Brazil Family visa (VITEM XI) application site?

09/03/26 @homendepicanha.  The answer to your question depends on where you are and from where you're applying. 

1 If you're in your home country, you should apply to the Ministry of Foreign Relations for a VITEM XI visa at the Brazilian Consulate responsible for your home.  If that's Brazilian Embassy in Wellington, New Zealand

https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/embaixada- … wellington

This will eventually take you to a page like the one you referenced, where you'll prepare your application and submit scans of your documents.  If a Brazilian diplomatic mission  other than the Wellington embassy is responsible for your location, that Consulate should have a similar page.

2 If you're already in Brazil, you will NOT apply for a visa to the Foreign Ministry.  You'll apply to the Ministry of Justice through the Federal Police  for an Authorization of Residency on the Basis of Family Reunion; you'll do that on this page:

https://www.gov.br/pt-br/servicos/obter … migratorio

through the SISMIGRA system.

@abthree

Thanks for your answer. I will apply for the family reunion visa in Brazil.

I clicked on the link you provided and found this. Is this process for applying?

https://www.gov.br/pf/pt-br/assuntos/im … onalidades

09/04/26  Thanks for your answer. I will apply for the family reunion visa in Brazil.I clicked on the link you provided and found this. Is this process for applying?https://www.gov.br/pf/pt-br/assuntos/im … onalidades - @homendepicanha

That looks correct.  As I wrote above, what you're requesting is NOT a visa, so while the supporting documents are basically the same, the requirements are somewhat different.  All of your documents (except your passport) from countries other than Brazil require apostilles from the Competent Authority of the issuing country as registered under the Apostille Convention of 1961, and Sworn Translations completed by Sworn Translators appointed by the Junta Comercial of a Brazilian State for documents in any language other than Portuguese. 

It's important to get your request in as soon as you can after arrival.  Your most time-sensitive documents are your Tourist Visa, and the Police Clearances from the country or countries where you have lived during the five years prior to your arrival in Brazil.  The Federal Police will want your foreign Police Clearances to be under 90 days old, and your visa to still be valid when you submit your request.  They have discretion to accept Police Clearances over 90 days old if the delay isn't too great, but a visa overstay would be a bigger problem.  If you arrive with fresh, complete documents and start the process quickly, you should be fine.

If your plan is to get married in Brazil, be aware that cartórios generally impose a 30 day waiting period between the request for a Marriage License and the celebration of the marriage.  Your future spouse should consider checking with the cartório to find out whether there's a way around that, and also to confirm the documents that they'll require you to present.  If you have to wait, you can use that time to get your Sworn Translations done.

Once your request has been filed, the clock stops on your Tourist Visa, you'll have a Protocolo documenting your status, and you'll be in the clear until a final decision has been made.

@abthree

Thanks so much for your reply and explaining all the steps, much appreciated! I currently hold a VIPER permanent visa that I obtained by marriage to a Brazilian. We currently live in NZ, but will be returning to Brazil shortly. Unfortunately my RNE (now CRNM?) has expired. I tried to renew it back in 2019 but told I was too early, and needed to wait until at least 3 months before expiry. We had to return to NZ and then covid hit.. Anyway I am going to try and renew my RNE with the Police Federal when we go back, but if that doesn't work then I'm preparing myself to re apply for Authorization of Residency on the Basis of Family Reunion, is this the same as the VITEM XI family visa that you would apply for if applying outside of Brazil?

09/04/26  Thanks so much for your reply and explaining all the steps, much appreciated! I currently hold a VIPER permanent visa that I obtained by marriage to a Brazilian. We currently live in NZ, but will be returning to Brazil shortly. Unfortunately my RNE (now CRNM?) has expired. I tried to renew it back in 2019 but told I was too early, and needed to wait until at least 3 months before expiry. We had to return to NZ and then covid hit.. Anyway I am going to try and renew my RNE with the Police Federal when we go back, but if that doesn't work then I'm preparing myself to re apply for Authorization of Residency on the Basis of Family Reunion, is this the same as the VITEM XI family visa that you would apply for if applying outside of Brazil? - @homendepicanha

Thanks for the clarification -- it makes a huge difference!  A VIPER is much more powerful than a VITEM XI.

No new VIPERs were issued after the current Lei da Migração took effect in November 2017, but the outstanding VIPERs were NOT canceled, so yours should still be in effect.  VIPER was and still is one of the few truly permanent visas in the world, so if you have the old passport that contains your VIPER, you should get in by showing it and your current passport.

As a VIPER holder, the PF should be willing to issue you a CRNM to replace your old CIE.  The hangup will be  that you've been out of the country for so long, but the facts that you did try to renew and were turned away, and that so much of your long absence was due to COVID will probably be taken into consideration.  It's probably a good idea to bring the required documents with you to be cooperative and to accelerate the process in case they're requested, but if you're rejected and can't find anyone at the PF to talk to, I'd recommend discussing your situation with an attorney.  A VIPER is a VIPER.

Music to my ears! Thanks for the good news regarding my VIPER visa!

Thanks for your reply. The news about the VIPER visa was music to my ears! Thanks again for the clarification.