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Student Visa for Brazil
There are two ways to get your student visa for Brazil. You can either apply for a Brazilian university or register for Portuguese classes at a language school in Brazil. As universities are much more expensive, learning Portuguese in a relaxed environment where you will meet other travelers like you is for sure a more attractive option.
It is important to notice that if you stay in Brazil for less than 3 months, you can study Portuguese under your tourist visa. There is no problem with that and you do not need to worry about the bureaucratic process.
However, if you are planning on staying in Brazil for a longer period, you need to apply for a student visa with the Brazilian embassy or consulate in your country of origin.
Before checking out what documents you need to get your student visa for Brazil, make sure you plan your trip ahead so you have enough time.
How to get your student visa for Brazil with Caminhos Language Centre
STEP 1. Look up the Embassy of Brazil (or Brazilian Consulate) in your country and find out the requirements for obtaining a Student Visa for Brazil. Every country is different and has different paperwork requirements.
STEP 2. Choose your Student Visa package. You can choose between a 6-month or a 1-year plan.
STEP 3. Book your course and make your payment. Caminhos require full payment before releasing the notarized documents.
STEP 4. Caminhos staff will organize the following documents and send them to you via DHL with a tracking number:
- Invitation/acceptance letter
- Business permit (“Alvará de Funcionamento”)
STEP 5. Once you receive your documents, you will need to visit the Embassy of Brazil in your country. Please make sure you read the information on their website properly and prepare all of the documents prior to your appointment. Every Embassy is different, but here is a list of the most common documents you are likely to need:
- Passport: must be valid for your length of stay in Brazil, with at least one blank double page for the Brazilian visa.
- Two recent passport photos.
- Birth certificate.
- Application form and receipts of taxes paid.
- Full police check certificate (some countries require full fingerprint police check).
- A personal declaration that you have had no criminal offenses over the past 5 years.
- Evidence of sufficient bank funds: it can be a copy of your bank account statement.
- Caminhos’ invitation/acceptance letter.
- Caminhos’ business license (Alvará de Funcionamento).
Arriving in Brazil
Once you arrive in Brazil and go through immigration, you will be told that you have 90 days to register with the Federal Police of Brazil (Polícia Federal). Caminhos can also help with that and give you all the information and support you need once you are here. Do not worry.
Changing from tourist visa to student visa
If you are in Brazil under a tourist visa, it is also possible to change it to a student visa for Brazil. Caminhos will arrange the documents needed very quickly. You just need to enroll in classes and make the payment. With all documents in hand, you will just need to pay a visit to the Federal Police.
Please contact Caminhos if you need further information on how to change from a tourist visa to a student visa while already in Brazil.
Extending your student visa for Brazil
If your student visa is about to expire and you want to stay in Brazil for longer, it is possible to extend your student visa for Brazil.
STEP 1. Double-check the documents you need as the federal police are always changing the requirements. Here is a list of the most common documents you are likely to need:
- Your current RNE or RNM (Brazilian ID registration for foreigners).
- Your original passport and a few copies of all pages that have been used.
- Two recent passport photos.
- Application form.
- Paid tax form.
- Current police check.
- Details of any children you might be responsible for in Brazil.
- Caminhos documents: invitation/acceptance letter and business permit.
- Your grades. We will provide this along with the invitation/acceptance letter.
- Proof and declaration of founds. Printout of bank account along with a self-statement saying that you have adequate funds to cover your stay in Brazil.
- Proof of residence in Brazil.
STEP 2. Book an appointment with the Feral Police of Brazil.
STEP 3. As your student visa for Brazil is under analysis, you will have a protocol to prove it. The Policia Federal will issue you a new temporary document with your ID.
STEP 4. Your new RNE or RNM will be ready with your new visa expiration date.
Caminhos’ student visa package
Here is what you get when you apply for a student visa package with Caminhos Language Centre:
6-months student visa for Brazil:
- Intensive Portuguese group classes: 16 weeks
- Free after-class activities
- Material (Caminhos’ workbooks and grammar books)
- Visa documents
- Express delivery through DHL
1-year student visa for Brazil:
- Intensive Portuguese group classes: 16 weeks
- Caminhos Talk conversation course: 16 weeks
- One-on-One private classes: 16 hours
- Free after-class activities
- Material (Caminhos’ workbooks and grammar books)
- Visa documents
- Express delivery through DHL
You can also take a few days of holidays whenever you want during the period of your student visa. If you want to take a few days off to visit other places in Brazil, just make sure to advise Caminhos in advance and let us know when you are coming back for classes.
Caminhos can always help you if you have any questions. Do not hesitate to contact us whenever you need more details on Student Visa for Brazil.
Buenos días, me gustaría tener información con respecto al Cambio de visa de turista a visa de estudiante. Muchas gracias por la información
Oi Edwin. Nuestro equipo de recepción le enviará un correo electrónico.
Buenas tardes,
¿Se puede entrar a Brasil con visado de estudiante dos semanas antes de la fecha oficial del comienzo del curso en Caminhos?
Sim. Mas depende do início do seu visto. Precisa já estar com visto aprovado.
