Getting married in Brazil, Permanent Visa and documents required

I just completed my application for a permanent visa here in Fortaleza. Here's my experience:

My wife (Brasileira) and I were married in the US in 2004. We have two children together. My wife was diligent in getting everything registered (the marriage, the births) at the Brazilian consulate in Miami fairly quickly after each event. She also made sure to get both US and Brazilian passports for the kids at our first opportunity. And she got the marriage certificate and both birth certificates authenticated at a cartorio here in Fortaleza many years ago.

Before applying for a visa, I had read through the websites of the Brazilian consulates in Miami and Chicago. From everything I read there, I thought I would be applying based on "Family Reunion" (which would be based on my having two children who are both Brazilian citizens.) I spent a lot of time and money gathering all the documents listed on the consulate websites.

Since my wife had gone to Brazil ahead of me, we decided to apply for my permanence down there. To enter Brazil, I just applied for a tourist visa. It was super simple. They asked for proof of exit (a round trip ticket), and to keep the paperwork simpler, I just bought my return ticket for 28 days after my arrival. If my planned stay had been more than 30 days, the consulate would have required bank statements, etc. to prove I had financial means. The crazy thing is that once the tourist visa is approved (which only took 2 weeks), it's valid for 10 years. A standard maximum stay of 90 days was listed on the visa itself, and when I entered the country through immigration at the airport in Sao Paulo, the immigration officer just looked at the visa and stamped my passport indicating a 90 day stay.

About 10 days after my arrival here, my wife and I called the Federal Police here in Fortaleza. Someone on the phone was very helpful and indicated that it would be better to base my application on Casamento (marriage). The next day, we went to the Federal Police complex just to confirm exactly what we would need. A very nice young man, working the reception desk, gave us a simple list of documents that would be required for an application for permanence based on Casamento:

1. The application itself, which I completed in about 5 minutes on a computer terminal there at the Federal Police complex;

2. Two 3x4 photos;

3. An authenticated, clear and complete copy of my passport. I took my passport to a cartorio and had every page copied and authenticated. This cost a total of about R$94;

4. Certified copy of the marriage certificate. My wife had taken care of this years ago;

5. Authenticated copy of my wife's Brazilian ID. We got this at the same time we got my passport copied and authenticated;

6. Declaration that we are not separated, with "recognized signatures." The declaration itself was a form provided by the helpful receptionist. For the "recognized signatures," we went to the same cartorio. They already had a card on file with my wife's official signature, because she had handled that earlier. I had to sign a small card three times, which provided them with my official signature. We then signed the declaration form in the presence of the cartorio, and she certified that the signatures were recognized. This whole thing cost less than R$10.

7. Declaration that I have not been prosecuted or convicted, etc. However, this requirement only applies if you've been married less than 5 years. Since we have been married for 12+ years, this was not required. Note: an application based on "Family Reunion" does require information about a criminal background, but these requirements were removed in our case (a marriage longer than 5 years).

8. Proof of payment of three fees, totaling a little less than R$500. We paid these fees at a local casa loterica, but you can also pay them at any bank.

That's everything that was on the list. While we were there at the Federal Police complex, we scheduled an appointment to apply the next business day. Then we left and took care of a couple of items that we hadn't done yet (the photos, the declaration, the fees).

We went back at our scheduled time and everything went off without a hitch. It took a total of about an hour, most of which was spent waiting while the representation entered all the information into the system. I was given an RNE (Registro Nacional de Estrangeiro), which is my official ID number as a Foreigner. I also received a new stamp in my passport indicating permanence and a document (valid for 180 days) granting me permanent status while the application is being processed.

The only minor wrinkle was an inconsistency in the way we had listed my mother's name. On the application, I listed her last name as it appears on my birth certificate. She has since changed her name, so it was listed differently on the authenticated copy of the marriage certificate. The representative really focused in on this discrepancy. We tried to explain that women in the US change their last names based on marriage and divorce, and he understood, but he was basically saying that the application couldn't proceed unless all of the names were consistent. I suggested that I just change the way I listed her last name on the application (my birth certificate is not part of the process, so it shouldn't matter if her name on the application matches the name on my birth certificate). He was reluctant about this idea, saying that it could cause future problems if they ever asked to see my birth certificate in the future. Thankfully, the representative at the next booth was a bit nosey and leaned over to put in his two cents. He indicated he didn't think it would ever be a problem, so we just took some white-out and changed my mom's last name on the application so it would match the way it appears on the marriage certificate.

