Visa

Applying for the Brazilian Student Visa and CPF

Click here for complete visa application and appointment instructions.

In order to study in Brazil, you must be granted a student visa from within your home country, or the US (if different). The first step is registering you at your chosen university in Brazil, which you’ve done or will soon do.

Next, the university issues your contrato de estudios. This takes time. Only upon receipt of this very official looking paper can you begin to apply for your student visa for Brazil. The letter will be available on your student portal—the same place where you uploaded documents at the Brazilian university (not the Middlebury portal where you applied to go to Brazil). You should print this to a pdf and upload it to the application site. Also take a hard copy with you to Brazil.

In the meantime, you should look at your consulate’s website and make sure that you understand all of their requirements and begin gathering documentation. You may not apply at any consulate you wish, but only at one whose jurisdiction covers either your home or your school address. Check here to see which one(s) applies: https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/consulado-washington/jurisdicao

Here are the links to your consulates’ requirements. Follow the directions for “Vitem IV Students or Interns” and you’ll also need the requirements for Eligibility 3-Study Exchange:

Atlanta: www.portalconsular.mre.gov.br
Boston: https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/consulado-boston/visa | Study visa requirements here
Chicago: http://chicago.itamaraty.gov.br/en-us/visas.xml | Study visa requirements here
Hartford: http://hartford.itamaraty.gov.br/en-us/visas_-_general_requirements.xml 
Houston: http://houston.itamaraty.gov.br/en-us/vitem_iv_%28student_and_intern%29.xml  
Los Angeles: http://losangeles.itamaraty.gov.br/en-us/other_types_of_visa.xml
Miami: http://miami.itamaraty.gov.br/en-us/visas_general_information.xml
New York: http://novayork.itamaraty.gov.br/en-us/other_types_of_visa.xml#Temporary
Orlando: https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/vice-consulado-orlando
San Francisco: http://saofrancisco.itamaraty.gov.br
Washington DC: http://www.consbrasdc.org

**Ask your consulate if you can apply for your CPF at the same time you apply for your visa. If you can get this done before going to Brazil, you’ll have the number (it’s like a Brazilian social security number) that you’ll need for your bus pass, student card, dining hall pass, buying tickets on-line, and signing up for sports programs.