Amanda, Do you have a school in Florianopolis or a sister-school to recommend for an American to apply for a student Visa? Obrigado
Hi Cal, unfortunately, we only operate in Rio de Janeiro, and remotely with online classes. We do not have any partnership with other schools in Brazil. For more information, please contact us at info@caminhosbrasil.com
Oi, Amanda. Por favor, você poderia me ajudar com uma dúvida em relação a impostos para estudantes no Brasil?
Tenho um amigo que está no Brasil desde maio de 2019 com visto temporário de estudante. Ele quer mandar trazer um novo computador dos Estados Unidos, já que para comprá-lo Brasil o preço é muito maior, porém gostaria de saber se, nesse caso, poderia ter isenção de impostos. Quando ele trouxe seus pertences na mudança para o Brasil, teve isenção. Porém não sabe se ainda é possível.
Agradeço se puder ajudar a esclarecer.
Obrigada!
Se ele trouxer apenas um, fora da caixa e como uso pessoal, não terá problemas. Caso contrário, pode ser taxado sim.
Hola! Escribo porque estoy interesada en ir a Brasil durante un año y conseguir una visa de estudiante. He visto que ofrecen cursos de portugués y ayudan a tramitar la visa de estudiante. ¿Podrían darme más información? Muchas gracias 🙂
Oi, nossa equipe vai enviar um e-mail para você.
Amanda,
I am in Brazil on a tourist visa. I would like to participate in Caminho’s Intensive Portuguese Group Course but my visa expires in 3 weeks. Will I be allowed to convert my Brazilian visitor visa to a student visa by enrolling in the 16 weeks Intensive Portuguese group class?
Sandy
Hi Sandy. I will send your email to our reception team so they can better assist you with this situation. I don’t know if three weeks is enough to change the visa, but they will help you with all information you may need.
Hello, I would like some more information on how to sign up for classes. I am on a tourist visa that expires soon and I would like to stay longer to better my Portuguese.
Thank you,
Madison
Hi Madison, someone from our reception team will contact you through the email provided to give you more information.
Oi Amanda, meu namorado é americano e tá morando comigo aqui no Brasil , mas ele fica nesse vai e vem de lá pra cá, e estávamos pensando em um visto de estudante, só que moramos em Florianópolis. Seria possível ele ingressar nesse curso intensivo on-line e conseguir trocar o visto para o estudantil?
Oi Natália, infelizmente um dos requisitos para o visto de estudante é que as aulas sejam presenciais. Isso é algo que o governo brasileiro cobra na carta que enviamos dizendo que o aluno está matriculado nas aulas.
Tenho uma sobrinha que virá da Espanha e gostaria de estudar português. No momento ela virá com o visto de turista, caso ela precise mudar o status do visto para estudante, quanto tempo isso levará nos dias de hoje?
Oi Homero. Depende mais de conseguir todos os documentos do que o processo em si. Para trocar de visto de turista para visto de estudante, ela precisará da certidão de nascimento original com tradução juramentada (geralmente as pessoas precisam que alguém envie esse documento de seu país natal para o Brasil), conseguir um ‘nada consta’ policial do país de origem também com tradução juramentada, entre outros documentos como comprovante de residência, cópia do passaporte, etc. Essa é a parte mais demorada. Depois disso, é só estar registrado em um curso de português ou em alguma universidade e ir na polícia federal. Com todos os documentos prontos, é muito rápido. Então sugiro que ela já traga a certidão de nascimento e o ‘nada consta’ da Espanha quando vier para o Brasil que vai ser mais rápido caso ela decida ficar. Se você precisar de mais informações, pode enviar um e-mail para info@caminhosbrasil.com e nossa equipe te ajudará com mais detalhes.
I am in Brazil on a tourist visa. I would like to participate in Caminho’s Intensive Portuguese Group Course but my visa expires in 1!week. Will I be allowed to convert my Brazilian visitor visa to a student visa by enrolling in the 16 weeks Intensive Portuguese group class?
Hi Imnael, someone from our team will contact you as soon as possible through the email provided. If this is not your correct email, please send us a message to info@caminhosbrasil.com
I’m heading to Brazil in a few weeks on a Tourist Visa and will apply to extend my stay to 6 months.
I intend to leave Brazil thereafter and would like to return again on a Student Visa.
My questions are given that Tourists can only stay (depending on their Country of origin and successful visa extension) maximum 180 days in any 12 month period:
1) Does that mean I would only be able to obtain a Student Visa 6 months later (having stayed for 180 days on a tourist visa)
2) If a student visa was available right after returning would its length be limited to 6 months given 180 days prior on a Tourist Visa? I’d be aiming to do intensive Portuguese classes on a 1yr student visa.
Thanks in advance for your advice.
Hi, if the email provided in this comment is valid, we will respond you through that. Thanks for contacting us.
Hi, if I get the student visa, can I come in Brasil before the course starts? If so, for how long before I can come?
Around 2 weeks before.
Hola, mi nombre es Derline, me gustaría hacer una maestría en finanzas en Brasil. Por favor usted puede darme algunas informaciones para poder obtener una visa estudiante? Muchas gracias .
Debe estar inscrito en una escuela formal para obtener los documentos necesarios para solicitar una visa de estudiante. Puedes apuntarte a clases de portugués en una escuela de idiomas o en la universidad donde vas a hacer tu maestría.