Extending your Tourist Visa

As I get closer and closer to the day when I’ll need to extend my tourist visa (while working on a more permanent means to stay in Brazil), I started reading up on the exact steps needed to stay for an additional 90 days after my initial 90 days are up. The steps you need to take, should you find yourself in my shoes, are listed below.

“Any foreigner entering Brazil must have a passport (valid for at least six months after the date of arrival) and depending on their nationality, a visa. A tourist visa is issued on arrival for some nationalities or obtained from the appropriate Brazilian Embassy or Consulate in their place of residence prior to travelling to Brazil.

Tourist visas are usually valid for 90 days. Visitors can extend their visa by 90 additional days once in any 12-month period at a Federal Police (Polícia Federal) office. It is an offence to stay in Brazil beyond the duration of the visa; individuals who do so will be fined based on the number of days they overstay up to a maximum fine limit. Individuals on 90-day visas may seek a special extension if they require urgent medical attention or if they are involved in certain legal issues, such as being required to testify in court as a witness.

How to Extend a Tourist Visa

The Federal Police (Polícia Federal) is responsible for extending tourist visas.

• To find a local Federal Police office: Click here

The person will need to fill in a form called a Guia de Recolhimento da União, which contains drop down boxes to choose the appropriate Federal Police office, the service required, full name of parents and address.

• To download the form: Click here

The form has a bar code on it that is scanned when payment is made, the Police then stamp the form as proof of payment.

There are no Internet facilities available within the Federal Police offices. However, it is usually easy to find a despachante (administrative facilitator) office nearby providing services for printing off and filling in the form for a small fee.

Applicants should take the stamped Guia de Recolhimento da União form and the following documents to the Federal Police office:

• A valid credit card (to demonstrate means of financial support)
• Passport
• Embarkation/disembarkation card
• Airline ticket

The applicant will also need to submit themselves to fingerprinting and pay a fee at a branch of Banco do Brasil (Federal Police offices have a branch of Banco do Brasil in the same building).

Officials will take the documents, the application and the receipt proving that the fees have been paid and the applicant will be told to wait. Within a short while, the applicant’s name will be called and their passport will be returned containing a new extended visa stamp and a new date of expiration.

A tourist visa extension can only be made once on any trip to Brazil.”

– Source