After all the recent hassles with the Brazilian Polícia Federal over the length of stay permitted on each entry under a tourist visa, I've decided to apply for a permanent residence visa. Many GTBers have considered the possibility, so I'll describe the process here.

The three main possibilities for our readers are: 1) a retiree visa; 2) an investor's visa; 3) a visa as the spouse or permanent partner of a Brazilian citizen. The first two visas must be applied for outside of Brazil at the Brazilian consulate serving the area where the applicant's residence is located. The spouse/partner visa may be applied for within Brazil.

After looking into the possibilities, I've decided to apply for the retiree visa because it's the easiest and most straightforward, and also the least expensive option. For a retiree visa you basically need proof that you are retired, that your retirement income is at least US$2000/mo. for a single person, and that the proceeds of your retirement can be transferred to Brazil.

For an investor's visa, the applicant must commit to investing US$50,000 in a business in Brazil and to the creation of ten (10) jobs for Brazilian citizens within two (2) years. There is more paperwork involved in applying for this visa (without mentioning the need forUS$50,000 and a business plan) and you will probably need the assistance of a Brazilian immigration attorney.

For a spouse/partner visa the applicant must show proof of marriage or of an equivalent legal relationship. Brazil permits the same-sex foreign partners of Brazilian citizens to obtain permanent residence. However, because there is no same-sex marriage, per se, in Brazil this can be a somewhat complicated process. Brazil will now recognize a same-sex marriage performed in a jurisdiction where these are now legal (currently Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and South Africa, and the U.S. state of Massachusetts) so if you can marry your partner in one of those countries that can simplify the process. Otherwise, you have to go through a fairly complicated (and expensive) 3-step legal process in Brazil: 1) you have to document the existence of the relationship, including drawing up appropriate pre-nuptial agreements; 2) you must have the relationship formally recognized by a Brazilian family court; 3) you use this formal recognition to apply for the visa. If you are already married abroad you can skip steps 1 and 2. This would also be true if Brazil legalizes same-sex civil marriage or civil unions.

For the retiree visa, the documentation requirements are the most simple. It's a 2-step process: first you submit your visa application and supporting documents to the Brazilian consulate. You then have to wait for the visa to be run through Brasilia and approved. When the visa is approved, the consulate notifies you and you then submit to them another set of application forms, your valid passport, and the appropriate fees. Once you receive the visa, you must enter Brazil within 90 days of the date of issuance. After you arrive in Brazil, you take your passport and visa to the Policia Federal to obtain your R.N.E., which is Brazil's equivalent of a U.S. "green card." You are required to have your R.N.E. with you at all times in Brazil, just as Brazilian citizens have to carry their R.G. identity cards at all times. When you have the R.N.E. you can use that as identity each time you enter Brazil and can use the lines for Brazilians at immigration when you enter the country.

The documents you need are 1) two completed and signed visa applications (downloadable from the consulate websites); 2) two recent 2x2 passport photos; 3) a copy of the ID pages of your passport; 4) a copy of your driver's license to establish proof of residence in the consular district; 5) a statement from your local police department that you do not have a criminal record (issued within 90 days of your application); 6) a statement from the source of your pension payment showing that it comes to at least US$2000/mo.; 7) a statement from a financial institution that you can transfer the proceeds of your retirement to Brazil on a monthly basis.

IMPORTANT: This is where the Brazilian bureaucratic requirements become somewhat baroque. Each of the documents listed above (except for the application form and passport photos) has to be notarized. You then have to get authentication of the notary's signature from the appropriate body that certifies notaries in the state in question, usually the office of that state's Secretary of State; 3) "legalization" of each notarized/authenticated document by the Brazilian consulate that has jurisdiction over the place where the document was issued. In my case, the proof of my retirement comes from Washington, D.C., so I will have to get the document authenticated by the appropriate office of the D.C. government and then legalized by the consular service of the Brazilian Embassy in Washington. The other documents will all originate and be notarized in my home state, so I can have them authenticated by the Secretary of State's office and then send them (along with the already legalized proof of retirement) for legalization by the Brazilian consulate that serves my state, along with the application forms and photos.

