Study visa (VITEM IV)

Publicado em 13/07/2025 23h54 Atualizado em 22/10/2025 00h55

a) General rules

It is intended for foreign nationals travelling to Brazil to undertake the following activities: regular courses, study exchange or research exchange.

Regular courses comprise primary and secondary levels of education; undergraduate and postgraduate degrees (specialisation, master's, and doctor's degrees); technical and language courses. Regular courses must be offered by education institutions that hold a Corporate Taxpayer Identification Number (CNPJ).

Study or research exchanges involve the improvement of academic qualification by sharing knowledge and experiences within the academic environment, such as: participation in "sandwich" and university collaboration programmes, carrying out part of the master's / doctor's research, doing one's compulsory undergraduate / postgraduate study module abroad (commonly called "year abroad", often the third year).

Regular courses or study exchanges must have a minimum course load of 15 hours per week. Exceptional and duly justified cases with a weekly course load of less than 15 hours are subject to analysis and may be accepted at the migratory authority's discretion. A minimum course load for research exchanges is not required.

Foreign nationals travelling to Brazil for post-doctoral research / studies must apply for a VITEM I, not a VITEM IV, as they are classified as researchers, not students.

For studies or exchanges with duration of up to 90 days, the applicant must request a Visitor Visa (VIVIS). Hong Kong SAR passport holders are exempt from visitor visas (VIVIS); therefore, they do not need to obtain a visa if their studies last for up to 90 days. Other nationalities must check the visa requirements table.

Foreign nationals who are already in Brazil can apply for residence permit for the purposes of study / exchange directly with the Federal Police.

Student visa holders are permitted to undertake paid work, as long as the working hours are compatible with their course load. Details and clarifications must be requested to the Federal Police.

This type of visa authorises the applicant to study at a specific institution. If the student would like to switch to another institution, the Federal Police must be contacted.

b) Length & extension of stay

Validity period: up to 1 year.

Limit / expiry date until which the first entry in Brazil must take place – counted from the date of issue of the visa.

Initial period of stay: up to 1 year.

Initial period during which the individual is allowed to remain in Brazil – counted from the date of first entry in the country – that will be confirmed at the moment of residence registration with the Federal Police.

Residence period: up to 1 year.

Determined at the moment of residence registration with the Federal Police – indicates the effective period during which the foreigner will be allowed to reside in Brazil.

Extension of stay: the period of residence may be extended until the conclusion of the studies. In case an extension is necessary, the person concerned must contact the Federal Police before the end of the granted residence period.

c) Visa fees

Click here for information regarding visa fee values and how to pay them.

d) Lodging the application, processing times & visa collection

This type of visa must be requested in person by the applicant.

Click here to book an appointment, check the processing times and see how to collect the visa, if approved.

e) Required documents

Please note: the original documents listed below must be presented during the interview.

Documentation		Comments
1	Applicant's valid passport	Original passport signed by the applicant, with at least two contiguous blank pages left. ⚠️Please note that pages reserved for amendments cannot be used for visa purposes. Your passport must be in good condition in order to be accepted as a valid document. It must not be torn, wet, damp, stained, cut, punctured, excessively dirty etc. Adults must sign their passports. Passports of minors do not need to be signed. Very few countries have passports which do not require signature. Check your passport and make sure it is signed should there be a field for it.
2	One standard-sized passport photo (5 x 7 cm)	The photo must be recent, with white background. The printed photo and the photo uploaded on the online application form must be the same.
3	Visa application form	Must be filled in online (click here). Print and bring the visa request form teceipt (RER) to the appointment. It is very important to fill in the parents' full names, as displayed in the applicant's birth certificate. ⚠️Please note: the Consulate General will only accept applications in which the required documents listed on this table have been uploaded to the form. ⚠️Important: the Consulate General does not print the Visa Request Form Receipt (RER). If the applicant does not bring the printed RER, it will not be possible to submit the application.
4	Certificate of no criminal conviction (applicants aged over 18 years old)	In Hong Kong, certificates of no criminal conviction are issued by Hong Kong Police Force. For residents of Macao, please click here. Certificates are valid for up to 3 months from the date of issue. The document must have an official signature as well as a stamped or haut-relief seal of the HK Police Force. Printouts of computer-generated criminal records are not accepted. ⚠️Please note: if the applicant has lived in multiple countries within the last 12 months, a police check from each country of residence must be provided. They must also be duly legalised (contain an apostille) by the competent authority in the issuing country and, if necessary, translated by a certified translator. Both certificates are only valid for 3 months after issuance.
5	Copy of the return ticket	The applicant must submit either a booking confirmation (paid ticket or e-ticket) or a booking reservation (or letter from a travel agent on the applicant's behalf), containing the complete itinerary, flight numbers and arrival / departure dates.
6	Accomodation	Letter of accommodation details (host family). Letter must state full information of accommodation in Brazil.
7	Evidence of financial means compatible with the entire period of stay in Brazil or proof the applicant has been granted a scholarship / bursary	Recent evidence must be presented (from at least the last 3 months), such as bank and/or credit card statements containing sufficient funds, payslips, proof of student loan / financing. Students being financially supported by their families must submit a declaration signed by the sponsors, in addition to a copy of the identification pages of their passports and recent evidence of financial capacity.
8	Original letter from the university in Hong Kong or Macao	Applies only to higher education students. The document must attest the student is currently enrolled in higher education.
9	Letter from the Brazilian education institution to which the student will be linked	Original letter – the signature on the letter must be certified by a notary public ("tabelião") in Brazil. The signature authentication will not be necessary if the student is going to attend an undergraduate or postgraduate course at a public-funded (Federal or State) university. The document must: a) be presented on institution letterhead; b) declare that the applicant is duly enrolled or has been accepted into the intended course; c) inform the name of the course, duration, period (include activities' start and end dates), and weekly course load (for regular courses and study exchanges, it must be greater than or equal to 15 hours per week); d) inform that the course has been fully paid (if it is not free of charge) or that the student has been awarded a scholarship / bursary / maintenance grant. e) in the case of regular courses, include the corporate taxpayer identification number (CNPJ). f) inform the contact details (full name, telephone number, e-mail) of the person handling the student's admission into the Brazilian education institution.
10	Proof of residence in consular jurisdiction	Hong Kong Identity Card or Macau Identity Card.
11	Travel authorisation (only for applicants under 18 years old)	Authorisation signed by the parents / legal guardians in case of child or adolescent, as well as the details of the person who will be responsible for the minor in Brazil.

