the clock starts ticking and you have 90 days to complete the CRNM process.

04/13/23 @alevinthal.  Every PF office is a little different, so don't be surprised if you're not asked for an apostilled birth certificate when you go to the one in Florianópolis.  But it's  better to be safe than sorry. 

@mikehunter thank you.

good to know, thanks.

@mikehunter good to know, thanks!

@alevinthal @abthree was answering your question about the consulate, which is step 1.  I am referring to step 2, which is obtaining the CRNM.   

04/13/23 @alevninthal. You certainly do not need apostilles or Sworn Translations for the Consulate to obtain the visa. When you go to the Polícia Federal back her in Brazil to get your CRNM, they SHOULD just give it to you, because the Consulate has already cleared you. They're allowed to ask to see whatever documents they want, though, and if others are being asked for documents in other places, it's possible that you may be, too.

@alevinthal hi mike, I think I misunderstood your last post to me, sorry and thanks for the advice.

@mikehunter Hi Mike, Yes, I finally got that and it does make sense now.

@alevinthal No worries, just so you have it here is the url that will walk you through the CRNM process (specifically for those with a temporary visa): https://www.gov.br/pf/pt-br/assuntos/imigracao/registrar-se-como-estrangeiro-no-brasil/registro-de-imigrante-detentor-de-visto

The guidelines have changed since I did it 2 years ago. Previously, the birth certificate was mandatory on the printed checklist. Now they state: Fica a critério da autoridade administrativa competente, no caso de dúvida a respeito do registro civil, solicitar certidão de nascimento ou de casamento atualizadas; or in english: It is at the discretion of the competent administrative authority, in case of doubt regarding civil registration, to request an updated birth or marriage certificate;

Personally, I wouldn't believe it should or would be required since the consulate has checked all that, but then again, no where in the documentation (now or 2 years ago when I did it) that you need a copy of EVERY SINGLE PAGE of your passport.

@mikehunter 👍

I'd like to ask a question to get the answer straight and on the record. My feeling after skimming through the 7 pages is that:

(1) Retirement visa XIV does not lead to permanent residence after two years. When they renew after 2 years we now know that they issue another temporary residence (c.f. what happened to Mike?)

Kind of an off-topic question from me:

(2) Is it true that temporary residence does not lead to citizenship? Which visa code types lead to citizenship eventually?

Thanks for reading and your time.

Lots of love from Europe

Hey! Thanks for your reply. I am with child and I’ll be due in a few months. They encourage birth tourism in Brazil. Any child born in their soil whether the parents are on visit visa or residents, automatically gets a Brazilian passport ( the new born) and the rest of the members of the child’s family automatically qualify for a permanent residency.

I hope I answered your question.

04/24/23 Hey! Thanks for your reply. I am with child and I’ll be due in a few months. They encourage birth tourism in Brazil. Any child born in their soil whether the parents are on visit visa or residents, automatically gets a Brazilian passport ( the new born) and the rest of the members of the child’s family automatically qualify for a permanent residency.
-@fmagenimusidiku

Please understand, Brazil does NOT "encourage" birth tourism.  Brazil still permits birth tourism, which is quite different; there is even some anecdotal evidence that the government's stance is moving from "permitting" to "discouraging".  A person who tells the consular officer when they request a tourist visa that they plan to have a child in Brazil will probably have their visa application rejected.  A visibly pregnant person may be denied a visa, denied boarding for their flight, or denied entry when they arrive in Brazil. 

Birth tourism is viewed as visa abuse but it is still not illegal in Brazil, so we can still advise people here about how to navigate the barriers to it.  The first piece of advice:  if that's your plan, be discreet about it.

@jonxxon I'm still going through the process. Once everything is approved, I'll post the steps required. I should (hopefully) be able to give an update in a few weeks.  There is no longer such a thing as "permanent residence", what you get now is a CRNM with an "indeterminate" expiration date.  That effectively means you don't have to renew it every 2 years.