The fees are not exorbitant. There's a US$100 reciprocity fee (applicable to U.S. applicants), a US$200 visa fee, and a US$10 handling fee for a mailed-in application. In addition, there is a fee of US$20 for EACH document that has to be "legalized" by the consulate. Policies seem to vary from consulate to consulate, but ALL of them accept U.S. POSTAL SERVICE money orders, made out to the Consulate General of Brazil (or Brazilian Embassy in the case of D.C.) in the exact amount of the fees. They don't take cash or personal checks, and some won't take cashier or certified checks, or bank-issued money-orders. They also require that you use the U.S. Postal Service to mail documents, and to use U.S. Postal Service pre-paid envelopes for returning documents or your passport. They don't accept FedEx or other private courier companies.

As you can see, the process can be somewhat lengthy and frustrating, especially if you have to obtain documents from out of your area because you then have to send them for authentication where they were notarized, and then to the Brazilian consulate for that jurisdiction to be legalized BEFORE you can send everything in to the consulate that will actually handle the application. Once the application is received, it's supposed to take about 2 months for it to be approved. So factor all of this into your plans if you decide to do this!

I'm currently waiting to receive the proof of my retirement (it's taken almost 4 weeks just to get it from the U.S. government -- it was supposed to have been prepared, notarized and mailed from D.C. this past week but it hasn't yet arrived). Then I have to mail it back to D.C. for authentication (which supposedly has a 5-day turnaround time) and then to the Brazilian Embassy for legalization (another 5 day turnaround time). I'll report in future posts how the process goes along, play-by-play, until I have the visa, return to Brazil, and obtain my R.N.E. Wish me luck!

"Once you receive the visa, you must enter Brazil within 90 days of the date of issuance. After you arrive in Brazil, you take your passport and visa to the Policia Federal to obtain your R.N.E., which is Brazil's equivalent of a U.S. "green card." You are required to have your R.N.E. with you at all times in Brazil, just as Brazilian citizens have to carry their R.G. identity cards at all times. When you have the R.N.E. you can use that as identity each time you enter Brazil and can use the lines for Brazilians at immigration when you enter the country."

_____________________________________________________________________

The above extract is similar to what my attorney advised me in connection with my application for a permanent visa. However, my attorney (who was born in Brazil, speaks Portuguese and practices immigration law in the United States) told me that once I enter Brazil with the new visa, I CANNOT leave Brazil until I receive "the identity document that should arrive before 90 days after my appearance at the federal police - - - but it could take longer than 90 days." My attorney also told me that his office has handled a few cases where the applicant has waited more than nine months for the identity document to arrive.

Waiting a long time for the identity document is not a difficult thing for most people, especially while waiting in Brazil. However, I have business ventures in various parts of the world that require my presence at least every two or three months. As a result of my attorney advising me that I cannot leave Brazil until I receive the identity document (or suffer the consequence of having to reapply for a new permanent visa) I have deferred submitting all the necessary papers to the local Brazilian Consulate.

Does anyone out here know of a legal method to insure that the wait for the identity document will not exceed 90 days? My attorney attempted to assuage my concerns by stating I would "probably" get the identity document within a 90-day period (but there is no guaranty).

It is hard to believe that all efforts to obtain the permanent visa will be forfeited in the event of a departure from Brazil prior to receipt of an identity document.  Yes, getting a permanent visa is difficult, to say the least.   

Has anyone else attempted to obtain a permanent visa and encountered this caveat?

On the face of it, I don't know why there would be any problem leaving and then re-entering Brazil without an R.N.E. as long as you have a valid passport and a valid permanent residence visa that was used for first entry into Brazil within 90 days of issuance. The R.N.E. is a convenience for entering Brazil, and essential while you're in Brazil (as you're required to carry it at all times and produce it as necessary if you don't have your passport with you) but I don't know that it's a requirement for entry/exit. However, to avoid a bureaucratic catastrophe, I would suggest contacting the Brazilian consulate for additional information about this, or the Polícia Federal if you're in Brazil. You certainly wouldn't want to find that you've somehow invalidated your visa and have to start all over again!

