General Information

Summary

1. Before you start

2. How to apply

3. General requirements

4. Health requirements

5. Photo specifications

Before you start:

• Click here to find out if you need a visa to travel to Brazil. If you do, please go through the instructions below.
• The Embassy of Brazil in Nairobi only receives requests from regular passport holders of Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Somalia, or other citizens who live in those countries and hold a permanent visa/residence permit.
• Any visit to the Embassy must be previously scheduled on the e-consular system.
• Start your application at least 30 days before the intended date of travel. There is no fast-track or emergency visa.
• Please note that a visa by itself does not authorize entry to Brazil. A visa stamp indicates that the Consular Authority has determined that you are eligible to travel to Brazil for a specific purpose (tourism, business, etc.). The Immigration Officer (from "Polícia Federal") at an entry port (land/airport/port) determines if you are allowed to enter the country, as well as the length of your stay, as part of the admission process.
•  Visa fees are non-refundable. For more information on Visa fees, click here.
• Do not commit yourself to travel plans until you know when your visa will be issued.

How to apply:

1. Fill out the mandatory SCI online form. NO paper forms are available at the Embassy.
2. Select "VISA", read the information and proceed to "START NEW APPLICATION".
3. Fill out your information according to your travel document and follow the onscreen prompts to enter all the required personal and travel information based on the type of visa you are applying for.
4. Upload files such as photo, signature and all relevant documents.
5. Print the resulting "RER" page containing a bar code, attach a recent picture on white background (use glue or tape, do not staple) and sign on the corresponding area. Minors under 18 should have both guardians and parents sign the RER.
6. Initiate appointment request for a Visa through the E-Consular platform (click here for instructions).  Fill out and upload all requested documents for your type of visa (see visa types). Do not pay for the application at this point. 
7. Wait to receive appointment authorization. Once received, you will be allowed to schedule an appointment at your convenience (or send original documents via courier). 
8. It is advisable that the applicants (the ones who intend to travel to Brazil) come in person for the interview. If that is not possible because the applicant lives whether in Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda or Somalia, they may send their documentation via courier (DHL/FedEx). It may also be submitted by a third-party as long as previously arranged and scheduled by e-mail to consular.nairobi@itamaraty.gov.br.
9. Pay the visa application fee before the appointment date.
10. Be present at the appointment date with all original documents. If you intend to have a representative collect your passport after processing, you must present a copy of your representatives ID, along with the following authorisation for third party passport collection without the need to notarize your signature at a public notary. 
11. After your appointment, you must initiate the service Visa / Passport Pick Up through the E-Consular platform. If you shall require to have a representative collect your passport, and have not presented the proper authorisation for third party collection with your visa application, then you will be required to upload their document, as well as an notarized authorisation for third party passport collection. 
12. Once your pick up request is validated, you will be allowed to schedule your pick up appointment, or schedule courier pick up (if applicable). 

General requirements

• The Consular Section reserves the right to request additional information and/or documentation when they are deemed necessary.

• Every document presented will be verified. Any forgery will be immediately reported to the local authorities and the visa denied.

• It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the application is lodged accordingly.

• When filling out your online application, please double check your full name (no title, such Rev., Prof., etc.) and date of birth. The information provided must perfectly match the passport details. Any incorrect information can result in denial of your visa.

• Only original documents will be accepted; no scans, emails or copies will be accepted for the purporse of visa applications, unless the e-document has a QR-code or verification code online. 

• Brazilian documents such as invitation letters presented for the purpose of visa applications must contain contact information such as email and telephone number. The presented document must have its signature notarized by a "Cartório" ("Notary Public").
  

• Please note that issuing or denying a visa is a sovereign act of Governments. It is a prerogative applied by every country and strengthened by international practice. The kind of visa - if granted - and the validity period of the visa are also a sovereign decision of the Embassy of Brazil. A visa shall be denied to any foreign citizen who, when submitting his/her application, behaves in an aggressive, insulting or disrespectful way.        
  
• Passports submitted for visa applications must be valid for at least six months from the date of the intended arrival in Brazil, and have at least 2 blank pages for visas and entrance stamps.  If your current passport was issued less than 2 years ago, please submit your previous travel document as well.           
  
                                                                                                                                                               
• SPECIAL REQUIREMENT FOR MINORS: For children under the age of 18, BOTH PARENTS must sign the application form. A valid photo ID of both parents is also required, along with the applicant's original or notarized copy of the (long form) birth certificate. If applying by mail or through a third party, both parents must submit the signed application form, in addition to an authorization to issue a Brazilian visa for the minor, in which case BOTH documents must be notarized by a Notary Public. In case parents are estranged, Court Order stating full custody of the minor may be accepted.
• The estimated time for visa processing is up to 10 working days after the date of the appointment.         
• Please note that the Embassy does not provide express or emergency visa services.         

Health Requirements

•  YELLOW FEVER: Brazil DOES NOT require proof of yellow fever vaccination anymore for travelers coming from countries with risk of yellow fever transmission. Brazil strongly recommends yellow fever vaccination SOLELY for travelers who plan to enter areas in Brazil where the disease is endemic. The Brazilian Ministry of Health has determined that Brazil will only require the International Vaccination Certificate from travelers if the area they come from has become risky for the international spread of yellow fever.

• COVID 19: As of June 2023, proof of vaccination against Covid-19 is not required to enter Brazil.

Photo Specifications

In order to safeguard the traveling public and utilize the latest biometric identification techniques, all applicants for visas to travel to Brazil must present full-face photographs, taken as follows:

1. the photograph must be a full-face front view in which the visa applicant is facing the camera directly;
2.  face should cover about 60-70 percent of the photo area;
3. the photograph must be against a white or off-white background, showing the entire, uncovered head. Photos with dark, busy, or patterned backgrounds will not be accepted; and
4. applicants who wear a head covering or hat for religious reasons may continue to do so, but only if that head covering does not obscure any portion of the face.

For further information concerning visas, please send an e-mail to the Consular Section: consular.nairobi@itamaraty.gov.br

General conditions are subject to change without prior notice.