And that was it. Now I'm just waiting (about 60 days) to go back and check on the status of the application.

jland912 wrote:

The Federal Polce will have you sign a declaration that they provide.

Jim

The PF in Santos gave my wife a list of documents we'd need to bring. One of them is that letter saying we're not separated. The letter saying I've been a good boy is something they give me to sign.

I have some questions:

I had someone do the 3X4 pictures for me. Paid R$13 for 6 of them, the smallest package they had. However, I was wearing a white shirt when the pictures were taken. My wife says they are required to wear a colored top for their RG pictures. I was wondering if we are as well.

The fees we have to pay, the almost R$500 in the three fees, can I pay those with my credit card, or do I have to pay in cash?

We want to visit my parents and a sick friend soon, leaving here in mid to late July. Will I have something for her to show the interviewer at the Consulate in São Paulo that shows I have residency here if we go to the PF in the next 2 weeks?

Also, does anyone know if having an attorney can help simplify and speed up the process of getting the residency stamps in my passport?

I've tried filling out the form several times to change her name on her passport. Each time I do this and then try and schedule her appointment with the PF passport unit, the system tells me the form hasn't been recognized. I'm wondering if that's because I haven't been filling out her RG# and her titulo eleitor. I did enter her new RG# once or twice, but not her old one under her previous name and never the number on her titulo. I get a protocol number every time, but it never allows me to schedule her appointment. Any idea what I'm doing wrong?

Dear James

I have been reading your replies and all my questions got answered.

Thank a lot for all the info , however i just have one more question

DO I NEED A SINGLE STATUS CERTIFICATE IN CURITIBA FOR MARRIAGE . BECAUSE IN OTHER STATES LIKE SAO PAOLO ONLY BIRTH CERTIFICATE IS ENOUGH .

If you or any one can answer this I will be very grateful


Regards

Mike ...

Here in Fortaleza, the PF provided us with two fill-in-the-blanks forms. One was the "Declaração de que não se encontram separados" (declaration that we're not separated). The other was the "Declaração de que não foi processado ou condenado criminalmente" (declaration that I've not been prosecuted or convicted ...). They are both super-simple, one-page forms. You fill in your names and a few other simple details. You take both forms to a Cartôrio and sign them in the presence of the representative there, who will certify your signatures as "recognized." It was not necessary for us to write a letter declaring that we're not separated. In our case, because we've been married more than 5 years, the declaration of non-prosecution was not required.

Requirements for the 3x4 photos are here:

http://www.pf.gov.br/servicos-pf/estran … grafia.pdf

My wife says she doesn't think the casa loterica accepts credit cards (for the fees). She thinks it's cash only. Maybe debit cards. You can also pay the fees at any bank, but she thinks the banks will not accept credit cards either.

If the PF accepts your application as being complete (all the required documents), you will leave that same day with a permanency stamp in your passport and a separate document valid for 6 months indicating your permanent resident status and your RNE (Registro Nacional de Estrangeiro). In our case, the entire application process took only one visit (a total of about 1 hour), but I have read horror stories about the PF in other locations making applicants chase their tails (returning 10 separate times with various documents). In our case, we were very thorough and made sure that all the names matched (with the minor exception I described above). But from what I've read, a lot depends on who you sit down with. Our guy was pretty helpful.

I also thought about hiring an attorney to help. I'm glad I didn't (so far) because the process was really super simple (for us). Knock on wood. It's not final until the application is processed (which usually takes about 60 days).

On the name change question, it's hard to tell from your description exactly what's going on. My recommendation -- strange as it may sound -- is to physically go to the PF and ask for help getting the name change done. I can't say enough how helpful the PF in Fortaleza was. Coming from the US, I was really pleasantly surprised. I was expecting a grueling bureaucracy. My experience may not have been typical for every location in Brazil, but it was really easy. The receptionist and I, for example, spent about 10 minutes talking about the Chicago Bulls.

You might want to do the picture again to be safe. If you get the protocol you will not have problems with travel. The advice given about going to the pf and asking for help is good

Jim

The lady at the PF stuck one of them to the request thing she printed out for my wife.