I don't know how long it takes to get an R.N.E. once you apply for it (which I believe has to be done within 30 days from your initial arrival in Brazil). I know you can apply for it yourself at the Polícia Federal (in Rio, at their HQ on Praça Mauá.) Of course, you probably need to be able to speak Portuguese to apply for the R.N.E. yourself. Otherwise you may need to go through your attorney or a "despachante" (an "expediter" who handles a variety of bureaucratic tasks -- somewhat like a paralegal in the U.S. but not exactly). Despachantes cost extra, but they can often get bureaucratic processes speeded up, because they know all the procedural ins and outs and exactly who needs to be contacted to be sure a matter doesn't sit for ever in somebody's "in" box!

Hi Tri,

       I recall reading that one time you had to go to the police HQ to get your entry stamp extended because the one that you were given on entry into the country wasn't quite long enough to match the amount of time that you planned to stay.  In your initial post, you mentioned "all the recent hassles" with the Brazilian Federal police over length of stay on a tourist visa.  Have you had some hassles other than that one time????  From reading your post, getting a retirement visa sounds like a lot more hassle than a trip to the police station for an extension of an entry stamp, am I missing something here? Beachman 

Yes, I've been given less-than-90-day stays several times since last year. I've decided that I'd rather be able to stay in Brazil as long as I wish and not have to come and go based on the whims of the Polícia Federal. I gather this new policy of limiting stays is reprisal for similar limitations on Brazilian visitors to the U.S.

Getting an entry extension at the Polícia Federal isn't a huge deal, but it can eat up a couple of days. You have to sit and wait to apply and then get a website address from which you fill in and download a form. You have to take the filled in form to a bank to pay a fee and have the form stamped. You then have to return to the PF with the stamped form (and wait again) to get the actual extension. The bureaucracy for the retiree visa is kind of cumbersome, but I'll only have to do it once. I always intended to do it anyway, sometime -- Brazil is now my real home. But the PF managed to speed up my decision!

Just to clarify for would be users of this board, my vacations have always been for two weeks or less and the entry stamp that I have received at the airport has always been adequate for vacations of this length. 

Tri, as far as you know, is this entry stamp extension, just an issue for persons on extended vacations of more than a month?  I wouldn't want guys contemplating booking a vacation to Rio for a few weeks to be turned off by the thought of having the hassle of getting an entry stamp extension if that is not an issue for people booking vacations of a month or less. Beachman

I don't know the answer to your question. It seems to be an issue more for travelers who spend extended periods in Brazil, but travelers need to be aware that the immigration official has wide discretion and can limit your stay just because he doesn't like your looks, or even refuse you entry outright (although I haven't heard of that happening). The same is true, of course, of American immigration officials, who DO refuse people entry as well as limit their stays.

BTW, if you DO get a full 90-day entry upon arrival in Brazil and you need to extend it without leaving the country, the procedure I described above is the one you follow. Just don't wait until the 90th day, or you'll find yourself having problems!

Please refer to my initial post regarding my question relating to my desire for a Brazil permanent visa. Among other things, my attorney told me that once I report to the federal police in Brazil (within 30 days of my arrival in Brazil and within 90 days of being issued the permanent visa) I cannot leave Brazil until I receive my identification card. As a result of this information, I have deferred submission of my application for a permanent visa.

Today I spoke with the local Brazilian consulate who advised me that once the visa comes back from Brasilia and is issued to me, the local consulate office has no more jurisdiction over the visa and cannot answer my question concerning the possibility to leave Brazil prior to the issuance of the permanent visa identification card. I was told that I would have to ask that question to the federal police in Brazil.

A Brazilian friend of mine went to the federal police today to confirm what my attorney told me in connection with the requirement to stay in Brazil until the identification document is issued.

The employee at the front desk of the federal police confirmed to my friend that I have 30 days to register with the federal police after my arrival in Brazil. The employee also told my friend that the time required to get the actual identification card can take from "90 days to whatever." The employee also stated that when you register you will be given a "protocolo" which is a temporary card until the original card is received from Brasilia. The employee then stated that he did not know whether one can leave Brazil while waiting for the permanent identification card.

