General guidelines (READ FIRST)

Due to the current state of health emergency, the Consulate has adopted a new procedure for receiving visa applications. Requests must be submitted by mail only.

All in person visa requests are interrupted until further notice.

UPDATE - From April 10th, 2025 onwards, nationals of Canada, Australia and the United States will be required to obtain a Visitor Visa for entry in Brazil.

VISITOR VISA EXEMPTION - From June 17th, 2019, up until April 9th, 2025, nationals of Canada, Australia and the United States are exempt of Visitor Visas, for purposes of tourism, business, transit and sportive or artistic activities in Brazil. Stays in the country under these purposes are allowed for up to 90 days, extendable for the same period, provided that the visitor does not exceed 180 days of stay in the Brazilian territory every 12 months, counting from the date of the first entry.

PREVIOUS SCREENING OF DOCUMENTS THROUGH THE E-CONSULAR PLATAFORM IS MANDATORY. DO NOT MAIL ANY DOCUMENT TO THE CONSULATE BEFORE YOUR APPLICATION IS VALIDATED IN E-CONSULAR. BEFORE APPLYING, READ CAREFULLY ALL INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS BELOW.

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

• The purpose of the trip and the intended length of stay determine which visa will be required under Brazilian immigration law. There are two main types of visas: Visitor Visas (VIVIS)  and Temporary Visas (VITEM) .
• Canadian nationals, with valid Canadian passport, do not need to apply for a VIVIS.
• VIVIS applies to a range of travel purposes for maximum stays of up to 90 days. For some of these purposes, if the intended stay exceeds 90 days, a VITEM must be requested. Temporary Visas are broken down into sub-categories, according to specific travel purposes and lengths of stay.
• Passports must be valid for the entire period the individual intends to remain in Brazil. No minimum passport validity is required.
• Visa applicants must meet all requirements to receive the category of visa for which they are applying. The Consulate may request additional information or documentation, as deemed necessary, or can also request an interview with the applicant.
• Plan your visa application in advance, as it takes the Consulate around 10 business days to issue a visa after receiving the documents required.
• Please include in your application package a self-addressed pre-paid envelope for the return of your documents after processing (XpressPost or similar with tracking number).
• Diplomatic, Official or Courtesy visa applications must be accompanied by diplomatic note (note verbale).

Important information regarding foreign documents

• If you need to submit any foreign document besides your passport, that is not issued in Canada, you should first:
• get an Apostille Stamp by the issuing country (an Apostille is a certificate attached to the document),
• or have it legalised by the Brazilian Consulate with jurisdiction over the country where it was issued, if the issuing country is not a member of the Apostille Convention.
• For detailed information about the Apostille Convention, including a list of member countries and competent authorities that issue apostille certificates in each country, click here.
• VITEM holders must register with the Federal Police within 90 days from first entry. Upon registration in Brazil, a document containing both parents’ full names (e.g. full birth certificate) might be requested. In that case, the document should be first legalised / apostilled by the competent authority in the issuing country and subsequently translated into Portuguese by a sworn translator ("tradutor juramentado") in Brazil. Canada is not a member of the Apostille Convention. As such, if you are a Canadian national and wish to have your birth certificate legalised by the Consulate before travelling to Brazil.

2. HOW TO APPLY FOR A VISA

1)   Click here to check if you require a visa or benefit from a visa waver.

2)   Read below the instructions according to the purpose of your trip and intended length of stay (Visitor, Temporary, Diplomatic, Official or Courtesy Visa).

3)   Gather all necessary documentation.

4)   Fill in the online visa application form (instructions here)

5)   Conclude the application form, print and sign the Visa Request Form Receipt – RER.

6)   Purchase the money order or certified cheque to pay the visa fee (obtained from Canada Post or your Canadian bank).

7)   Submit you application electronically through our e-Consular Platform (instructions here).

8)   Wait for a validation message from the Consulate.

9)   Send your documents through mail with your full name, address, telephone and email.

10)       After processing your request, the Consulate will return your documents by mail. So please include in your request a return XpressPost envelope, or corresponding one, with tracking number.

3. VISA FEES AND PAYMENT INFORMATION

PAYMENT OPTIONS:

Money order or certified cheque

Payment may be done by money order or certified cheque (obtained from Canada Post or your local bank), made payable to the "Consulate General of Brazil". Please write down the name of the applicant(s) on the reference line of the check or money order (first and last names). Note that we process a large number of applications every day. Thus, your certified check or money order should be easily identifiable.

Interac e-transfer:

Payments via Interac e-Transfer must be made to pagamento.vancouver@itamaraty.gov.br to the Consulate General of Brazil.

 ATTENTION: When sending the Interac e-transfer, it is mandatory to provide in the message which type of visa is being requested, the quantity and the full name of the applicant(s). These pieces of information are essential to correctly link the payment to the e-consular request.

Example:

Type of visa: VITEM V – Work visa

Quantity: 2

Name of applicants: Jane Doe and John Doe

Attach a proof of transfer to the e-consular system. A screenshot of the mobile phone is acceptable.

Validation of the request at e-consular will only occur after confirmation of payment.

The fees for each visa type can be obtained here.

We do not accept payments in cash, personal cheque or credit card.

Payment must be in Canadian currency only.

Diplomatic, official and courtesy visas are free of charge.

Please note:

1) No rush services are offered. No expediting fees are charged by this Consulate.

2) Fees are non-refundable. Please be very careful upon submitting your visa application. Incorrect, incomplete and withdrawn applications will be charged regardless of the visa being granted or not.

3) The payment of the visa fee will not be reimbursed should the visa be denied; whether it be for lack of documentation on behalf of the applicant or any other relevant reason that may prevent the visa from being granted during the application analysis process. (The fee refers not to the visa itself, but rather to the analysis and processing of the application).

4. PROCESSING TIME

Processing time is approximately 10 (ten) business days, from the date the documents are received at the Consulate. While we will strive to process applications as soon as possible, longer-than-usual wait times may be expected.

There are no rush or emergency fees under any situation to expedite a visa application. Please, plan in advance.

5. TYPES OF VISA

6. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

1) UNTRUSTED CONNECTION:

When trying to access the electronic form, should your browser display a message saying the ‘connection is untrusted’ or not secure, please disregard it and proceed as indicated below:

 - Add a security exception in order to be able to proceed (‘Add Exception’ > ‘Confirm Security Exception’).

This occurs because the security certificate may not be automatically recognized by some browsers. Please be advised that the website you are redirected to is a secure website. The security certificate is issued by the Brazilian company responsible for the software used by the Brazilian Government.

2) INVITATION LETTER FOR FOREIGNERS:

There is no single model for invitation letters, but some items are necessary, such as: complete name of the applicant, nationality, purpose of the trip and intended period of stay. The letter must be notarized in Brazil and the original document must be sent to the applicant, in order to be presented to the consulate when applying for the visa.

3) APPLYING THROUGH A THIRD PARTY: 

A third party can only apply on your behalf if you live within our jurisdiction (British Columbia, Alberta, Sakatchewan, Yukon and Northwester Territories).

4) VISA AGENCIES:

The Consulate does not recommend or endorse any visa agency.

5) VACCINATION OR PROPHYLAXIS:

Although not mandatory, the vaccination against yellow fever is recommended for all international travelers visiting Brazil.

For more information, visit the World Health Organization website, or the Brazilian Ministry of Health (Ministério da Saúde) website.

ONCE YOU FINISHED READING ALL THE INFORMATION ABOVE, CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE ONLINE VISA APPLICATION FORM.

For more information, please write to: visa.vancouver@itamaraty.gov.br