* Applicants willing to travel accompanied by their spouse / partner / children: click here to check their eligibility. If eligible, in addition to the above-mentioned items (1, 2, 3 and 5), the following documents must be presented:

Minor children (under 18 years old):

Original full birth certificate;
Visa consent: by signing the minor's visa request form receipt (RER) in person at the Consulate General, before the consular authority, the parents / legal guardians authorise the issue of the visa. In case one of the parts is unable to come to the Consulate General, the signature must be certified.

Spouse / partner:

Original marriage certificate (or equivalent) and/or full birth certificate of each child;
Certificate of no criminal conviction (item 4 of the table above).

If issued outside Hong Kong or Macao, the documents must be legalised (get an apostille) by the competent authority in the issuing country.

f) Registration with the Federal Police

Holders of this type of visa must register with the Federal Police within 90 days from first entry in Brazil. Contact the Federal Police directly (click here) to learn how to register.

The Consulate General anticipates that, among other documents, the applicant will have to present the visa application form (FPV) provided upon issue of the visa, as well as his/her original full birth certificate, containing the parents' full names. If the birth certificate is written in Chinese, translation into English will be required.

⚠️Please note: the certificate must be legalised (get an apostille) by the competent authority in the issuing country. Documents issued in the Hong Kong are legalised by the Judiciary of the Hong Kong SAR. After being legalised, the document will have to be translated into Portuguese by a sworn translator ("tradutor juramentado") in Brazil.

g) Family reunion

Applicants willing to take their spouse / partner / children / other dependants, please click here to check their eligibility. Dependants may be granted a family reunion visa (VITEM XI), bound to the primary VITEM IV application, thus subject to the same conditions (e.g. same length of stay etc.). Family applications may be lodged jointly or after the primary applicant’s VITEM IV has been issued.

If eligible, each applicant must submit the following documents:

Applicant	Documentation
Spouse	See family reunion visa (VITEM XI) on the grounds of marriage.
Partner	See family reunion visa (VITEM XI) on the grounds of stable union.
Children (son / daughter of any age)	Items 1, 2, 3, 4 (over 18s only) and 5 listed above. In this case, presenting the birth certificate is mandatory in order to attest the family relationship / level of kinship with the primary applicant. ⚠️Please note: if the dependant is under 18 years old, both parents / legal guardians must sign the child’s visa request form receipt (RER) before the consular authority.

h) Final remarks:

Consular fees:

⚠️Please be advised: the payment of the consular fee does not guarantee that the visa will be granted. The consular fee is required as part of the application analyses process and will not be reimbursed in case the visa is not granted or denied due to lack of documentation by the applicant or any other relevant reason that may prevent the visa from being granted during the application analyses process.

Results of submission of the documents on the e-consular platform

After submitting the required documents on the e-consular platform, the applicant will receive an email informing of the results. If approved, the applicant will be able to schedule an appointment to present the documents in person at the Consulate General. If not approved, the applicant will receive an email informing of further procedures to continue with the visa application.

Processing time may vary and will be determined by the consular authority.

Supporting documents may vary depending on the purpose of your trip.

The type of visa that applies to each case is determined by the consular authority, based on the information provided.

All documents should be written in English. Documents written in Chinese will not be accepted.

The documents listed above are not all-inclusive. Additional documentation may be requested at the consular authority's discretion.

For queries, contact us by e-mail: consular.hk@itamaraty.gov.br