My friend was then sent to another office at the federal police where he asked the same question about leaving Brazil during the waiting period. The response from the second federal police employee was "Once you register with the federal police you may or may not be able to leave the country while you wait." She further stated she "couldnt give any specific information because each case if different and must be reviewed on a one-on-one basis, for example, the federal police will visit your residence to verify you actually live there and that is a certainty. If the federal police have already visited your residence but have not made a decision on their granting you permission to leave the country you could have a problem." The employee also told my friend that if my residence was already verified and my identification card had been approved but not yet received, I could apply to leave Brazil for compelling reasons but could not be away from Brazil for more than 30 days during the waiting period for my identification.

At learning the above information, I called my attorney who agreed with the information I received from my friend. However, my attorney again cautioned me that if I left during the waiting period, something could go wrong and I would have to "go back to square one and start the permanent visa process all over."

Does anyone out here have experience with the waiting period once a permanent visa is issued?

as you say, most folks waiting in the queue for the id card do so in-country - having finally received the coveted permanent visa stamp in their passport, and being liberated from the 180-day limit on their stays...

Thanks, guys, for these updates. As Marcos pointed out, it's often hard to get a straight, definitive answer about anything from a Brazilian bureaucrat. It probably demonstrates that Brazil may not be the right choice for a future home for anyone who doesn't have a high tolerance for ambiguity!

At this point, I'm still dealing with U.S. bureaucracy to get the documents I need to support my visa application as a retiree. It's been a month since I requested notarized proof of my retirement and it still hasn't arrived (but it's supposed to be "in the mail"). When I get to the point of actually arriving in Brazil as a permanent resident and applying for my identity document, I'll report back on what I learn in that phase of the process. But first I've just got to get the visa itself!

Well, I'm still swimming in the bureaucratic seas. After waiting for a month, I got the notarized proof of my retirement from OPM. It's been mailed back for authentication by the D.C. equivalent of a state Secretary of State's office. Then it'll have to be mailed to the Brazilian Embassy in D.C. for legalization, since the document originated and was authenticated in D.C. All of this is giving me Class A anxiety attacks because I can't help worrying that it'll get lost in all the handling.

Meanwhile, I was able to get all of the other documents required here in my home state. Not without some unpleasantness with Bank of America -- I needed a letter from them saying I'm a customer and that there's no problem transferring funds on a monthly basis to my bank in Brazil. Their bureaucracy is worse than the government's! Not only did the branch manager not have authority to write this 2 sentence letter, I had to request it through their customer service department. I got the letter today and it was complete garble; nothing like what I had requested. So I had to open an account at the credit union down the street, which was able to give me the letter on the spot and notarize a couple of other documents for me, to boot. Monday I plan to drive to the state capital to get the documents authenticated by the Secretary of State's office. Then I can just hang on to them until I get the other document legalized by the Brazilian Embassy and send everything, along with my visa application, to the Brazilian consulate. Since it has jurisdiction for this state, the consulate can also legalize the documents at the same time. That will save some extra steps and anxiety attacks!

So, for anyone thinking of doing this, be sure to factor in the time (and nailbiting) involved in getting your documents together to submit with the application. Try to get as many of the documents you need from your home state or another that's also in the jurisdiction of that consulate so you can avoid or minimize the need to send documents for legalization by other Brazilian consulates. But it's not always possible.

Well, it's taken almost exactly 2 months, but today I finally got the proof of my retirement from Washington notarized, authenticated and "legalized" by the consular section of the Brazilian Embassy. Within an hour I e-mailed the application and all the other supporting documents (also notarized and authenticated) to the Brazilian Consulate in Houston.

According to their website, it could take up to 2 months to be approved. Wish me luck! But at least I feel I've ended one nervewracking phase (collecting the docs and mailing them back and forth to be stamped and sealed) and into the real process of having the application reviewed and approved. Please cross your fingers for me, folks!