04/24/23  I'd like to ask a question to get the answer straight and on the record. My feeling after skimming through the 7 pages is that:
(1) Retirement visa XIV does not lead to permanent residence after two years. When they renew after 2 years we now know that they issue another temporary residence (c.f. what happened to Mike?)
(2) Is it true that temporary residence does not lead to citizenship? Which visa code types lead to citizenship eventually?
Thanks for reading and your time.
Lots of love from Europe
-@jonxxon

04/24/23  The problem with advising you on VITEM XIV visas and citizenship is that we don't know yet -- the visas are too new, and the first ones are just coming up for renewal now.  Their form seems to suggest that they're intended to be temporary only, but it would be much easier bureaucratically for the Polícia Federal -- and so for the Ministry of Justice -- to give them longer duration.  My guess is that the Retirement Visa will eventually become effectively permanent (as the old Retirement Visa was) and that the Digital Nomad visa will remain temporary.  But that's just an educated guess at this point.

The visa that is most likely to lead to citizenship is the VITEM XI, the family reunion visa.  Citizenship is even encouraged for VITEM XI holders, by lowering the residence period from four years to one.  Aside from this one, the visas most likely to lead to citizenship are pretty specialized.  They include:

• admission for refugees under international law and stateless persons;
• admission of Portuguese citizens
• admission of citizens of MERCOSUL countries
• VITEM III -- Humanitarian/Refugee, Haiti and Ukraine
• VITEM V -- Employment based on contract approved by the Ministry of Labor
• VITEM VII -- Religious work, permanence mainly for ministers of religion and persons under vows (e.g. Religious Sisters and Lay Brothers)
• VITEM IX -- Investment

@abthree Thanks Bree. Good to know.

hello. I am assembling the documentation for my retirement visa to Brazil. There is a requirement to have medical insurance . I have medical insurance that is only valid in the US. Can I buy some number of months of travel insurance as evidence of medical insurance? If not, what else can I do?

hi. I am assembling the required documentation for my retiree visa in Brazil. I have two concerns:

1: What can I provide as  proof of retirement as I have no pension or SSA withdrawals? I have a personal letter, saying how, and why I became retired, and a letter from my last employer indicating my last date of employment. is there something else I can provide?

2: I have Medicare in the US that does not ensure me in Brazil. Can I buy some number of months of travel insurance to meet that requirement? If not, what else can I do?

Yes. That is what I did. In my case, NOONE ever asked me about this. Not at the Consulate in Chicago where I applied, and not upon my entry into Brazil either.  But O had everything paid for, and documented in case someone would have asked for it.

Best wishes! 

@MA22 I’m sorry, I didn’t understand what you did or what they didn’t ask for, and who they were. Please explain…

I bought a Travel Insurance Policy good for 6 months. But when I applied for my Retirement Visa (Vitem XIV) at the Chicago Consulate, they never asked me to send any proof of this. It wasn't even on the list of required items for my application IN CHICAGO. I read some other consulates in different cities have different requirements, and I read I would need to have my own Health Insurance to enter Brazil. So I did. BUT, when I arrived and went through Immigration at São Paulo Airport last June, no one asked for that. Hope this is more clear.

🙏🙏😊😊

@MA22 that’s good to know, thank you.

hi. I am applying for a retirement visa from Brazil with a homebase in South Carolina and applying for the  visa in Atlanta. my plan is to mail my application to Atlanta, have it returned to South Carolina, then fly to SC, pick up the visa, then fly to brazil going through customs.

what is the best way to mail the application to Atlanta and have the visa and my passport returned to SC?

Atlanta says they need a prepaid addressed envelope to return the visa and passport.

is it best to have DHL carry the application to Atlanta and include a USPS envelope along with the application to return the visa and passport to SC? Is there a better way to do this?

I am not sure about the requirements for a retirement visa, but don’t you have to include your physical US passport in the documents you must submit to the consulate in Atlanta? If so how are you going to be able to return to the USA without it?

yes, I do, and I mispoke. Unless there is a better way, I will return to South Carolina,  mail in the application to Atlanta, and stay in the US until the visa and passport are returned, They tell me it will take about 20 days. I hope that’s true.

@alevinthal that’s what l would advise. Much less chance of your documents getting lost. Again, I don’t know the details of a retirement visa, but for a “family reunion “ visa (what I will be applying for) it also states there is a chance you might be called into the Consulate for a physical interview.

Also, I have dealt with the Consulate in Atlanta several years ago, so and they were very nice people.