We went to the cartorio yesterday to get everything "authenticated." I decided to play it smart and print 4 passport pages per A4 sheet of paper in order to save money, thinking it was one "sela/stamp" per printed sheet. It wasn't. It was one per passport page, so there were 24 of them on my passport alone. All told, with the declaração de endereço (plus one copy of each) that we need for another purpose, plus the copy of the wedding certificate, and the copies of the "We're still together" letter, it came do a total of R$210 for everything.

Mike
When I did mine the cartorio made the copies of my passport. The letter to prove we are still married did not need authentication.  I guess it's different from state to state.

Jim

My wife said they'd do that as well, if we wanted to pay the extra amount they charge over the LAN House. But she said they'd put one set of two passport pages on each page they printed/copied. She didn't tell me they would put the celo/stamp on each of the passport pages. I figured if I could put 8 passport pages on a single A4 sheet, that would save me R$49/page (8 celos/stamps at R$7 per, versus one page/one celo/stamp). I was wrong. The clerk put one of the celo stickers over the corner of each passport page.

As you can tell, I'm not like a few of you here and have to try and watch where every dollar/real goes.

Does anyone know what's the easiest and cheapest visa for her to get when we come back so that we don't have to worry about getting her a tourist visa every time we want to visit the US? I'm doubtful that a "K" visa for spouse will be approved because I can't show $25k in annual income and, from what she's been able to figure out, my freelance work that I do here won't count. And we really don't want an immigration visa for her, just a short visit every now and then.

Mike

I'm thinking if you can't get a spousal visa then she will have to go with tourist.

Jim

I'll give the State Department a call one of these days.

In SP, you have to provide your singlehood/divorce certificate attested by Embassy of Brazil and translated by sworn translater.

Hello Sakraan


From where do we have to get this certificate verified. From the Brazil Embassy in my country of origin or from Brazil itself .

You will need to get this certificate attested from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of your country followed by the Embassy of Brazil in your respective country.

Afterwards in Brazil you must get the certificate's details translated into Portuguese by a Tradutor Juramentado prior to getting it submitted to the cartorio

Regards

If you are divorced,  you have to have your country of origin affix an apostille to the document that certifies it to be a true copy. You then have to get both translated by a "sworn translator."

The procedure is already have been explained by another mate. It should be attesdsted by  Embassy of Brazil of your country.

Hi
Once I get RNE number printout copy and passport stamped permanent this means all fine ? Can I travel my country ? pF said within 60 days I will get my ID card mean time they send email to saying my Id ready to go and collect from PF?
So now all fine for me so am I permanent visa holder of brazil now ?

I mean travel an other country for visits or travel my country for few days is possible in future ?

Hi Rasvi

You must go to the Policia Federal handover your Protocolo and in turn receive your permanent Residency card.

Based on this card you can stay out of the country for a maximum period of 2 years. 

Regards

sakraan wrote:

The procedure is already have been explained by another mate. It should be attesdsted by  Embassy of Brazil of your country.

That was under the old laws. A new one was recently passed because Brazil became signatory to the Apostille Treaty. You need to have official or legal documents apostilled in your country of origin if your country is also signatory to the treaty. Then you need them translated by a sworn translator. I just finished going through this process myself and have my interview with the PF tomorrow morning.

Wow..can't believe its been nearly 18 years ago since married in Brazil! 

Damn. Only been a month and 2 weeks for me.

Ok tahanks I will get card soon thanks you

As stated by a few members earlier, as long as your paperwork is accurate your CIE is usually ready for collection within 40 to 60 days from the date of you receiving your Protocolo

Wishing you the best of luck on your Brazilian Advenutres guys!

Rasvi

You can travel. You should let the PF know that you will be gone and how long. If your CIE arrives and you don't pick it up they will send it back to Brasília. Once you get the CIE as Stanz stated you can be out of Brazil up to 2 years.