The consulate received my appliction on Monday and today I received an e-mail confirming receipt, giving me a case number and the phone number of the consular official who will be handling the matter. So it seems that there's at least a modicum of organization, which is encouraging! Brazil is strange that way; some things work like Swiss watches and others don't function at all! I'm rooting for this to be the Swiss watch! More as it happens!

Hoping everything goes like clockwork.  Thanks for keeping us posted. Beachman

The consulate called me yesterday to advise that one item (the letter from my bank about being able to transfer funds) wasn't sufficiently clear and asked if I could send something more explicit, mentioning the $2000/mo. required as income. I just rewrote the letter, which the bank xeroxed onto its letterhead and signed and notarized again. Since it was the same notary I'd already had authenticated by the Secretary of State's office, it wasn't necessary to go through that step again. The consulate also asked that I send a money order to cover the costs of legalizing the documents that hadn't been, so far (US$20 per document). That was different from what it says on the website (and I explained that they should fix the website) which currently says that the consulate will advise the total costs (legalization and visa fees) at the time the visa is approved. It wasn't a problem sending them $80, but they need to be more clear in their instructions. I Express Mailed everything back to them, so they should have had it today.

The consular official said they'd be sending a diplomatic pouch to Brasilia next week so I wanted to be sure they had everything done in time to be sent ASAP. According to the official, the processing of the retiree visas is all done in the foreign ministry (Itamarati) and not the Polícia Federal. So that's one less bureaucracy that can gum things up. I'm checking with a friend in Brasília to see if we know anybody who can shepherd things through the process there. The application and requirements are really pretty straightforward, so I don't know what Brasília does with the applications other than maybe check to see if the applicants have Brazilian police records or owe taxes there. (Just guessing.)

So the novela continues. . . Thanks for the good wishes, guys! It's been kind of frustrating and stressful so far, trying to get documents issued and authenticated, etc. by mail, but I'm feeling more relaxed now that I know it's in the hands of the people who are really supposed to decide and issue the visa.

This afternoon I received an e-mail from the Brazilian Consulate in Houston advising that my retiree visa has been approved! Tomorrow I will Express Mail them my passport, a money order to cover the fees ($210.00) and a prepaid return envelope. After that, I will be an official permanent resident!

Next steps: Going to the Policia Federal within 30 days of arrival to start the process of getting my R.N.E. (Brazilian green card).

It feels like it's been a long wait because of all the time it took to get the basic documentation together to submit to the Consulate, but it's actually taken 6 weeks from the time I submitted everything to the Consulate.

Thanks to all of you for your support during this uncertain period! There have been some moments of high frustration, but it's all over now! It's official now! No more traveling every 90 days to beat the clock, no more short entries, no more counting 180 days. . .

Will report on what the procedures for getting the R.N.E. are after I've returned to Brazil, probably in a few weeks time.

CONGRATULATIONS TRI ! !  At long last you are a permanent resident of Mother Brasil.  Your journey in finding an apartment, taking a Brasilian lover, and now becoming a permanent resident has been an inspiration to many people.  I wish you and Clayton only health and happiness in this new chapter in your life. Mazal tov !

You've accomplished a great feat, and I send out my accolades and congratulations! I am indeed proud for you in being tenacious and aggressive in obtaining that for which you've yearned during the past five years that I have known you!

If you're in Rio in October, it is hoped that we perhaps can "do lunch" at a quaint restaurant.

Phase 1 is over -- today I got my passport back from the consulate with my permanent resident visa stamped into it! I should be back in Rio on Sept. 7 and can start Phase 2 -- getting my C.I.E. (Brazilian green card). Will report on what that process is like once I've had the pleasure myself!

Thanks again for all the kind words and encouragement, guys!

    Muitos congratulations, Tri.  I know that eventually, I will have to do the same thing.  I was going to get a 1 year student visa to continue studying portugues pra estrangeiros at PUC, but because of some health tests that I need to do in Oct., I decided to put it off until the Feb., 2007 semester.  But after that year, I´ll follow your suit.  If possible, could you keep a copy of the documents that you provided?  As you know, trying to figure out Brazilian red tape is very frustrating and the consulate officials in the US tend to be rather unpleasant and unhelpful.   I´m sure that I´ll be asking for your advice eventually.

