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IMPACT – HIGH
What is the change? Brazilian authorities are experiencing technical problems in the production of passports, resulting in significant delays in issuance of passports to Brazilian citizens.
What does the change mean? The authorities are allowing individuals to pay an additional fee for urgent requests, but applicants should expect delays. Additionally, as a workaround to the production problems, authorities are printing passports without perforated numbers but still containing a microchip (and valid for 10 years). The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is communicating to international authorities that the passports should be accepted as valid.
Background: The Brazilian Mint (Casa das Moedas Brasileira) began experiencing issues with the printing machinery and lack of booklets in mid-April. The Federal Police, which issues passports to citizens, indicated that citizens can pay an additional 77.17 Brazilian reals (about US$23) for urgent requests.
The normal processing time for ordinary passports (valid for 10 years) is six days, but has extended to 30 days in some cases. Urgent processing of ordinary passports should take less than six days. However, the Federal Police recently announced that urgent requests have increased by 20 percent.
Emergency passports (valid for one year) can be processed for immediate delivery in specific cases for the additional government fee.
BAL Analysis: Brazilian passport applicants should anticipate delays as authorities work through the technical problems.
This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group in Brazil. For additional information, please contact brazil@bal.com.
Copyright © 2016 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries please contact copyright@bal.com.
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