Jim

Howdy all. Just got back from the PF. Paid my fees and my fine, turned in all the documents, and had my fingerprints taken. Then I signed the "I have been a  good boy" document. We waited about 15 minutes and my passport was returned with the next visa page stamped "Registrado: Permanente." Here is the link of required documents they gave me.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/vkgn39pbkfkbt … 1.pdf?dl=0

And the stamp in my passport.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ob856nidk03qz … 1.jpg?dl=0

Hi James, (addressing to you because you appear to be "the guy with the answers")
I appreciate your wealth of knowledge and hope you can help me with a question I posted today (thought I'd try a more direct route for the answer).
Tons of info about getting married in Brazil and it does appear a bit daunting, is it easier if my Brazilian fiance and I marry in the US when she visits me and I bring the marriage certificate when I come back? What else might be required under that scenario?
Many thanks, Patrick Daniel

Hey Patrick!  Yes. It is much easier, as long as she can get a tourist visa to visit you. Our country makes it next to impossible for people from non-white majority countries to get tourist visas. Have to live with family, preferably children and grandchildren. Have to make at least R$3500 a month. Preferably own a car and a house. If she can get a visa, she just needs her passport and ID to get married, according to the San Diego (California) county clerk I spoke with twice last year. You both can go to the consulate nearest you and have the marriage recognized while still there and get your permanent resident visa there.

If you get married in the US, you will need to get your US marriage certificate authenticated for the Brazilian authorities and registered in Brazil. Here are the steps that you need to take just in regards to that one document:

1. Get it translated into Portuguese by an approved translator. This can be done either in the US or in Brazil. If you're in the US, your local Brazilian consulate can provide you with a list of approved translators. If you're in Brazil, you can get a list of translators from the Federal Police or from any cartorio.

2. Get it authenticated. If you're in the US, you can take the original US marriage certificate and the translation to your local Brazilian consulate. They will authenticate it for you. If you're in Brazil, I'm not sure how you get that done. No Brazilian authority will know whether or not it's a real US marriage certificate. You might need to take it to a US embassy. My wife did ours in the states.

3. Register your marriage in Brazil. You can do this at your local Brazilian consulate (in the US) or you can do it in Brazil.

We were married in the US, and my wife handled this whole process in the states.

If you're getting legaled here you have to have the American marriage certificate apostilled while still in the US. Both documents are then "Officially" translated and then authenticated at the cartorio here. You then go to the PF unit near  you that handles permanence documentation.

But if you're in the US and have a US marriage certificate that is less than 90 days old, get it apostilled and take it and your passport to the nearest Brazilian Consulate and they'll grant or deny (usually only grant) the permanence and stamp your passport accordingly. The cartorio here told me the documents don't have to be translated if the process is handled in the US. They may have "forgotten" to tell me that part.

The vital things to remember are the age of the US originals you turn over and that they be apostilled by the state the documents were issued. That's whether you do the process here in Brazil or there in the states.

Some of the advice here is to marry in the U.S. first and then register the marriage in Brasil. That sounds OK for certain reasons. But, Brasil has different types of marriage when it comes to inheritance laws, so what category of marriage does the Brasilian cartorio register a U.S. marriage under? That could be a serious problem for people in business and those who have property responsibilities.

That would be up to the couple, I would guess.

Hi, I am from India and have been to Brazil on Student visa in 2012 and made a GF there but came back before 2 months. I again tried for Student visa after few months but it was denied.
If I'm already married to an Indian women but also want to marry my Brazilian girlfriend and then want all three of us to live together in Brazil then how can I do this?
Is there any way or exception that this can be done legally or what should I do so that I can get married to Brazilian GF and then also invite the Indian wife to Brazil so that we all can live together forever as all three of us are fine to accept this and live together happily and peacefully?? 

Holy Shite. I would say you need to get married to the Brazilian here and then bring the other woman over. Might have to bring her over as a tourist and then hire her as a nanny or something so she can get permanency.

Thanks a lot buddy (obrigado). In case of any other suggestions also please do let me know.
Take care.

Thanks Mike.
if all three of us are fine to be together then will I have to first divorce my Indian wife, then go and marry Brazilian GF in Sao Paulo, Brazil and get PR - permanent residency of Brazil and then invite Indian women to Brazil, hire her as a nanny or can do something else also??
and try for her PR but is all this practical and can be done or will there be any or legal problems?
Also, how much time does it take to get Brazil PR?
Thanks.

Not sure about Brazil but many countries have laws against what is call bigamy in the US, being married to more than one person. If you guys are happy with that arrangement that is cool but you'd want to check the law.

Brazilian law doesn't allow it either that's why trying to find a way how to make it happen