   I´m in the process of buying an apartment and should finalize negotiations when I return in November.  As virtually everything (commercial), buying real estate in Brazil is a bit cumbersome and complicated.  But it will be worth it, I´m sure.  When I have a house warming, I´ll make sure you and your better half are invited.  Thanks for you past and continuing help.  (Tom)

For an appropriate emolument I would happily offer my services in assisting readers in obtaining a retirement visa.

Getting a Brazilian green card (actually, it's pink) is the next step once you're arrived in Brazil with a permanent visa. Arriving at the airport was problem free; it didn't take any longer than entering with a tourist visa. Until I have a Brazilian green card, I have to go through the line for foreigners. After I get the green card, I can go through the line for Brazilians, which is usually faster.

Within 30 days after arriving with your permanent visa you have to register at the Policia Federal HQ (in Rio at Praça Mauá). Lines can be long, but it was all pretty straightforward, at least for those who speak Portuguese. If you don't, someone will have to go with you to help. On day 1 I got a form to fill out and instructions of what to bring when I returned. This included xeroxes of my passport front page and the visa page (with entry stamp) and proof of payment of two fees that came to just over R$100. You're given a website address where you can fill in and download the forms necessary to pay the fees. You also need to bring in 2 3x4cm photos. When you come back on Day 2 with the proof of payment of the fees and the filled out form you wait again (less if you're 60 or over and take advantage of the senior citizen line). Once you're at the window it takes about 10 minutes. You then have to get fingerprinted (at a different window). Once you've done that and returned the form to the window you're given a temporary form (with one of the pictures on it) to serve as your ID until the permanent card arrives. (I would suggest paper-clipping it into your passport at the visa page.) It can take nearly 6 months for the permanent card to arrive, apparently, and there's a website where you can check to find out if the card is ready by typing in the number on the sticker on the temporary ID. When it says the card is ready you have 30 days from being notified to pick up your card. Nobody else can pick up the card for you, even if you've given someone a power-of-attorney (procuração). And that's it. Hope this helps anyone planning to apply!

The saga is over.  I picked up my ID card this week at the Policia Federal in Praça Mauá.  I arrived early and had very good luck -- there were only two people in line ahead of me and there was hardly any wait at all.  My card had been expedited (slightly) by the fact that a friend helped me call Brasilia regularly to find out the status of the card.  I understood from the clerk at the PF that it's ordinarily taking 10 months for the cards to be delivered.  Mine didn't take much less than that, actually. 

I don't know if after my return to the U.S. (described in another post in this forum) I will actually live in Brazil again, but to keep the permanent status I just have to be in Brazil at least once every two years and that's easy enough to do.  Who knows, the cycle may eventually shift and Brazil may once again be a bargain for those with dollars.  But right now it doesn't look that way, and it could be a long wait for the exchange rate to become favorable again.  Still, I think it was all worth the effort.  And I'm glad I've been able to share the experience with those of you contemplating a similar move.  All in all, the process of getting the retirement visa wasn't really difficult, just lengthy and at times frustrating.  But eventually the wheels of Brazilian bureaucracy moved and the process was completed.  So it can be done! 

PARABENS TRI!!! You have realized the ultimate dream for many of us.

Hopefully this site will play a FINANCIAL role in assisting you, whenever you are ready, to live here year round or however long you wish.

Most of us here remain forever in your debt for all of your sagely advice over the years, on this site, and elsewhere, and I´m sure we would ALL like to do our part and do all we can to support this site.

Many of us residents here miss your physical presence here, and those in cyberspace should think twice about the void they would face if this site closed down.

Please do not be bashful!

Parabens Tambem (Congratulations as well) Tri!!!

Marcos, thanks for your kind words in support of the site and Tri's contributions.  I, as well, have learned a lot from Tri, and he has been invaluable for helping to keep many of out of harm's way, providing information about virtually every aspect of visiting Brazil, and basically looking out for us all so that we have the best time possible in Brazil.  This site would certainly have never existed without his tireless contributions.

