Brazil: Appointment Backlogs at the Federal Police in Sao Paulo Causing Delays

Update – April 16, 2025: Delays have worsened for foreign nationals seeking services at the Federal Police branch in São Paulo, with visa registration appointments being scheduled approximately two months after the initial request. For in-country change of status applications, including Mercosur and family reunion cases, the wait time is around three months. These timeframes are significantly longer than usual, and there is no indication when processing will return to normal. While the use of Federal Police branches in other states has been considered an alternative in certain cases, challenges such as varying documentation requirements, including proof of residence in that state, and appointment availability, often exceeding one month, have limited the effectiveness of this approach. Employers and foreign nationals should continue working with their Fragomen professionals for case-specific advice. Fragomen is monitoring this situation and will report on relevant developments.

September 4, 2024: High demand is causing appointment delays for foreign nationals seeking services at the Federal Police branch in Sao Paulo. The Federal Police branch in Sao Paulo is currently scheduling visa registration appointments about one month after the request; and in-country change of status application appointments (including Mercosur and family reunion applications) about two to three months after the request, whereas typically appointments are scheduled must sooner. It is not known how long these delays are expected to last. As background, foreign nationals entering Brazil under a consular work visa or those filing an in-country change of status application must register with the Federal Police within 30 or 90 days of arrival/approval (as applicable). After registering, foreign nationals obtain an RNM number (Brazilian identification number), required for their employers to enroll them on local payroll (if applicable) or complete certain administrative tasks in Brazil, such as setting up a bank account. As a result, foreign nationals and employers should expect delays with registration and may face delays in payroll start dates in Brazil. Fragomen is monitoring this situation and will report on relevant developments. Please contact your Fragomen professional to explore other case-specific available options.