Passport Issuance Temporarily Suspended

The Brazilian Federal Police, the entity responsible for processing passports in Brazil, has announced a temporary suspension on the issuance of passports for Brazilian nationals residing in Brazil due to budgetary constraints.  The suspension is expected to be in effect until additional funding is allocated.  No official date for the lifting of the suspension has been provided.

Passport applications submitted in person at the Federal Police prior to June 27, 2017 will continue to be processed. The Federal Police will continue to schedule and conduct passport application appointments, but will not be issuing passports until the suspension is lifted.

The Federal Police retains the discretion to issue passports to Brazilian nationals residing in Brazil with an urgent need to travel.

It is unclear at this time whether this suspension will have any impact on the issuance of passports at Brazilian consulates abroad.  It appears that most Brazilian consulates abroad continue to issue passports per normal procedures; however, there has been no official confirmation that they will continue this practice. 

Brazilian nationals remain able to travel to Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela using their Brazilian ID Card.

What This Means for Employers and Foreign Nationals

Brazilian nationals residing in Brazil who require initial or renewal passports should expect delays in the issuance of passports until the suspension is lifted. 

As passports are typically required with applications for work authorization or visa processes to other countries, this may significantly impact the expected approval dates and cause onboarding delays. 

Employers and Brazilian nationals residing in Brazil with an urgent need to travel for work should consult their immigration professional for individual advice.

Fragomen Brazil is closely monitoring the situation and will report on further details as they become available.

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].

Fragomen in Brazil is Fragomen Brasil Serviços de Imigração Ltda., operating exclusively as an immigration consultancy and not as a law firm in Brazil.