BRAZIL: New Temporary Residence Status for Selected Non-Mercosur Countries

March 17, 2017


The National Immigration Council in Brazil has introduced a new temporary residence process for nationals of countries bordering Brazil which are not signatories to the Mercosur agreement, with immediate effect.

Who can benefit?

The new residence status applies to nationals of French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela who enter Brazil overland.

How does it work?

Temporary residence may be granted for a period of two years.

The procedure to obtain this new temporary residence status requires the foreign national to submit an application to the federal police, and is similar to the registration process for Mercosur nationals.

Background

The new policy aims to fulfil Brazil’s commitment to immigration policies that respect the human rights of migrants and their full access to justice, education and health, in the light of the movement of people from these frontier countries into the north of Brazil.

Mercosur is a full customs union and a trading bloc which comprises Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela (suspended December 2016). Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru are associate members, and Guyana and Suriname have signed a framework agreement with Mercosur.

Our advice

Overland travellers who are nationals of the countries in question should be sure to regularise their immigration status in Brazil by completing the new registration procedure.

For advice and information on Brazilian immigration, please email us at [email protected].