Brazil halts passport issuance

IMPACT – HIGH

What is the change? Brazilian Federal Police said Tuesday that they will indefinitely suspend issuance of new passports.

What does the change mean? Applications that were submitted before the annoucement will be processed, but passport issuance for any application filed after Tuesday will be suspended. The Federal Police have said the suspension is indefinite and is related to budgetary constraints.

• Implementation time frame: Immediate and ongoing.
• Visas/permits affected: Passports.
• Who is affected: Anyone in need of a Brazilian passport.
• Impact on processing times: Those needing passports will likely face delays, both during the suspension and when passport issuance resumes if there is a backlog of applications.
• Business impact: Businesses may need to adjust their schedules if Brazilian nationals are prevented from traveling because they are unable to obtain a passport.

Background: Brazil is in the midst of a budget crisis that, according to Federal Police, has left authorities with no choice but to halt the issuance of passports. The change will not affect applications that were pending when the announcement was made, and authorities will continue to accept appointment requests for new passports. For applications made after the announcement, however, new passports will not be issued pending further notice.

BAL Analysis: The suspension may cause travel delays for those in need of a new passport. BAL will continue monitoring developments in Brazil and will let clients know of any important developments.

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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