We've been able to book a steady stream of travel for some great friends that actually go out of their way to book travel through the site and it does help to keep the lights on.  But, unfortunately it's not enough to provide a steady income to anyone, including Tri.

Yes, the value of dollar continues to drop and GTB, that relies on travel bookings for revenue, continues to suffer the consequences.

But, I think I can speak for Tri in saying that brighter days are hopefully coming and all of your contributions in the way of your posts and considering us for your travel arrangements are greatly appreciated.

Hopefully, I can find more time soon to contribute to make the site more successful as well.

- Drey

This is an update on applying for a 5 year, pensionist visa as described by Trilingual.

With the help of Tri and a visa agency, I applied for my permanent visa.  Because I didn't carefully read everything that Tri described, I was delayed 2 months in getting a notarized letter from my bank which was acceptable to the LA consulate.  However at the end of February, the consulate accepted my application.  The embassy website says that the application process takes up to 3 months, however, I finally received notification of the approval of the visa after 5 1/2 months.  So far, so good despite the length of time.

Parabens and may you enjoy many years of happiness without the nagging tourist visa issue. 

IN keeping with this thread  you should be aware that the office of the police federal was moved to the airport in last January. There were renovations being done at the old offices in the city. Does anyone know if they have been moved back to the city or are they still at the GIG (international airport), Extension of my touist visa for an additional 90 days was simple. Thry had everything there including banks to pay the transaction tax which was minimal and should be done first   with the tax receipt being handed in with the application. Something all of those not having perminent visa should know......if you stay past the 90 days there is a 2R tax per day. So if you are denied an extension and do not want to leave the country for three days and return.....you can always pay the sum of the daily tax when you leave. Anyone remaing longer than 180 days is considered an illegal alien.

Thanks for the information, LInguister, and I have a friend that stayed the full six months.  So I now know how he was allowed to do that, without leaving and re-entering after 90 days.  He did say he had to pay a fee to stay in the country.

Can't answer your question about the Polícia Federal, but I'll try to check for you next month when I return, if no one responds.

- Drey

The Policia Federal still has offices in Centro on Avenida Presidente Carlos.  I went there as it is located quite near the Praca XV.  However, they do not handle tourist matters there.  They referred me to their offices on the Praca Maua.  But I know those were being renovated.

I investigated further and was told that all tourism matters are handled out at the airport in Terminal 1- the one where American Airlines is located, on the top floor, way down on the northern end past the restaurant and food court.   Try to give yourself at least an hour there, as the lines can be horrendous.  Before going, you can do most of the work on line.  Printing out the application from the internet, paying the fee at Banco do Brasil, etc. This was in the beginning of April, just over four months ago.

This is the next installment of my permanent visa saga.  While I was back in Brazil on my tourist visa, I was notified by my visa agency that the consulate had my permanent visa ready.  Rather than returning (which would have been the kosher, but expensive thing to do), I fedexed my passport back to the agency.  After the consulate put in my new visa (and cancelled my tourist visa), my agency fedexed my passport back to me.  It was a little scary being without my passport, but all turned out ok. I then went back to the US as I had previously intended to do and returned to Brazil within 90 days of the issuing of the visa.

 The next month, I went to terminal 1of Galeão where the division of the Federal Police handling all issues for foreigners is located.  I got a list of the items I needed for my CIE (Cédula de Identidade de Estrangeiro).  The only thing I didn’t have was payment of the 2 fees.  The clerk explained to me that I had to go to the FP website and then click on the GRU -Guia de Recolhimento da União. He gave me the codes to use to pull up the correct payment forms.  (One note, if you ever register for a CIE, don’t throw away the protocolo that you receive.  The fee for a 2^nd protocolo for a CIE is cheaper if you don’t loose the first.)  

