By Chesney Hearst, Senior Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – On Tuesday, August 19th the Brazilian Ministry of Justice announced in the Official Gazette that the procedure for foreign residency in Brazil will become easier for those that apply. Many foreigners previously expressed dissatisfaction about the time consuming process that applying for a permanent residency in Brazil had became for them.
Complaints included drawn out confusion over missing documents and incorrect paperwork. The new rules amend Ordinance No. 1351, issued earlier this month on August 8th and will go into effect on September 1st.
“Most of the requests we receive are simple,” director of the Department of Foreign Affairs for the Ministry of Justice, João Guilherme Granja explained on the Portal Brasil website.
“The intention is to preapprove the procedures that have the correct documentation and meet the requirements. If any document is missing, the applicant will be informed while in the Federal Police station. Thus, the whole procedure will be faster than before.”
Foreigners can apply for residency in cases of family reunion, if they are a foreign parent to a Brazilian child, or are married to or in a união estável (stable union/civil union) with a Brazilian citizen. There are also long-term visas available for retirees and investors who meet the mandated requirements.
Once granted permanent residency, foreigners can remain in the country and there is no need to renew residency. Permanent residents do need to apply for a foreign identity card (Cédula de Identidade para Estrangeiros or CIE), which is issued by the Department of Federal Police (DPF) and will need to be renewed every nine years.
Foreign residents can not leave the country for longer than two years or their permanent residency status will be lost. If they wish to become permanent residents again after that absence, they must reapply.
Read more (in Portuguese).
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