A new phase in the digitalization of immigration procedures is getting underway in Brazil.
In an announcement published on August 28, 2026, the Brazilian Embassy in Lima said that, starting September 1, 2026, temporary visas (VITEM) for nationals exempt from visitor visa requirements (VIVIS) are to be issued electronically.
The measure is intended to apply across Brazil’s consular network to nationals of countries exempt from VIVIS requirements and does not appear to be limited to applications submitted in Peru.
The change does not affect the rules governing short tourist or business trips. Rather, it applies to travelers who, despite being exempt from a visitor visa, need a temporary visa for another purpose, including studying, working, joining a family member, investing, carrying out certain professional activities, or temporarily residing in Brazil as a digital nomad.
Many European and Asian nationals are covered
The measure applies to nationals of countries that benefit from a visitor visa exemption (VIVIS) for travel to Brazil.
Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs maintains a general visa regime table for foreign nationals, which identifies the nationalities benefiting from the exemption.
Nationals of the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland are among those covered, along with nationals of several Latin American and Asian countries, including Japan and South Korea.
For a British traveler, for example, nothing changes for a tourist or business trip that falls within the VIVIS exemption rules. However, when the purpose of the stay requires a VITEM temporary visa, that document is expected to be issued electronically under the new system.
Brazilian law provides for temporary visas covering purposes including research and teaching, study, employment, religious activities, volunteer work, investment, family reunification, and certain artistic and sports activities. VITEM XIV also covers, under the relevant regulations, categories such as digital nomads.
Nationals of the US, Canada and Australia, however, are in a different situation. Since April 10, 2025, they have no longer been exempt from VIVIS requirements and must obtain an e-Visa for visits to Brazil. The new measure announced on August 28 specifically targets nationalities that remain exempt from VIVIS requirements.
Applications processed electronically through the Sistema Consular Integrado
The new process relies on the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Sistema Consular Integrado (SCI), which is already used to register and process visa applications.
Applicants must complete their form through the Sistema Consular Integrado (SCI) and electronically submit the supporting documents required for the relevant VITEM category.
Once approved, the new system provides for the visa to be issued electronically, without a consular visa sticker being placed in the passport. The electronic document should therefore be able to be sent directly to the applicant, including to the email address provided in the application.
Brazil already uses this model for other electronic visa procedures. Under an electronic VITEM scheme introduced in 2025, for example, the visa is issued as a PDF containing a QR code and sent to the beneficiary by email.
Passport submission should no longer be required in most cases
This is likely to be the most tangible consequence of the change.
Under the new system, physically submitting a passport solely so that a visa can be affixed to it should no longer be necessary. Applicants should therefore, in principle, no longer have to hand over their passport to a consulate and wait for it to be returned after the VITEM has been issued.
This possibility was already provided for under Article 26 of Brazilian Decree No. 9,199 of November 20, 2017. The provision states that a visa may be applied for and issued electronically, without the corresponding consular visa sticker being placed in the travel document.
It also allows the application form and required documents to be submitted electronically and visa processing fees to be paid as part of the procedure.
Digitalization does not, however, mean that an applicant can never be required to appear at a consulate.
The same provision expressly allows consular authorities to request original documents when clarification is needed, require additional supporting evidence, or call the applicant for an interview. Such steps should therefore become exceptions linked to the examination of a particular case rather than a routine requirement associated with physically issuing the visa.
VITEM eligibility requirements remain unchanged
The reform primarily concerns the consular process and the way the visa is issued, rather than the eligibility requirements for obtaining one.
The documents required for each VITEM category therefore remain applicable, as do any translation, apostille or legalization requirements and the corresponding consular fees.
For certain visas, particularly those linked to employment, applicants may still need to obtain prior residence authorization from the Brazilian authorities.
Brazil’s Federal Police explains that this prior authorization applies to certain temporary visa categories. The application is then handled beforehand through the MigranteWeb system before the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the relevant consular post can proceed with visa issuance.
Digitalizing the VITEM therefore does not eliminate this step when it is required under Brazilian regulations.
Likewise, after arriving in Brazil, temporary visa holders who are subject to the requirement must still register with the Federal Police.
September 1 has passed, but consulates are still displaying the old procedures
Although the announced start date for the new system was September 1, 2026, its operational rollout across Brazil’s consular network still appears to be underway.
As of September 2, 2026, VisasNews has not identified, among the Brazilian consular posts reviewed, any instructions clearly presenting the new electronic VITEM process as fully operational.
At Brazilian consular posts in North America, the published VITEM instructions also still reflect the previous process.
In New York, the Consulate General of Brazil’s current temporary visa (VITEM) instructions state that visa applications must be scheduled through the e-Consular platform and that all visa applications must still be submitted in person.
In Canada, the Consulate General of Brazil in Montreal likewise continues to instruct applicants to first submit their request through e-Consular and, once the file has been validated, to send their paper documents to the Consulate. Its current VITEM guidance still includes separate steps for submitting physical documents and subsequently retrieving them after processing.
The situation is similar elsewhere in Europe.
In Paris, the e-Consular portal of the Consulate General of Brazil still states that once supporting documents have been uploaded and electronically validated, applicants receive either appointment options by email or, depending on the service requested, instructions for sending documents by mail. When an appointment is required, the originals of previously uploaded documents must still be presented.
In London, the instructions for the VITEM I still state that the application must be submitted in person and that original documents must be brought to the consulate.
In Barcelona, the Consulate General of Brazil continues to state that temporary visa applications are handled exclusively by mail and that the passport remains at the consulate throughout the process. Its page on the VITEM V work visa still explains that, after approval, the visa is placed in the passport before it is returned by mail.
In Geneva, instructions for the VITEM XIV for retirees and pensioners also continue to require applicants to send their passport and original documents.
In Porto, the procedure for the VITEM XIV for digital nomads still provides for pre-validation through e-Consular followed by an appointment at which original documents must be presented.
These pages may simply not have been updated yet. Nevertheless, they illustrate the current gap between the announced implementation date of the new system and its practical reflection in the instructions provided to applicants.
It also remains to be seen how individual consular posts will integrate the new SCI-based process and what instructions will be issued for applications submitted before September 1 that are still pending.
Until local procedures are updated, applicants should therefore check the instructions issued by the relevant Brazilian consulate before starting the process or sending in their passport.
VisasNews Take
The shift to electronic temporary visa issuance marks a significant change to Brazil’s consular system. For nationals exempt from visitor visa requirements, including British, French, Belgian, Swiss, Japanese and many other travelers, the process should now be handled electronically through the Sistema Consular Integrado and should no longer routinely require applicants to submit their passport for a visa sticker. The requirements specific to each VITEM category and any prior authorizations remain unchanged, however, and consulates retain the ability to request original documents or an interview. As of September 2, 2026, the practical rollout of the reform is not yet clearly reflected in the instructions published by the Brazilian consular posts reviewed by VisasNews, many of which continue to describe the previous procedures.
