A Brazilian passport lasts for ten years (issued in 2015 onwards) and once it expires, you will be forced to apply for a new Brazilian passport as a first time applicant. However, having had a Brazilian passport before, the process should not be far from memory and so you will certainly feel slightly more comfortable with the procedure. Let us look at what is involved in applying for a Brazilian passport.
Applying for a Brazilian Passport Online
Applying for a Brazilian passport is rather convenient because you can fill out a form online and then mail it to the Brazilian embassy or one of its consulates. The best thing to do in this case is to visit the consulate website for the Brazilian consulate nearest you. There are Brazilian consulates in:
- Boston
- Chicago
- Houston
- Los Angeles
- Miami
- New York
- San Francisco
Completing the Online Application Form
You can complete the Brazilian passport application form online. which you completed online, you will notice that there is a field for which you must paste one passport photograph into. Do not forget to sign in the other required field too.
Photo Requirements
You absolutely must paste in a photo that meets strict requirements. If your photo fails these conditions, your entire passport application will be rejected. See the below requirements for your passport photo:
- Photo must be recent to show your likeliness (six months old at most)
- Photo must be 2 inches squared in size
- Photo background must be white without shadows
- Applicant must face forward directly with open eyes and closed mouth. No smiling.
Proof of Nationality/Identity
You must present the original of one of the following documents with a photocopy or .
- Brazilian Identification Document: "Registro Geral - RG"; ou
- Brazilian birth certificate or Brazilian marriage certificate; ou
- Carteira nacional de habilitação expedida pelo DETRAN, com fotografia; ou
- Identification document from supervisory organ of profession.
Additional Items
Besides the application form and documents listed above, you must provide the following items.
- Your previously-issued Brazilian passport
- Proof of fulfillment of military obligation (for men age 19 to 45 only)
- Money order on behalf of the specific consulate in the amount of $120 (adults)/ $80 (children 4-17 years old)/ $40 (children under 4 years old)
- A return express mail envelope for delivery of your new passport
Brazilian Passports for Foreign Residents
Let us perform a quick re-cap of what is required to successfully apply for a Brazilian passport from the U.S
- Fill out the application form online. Print it, sign it and paste your passport photo onto it
- Make sure that your passport photo meets strict requirements
- Gather all the supporting documents that you need for your application and be sure that your copies are notarized
- Do not forget your money order!
- Remember to include an express mail return envelope
- Look up the address of the consulate that serves your jurisdiction. If none of them do, you will have to appear in person
- Send off your application!
Generally the process is pretty simple. By following the guidelines provided above, you should not encounter any problems. If you do, contact a consulate for assistance.
