If you are an American citizen planning to visit Brazil for any purpose, you need to be reminded that there are new visa requirements established by its government. You must be aware of these requirements when applying for Brazilian visa to avoid any hassle with your travel plans.
The first updated requirement is that you must accomplish an electronic visa application. Downloading, printing, and accomplishing the application form in ink is no longer allowed. The application form is hosted by the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs so when you first attempt to visit the site, you will be notified that the site is using an unknown certificate. So you need to allow your browser to access the website.
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Brazilian visa application consists of four sections namely General Data, Documents, Occupation, and Addresses. In General Data, you provide the requested information such as your full name, sex, marital status, date and place of birth, nationality and full name of your parents. In Occupation, you provide work-related information such as your profession, name of employer, work address, and email. If you are still studying, indicate the name of your school. In Documents, you supply information regarding your passport. Lastly, in Addresses, you will provide information about your permanent residence or current address and contact information in Brazil.
Another new requirement is that upon completion and submission of the form, you can now print the accomplished application. You will receive your protocol number which you will use for your appointment with the Brazilian Embassy or Consulate that has jurisdiction over your state of residence.
Bear in mind that the Brazilian consulate no longer accepts walk-in applications. They only attend by appointment. Log-in to the consulate’s online visa appointment system and create a user account. Use the protocol number given to you and your password. Your appointment must be scheduled within 30 days upon completion of your application form or else you have to go through the process all over again.
On your scheduled appointment, make sure you have your supporting documents, accomplished and signed application, and your proof of payment. Application through mail is no longer allowed. If you cannot make it to your appointment, you can assign a third party to represent you. Just make sure you provide them your driver’s license aside from the required documents.
Due to the high demand for Brazil visas, the consulate service has increased the processing time. Bear in mind that the time of the year you applied can have an impact on the speed of processing. So do the necessary adjustments. If your scheduled trip falls on a peak season, expect a longer processing of your application.