The next day I returned after having paid the 2 fees.  The only thing that concerned me was the fact that on the page next to my new permanent visa was the stamp of my exit from Brazil (after the issuance of the visa) and the stamp of my reentry.  The officer asked my about that, but didn’t seem too concerned.  He asked my why I wanted to be a resident of Brazil and I indicated that I had a Brazilian “companheira”.  (I figured discretion was wise.)  In fact he was very nice.  After hearing that I had been a lawyer, he was very interested in talking about Obama and how the police system in the US worked.  I received a new protocolo and now have to wait for my CIE to arrive.  There’s a place at the FP website where I can check to see when it arrives.  

I believe that I will officially declare myself a Brazilian resident as of 2009.   I want to do everything to be legal here if I should choose to naturalize in 2 or 3 years as a result of my relationship.  (I already have a good lawyer to help me in this process.) Thus my next step will be to consult with an accountant regarding taxes.  Does anyone on the Forum know of an accountant in Rio that they could recommend who can give me counsel and help in preparing my Brazilian and US taxes?  Thanks.

What the heck does emolument mean?  That's definitely a 10 dollar word.  Is that like ointment for your butt.

Isn't that the stuff Cameron Diaz had in her hair in "There's Something About Mary" Mary?  Oops!  Like Arnold always said in Different Strokes,"Who you calling Mary, Mary?"

My apologies to you, v ers7.  I thought the same thing when I viewed Tri's 20 Real word. After I did my flip response  I thought that I should thank you instead for your very informative post and wish you all the best as I seem to be planning my own entrance to Brasil in 2009/10, if everything continues to go as planned. Your post explained alot of the things.  I know as well that the PF and RF can be quite trying.  I have had hours of crap with different employees at the Receita Federal on Avenida Presidente Antonio Carlos.  I always want to add - Tom Jobim - to that, for some reason. My ecperience with the PF at Galleao last April was not very nice. Can I say horrid?  In any event, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.  Wierd things can happen certainly happen. I myself never receive the mail from my bank.  I get Telemar, Embratel, Light and notices from my bank in RJ, but never my extratos.  So, so strange. If I had a recommendation for a good lawyer who was also reasonably priced, I would pass it on. I have a friend who is a retired accountant, knows everything and charges very little, if that might help? Best wishes that things continue to progress!  

I went to the lawyers who work with the gay rights grupo arco-iris (http://arco-iris.org.br/).  The website of their office is http://www.lradvocatio.net/   The only problem is that I don’t know if they speak English.  I suspect not.  But I and my partner have consulted them on several issues and will use them for my future immigration concerns.  We both like them a lot and thought their fees reasonable (unlike 2 other encounters I had with Brazilian lawyers).

Oi! Tell me about it.  One lawyer I spoke with wanted 3000 Reais to help process and file the papers with the government for a Civil Union.  I took a pass.

First of all, I've been reading this board for many years (although I rarely post) and would like to express my appreciation on how helpful it has been for my Brasilian travels. On permanent visas, what happens when your passport expires? Do you just keep the old passport? Also, I was wondering about the $2000 / month requirement. Do you have to actually setup the transfer or just get a letter saying that the transfer is possible? I definitely would want and need a brazilian bank account, but am thinking that it might wouldn't be that difficult to also use my US ATM card and credit cards. I'm thinking of splitting my time between Brasil and the states; and am more interested in the permanent visa so I don't have to worry about the hassle of the 90 / 180 limit for stays. Also, I read the posts regarding tax implications for US residents to have a permanent visa, but they are a few years old. Looks like if you get a permanent visa, you need to pay taxes in brasil on your worldwide income. Are things more or less still the same? Thanks!

You keep your old passport when it expires and use it along with your new passport to enter and leave Brazil. You have to get a notarized letter from your bank saying that there is no restriction on your transferring at least $2000 of your retirement income to Brazil. Then you have to get the notarized letter authenticated by your state's Secretary of State or whoever licenses notaries where you live. (All your documents have to be notarized and authenticated.) In theory you are liable for Brazilian taxation on your worldwide income once you become a permanent resident, but in practice things may not be quite the same. Perhaps some other expats who are regular readers would like to comment on how they're managing with taxes in Brazil?