IMPACT – MEDIUM

What is the change? Authorities in Brazil have waived a rule that required foreign nationals to register with Federal Police within 90 days of obtaining a renewed visa or residence permit.

What does the change mean? Effective immediately, foreign nationals will not be required to register with police within the 90-day window. They may complete police registration and have a new federal ID card (RNE) issued at any time before their visa expires.

  • Implementation time frame: Immediate and ongoing. The regulation was published in the Diário Oficial (Official Gazette) Thursday.
  • Visas/permits affected: Temporary work visa renewals; conversions of temporary work or temporary residence (Mercosur) visas into permanent residence permits. 
  • Who is affected: Foreign nationals renewing or converting to the visas and permits listed above.
  • Impact on processing times: The change will facilitate registry updates at the Federal Police because foreign nationals will no longer have to worry about missing the 90-day deadline. Previously, missing the deadline could lead to serious delays for foreign nationals seeking to register with police and obtain their RNEs.

Background: Up until now, the Ministry of Justice required foreign nationals to register with Federal Police within 90 days of when decisions on their applications were published. This would sometimes lead to delays in the registration process because if the foreign national missed the deadline, he or she would have to request to have their decision republished, which could take months. Under the new regulation, foreign nationals may register at any point, so long as their new visa or permit remains valid. Registration cannot be completed retroactively if visas or permits have expired. Foreign nationals will still be able to request that decisions be republished in cases of material error, e.g., if their names are misspelled or if validity dates or other material information are inaccurate.

BAL Analysis: The change makes the process of registering with police and obtaining IDs significantly easier for foreign nationals renewing visas.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group in Brazil. For additional information, please contact brazil@bal.com.

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