Temporary protection: Brazil
🛰️ Varta monitors 8 official sources for this country — checked daily.
Legal basis: Migration Law No. 13.445/2017 + Interministerial Ordinance MJSP/MRE No. 60 of 30.12.2025 (unified acolhida humanitária framework, in force since 01.01.2026; revoked the "Ukrainian" Ordinance No. 50/2024) + Law No. 9.474/1997 (asylum/refúgio) • there is no single national date — refugee status has no expiry
Steps
- 1
Entry: 90 days visa-free
Ukrainians enter Brazil visa-free for up to 90 days (tourism/private purposes; visa waiver since 2011). The stay can be extended by another 90 days via the Polícia Federal without leaving. Have a return ticket, funds and an address.
📍 Any international airport💳 Entry free; extension — PF fee - 2
Choose your legal route
In Brazil by 31.12.2025 — apply for humanitarian residence under the transitional provisions of Ordinance 60/2025 (regardless of current status). Arrived in 2026 — main options: asylum (refúgio) via CONARE or residence on other grounds (work, study, family). New humanitarian visas are suspended until the government approves the country list.
📍 Advice: UNHCR/Cáritas or a lawyer⏰ Before your 90/180 days of legal stay end💳 Free - 3
Filing with the Polícia Federal (agendamento)
Fill in the electronic form at gov.br/pf, book an appointment (agendamento) and attend the PF unit with migrant services in your area in person. Humanitarian residence — a 2-year CRNM, later convertible to indefinite. Refúgio is filed free of charge; a protocol/DPRNM is issued while it is pending.
▸ More details›
Fees: refúgio — free; a CRNM issuance fee exists, but humanitarian categories have had exemptions — confirm when filing.📍 PF unit where you live⏰ By appointment; processing — up to 180 days💳 Refúgio free; CRNM — fee (exemptions possible) - 4
Get a CPF
The CPF is the tax number without which you cannot open a bank account, sign a contract or register with a doctor in Brazil. Issued free by the Receita Federal (online or in person, also at Banco do Brasil/Correios branches).
📍 Receita Federal / online⏰ Right after arrival💳 Free - 5
SUS and work
SUS healthcare is universal and free for everyone including migrants: get a Cartão SUS at the nearest clinic (UBS) with your CPF and proof of address. The CRNM or DPRNM grants work rights: register a digital work card (Carteira de Trabalho Digital) in the app.
📍 Local UBS / CTPS Digital app💳 Free - 6
School for children
Public schools are free; enrolment is guaranteed regardless of the child’s migration status. Contact the nearest school or the municipal education secretariat.
📍 Local school / Secretaria de Educação⏰ As soon as possible after arrival💳 Free
Documents
Foreign passport or another identity document
requiredFor visa-free entry — a valid passport (6+ months validity recommended). For residence/asylum applications the PF may accept other proof of identity — assessed case by case.
Polícia Federal electronic form
requiredCompleted online at gov.br/pf before the visit; then an in-person appointment (agendamento).
Proof of Ukrainian nationality / departure due to the war
requiredPassport, certificates, entry stamps. For transitional residence you must show presence in Brazil by 31.12.2025 (stamp, tickets, registrations).
Proof of address in Brazil
requiredLease, utility bill or a host declaration.
Children’s birth certificates
if availableWith translation; for the child’s CRNM and school enrolment.
Declaration of no criminal record
requiredStandard PF form signed at filing; a separate Ukrainian police certificate is usually not required for humanitarian grounds.
Ukrainian Embassies and Consulates
Map
Document samples and how to fill them
Full name in LATIN letters exactly as in the passport (no patronymic unless it appears in the passport).
Mother’s and father’s names — a mandatory field in Brazilian registers; transliterate into Latin letters.
Type and number of the document. If the passport is expired — state it; bring all documents you have to the appointment.
Your address with the CEP (postal code) — must match your proof of address.
For humanitarian residence — acolhida humanitária (Ordinance 60/2025, transitional provisions for those in Brazil by 31.12.2025).
After submitting, book an appointment at a PF unit; print the protocol and bring it with all originals.
❌ Name transliteration differing from the passport ❌ Empty filiação field (parents’ names are mandatory) ❌ Arriving without the e-form protocol or originals ❌ Missing the CRNM expiry — apply for renewal/conversion in advance
As in the passport; date as DD/MM/AAAA.
Mother’s name — mandatory; keep it identical across all Brazilian documents.
Passport or CRNM/DPRNM if you already have one.
Brazilian address with CEP.
❌ Mother’s name spelled differently on CPF and CRNM (blocks data matching) ❌ Postponing the CPF — banks, rentals and the SUS card don’t work without it ❌ Paying "intermediaries" — the CPF is free
Create an account and complete the questionnaire; the PF, Cáritas or the Public Defender’s Office can help.
Be specific: the war, shelling of your region, threat to life. Attach evidence (documents, photos, publications).
After online registration, attend a PF unit for biometrics and the DPRNM.
Report address changes in Sisconare and watch for notifications — a missed interview can close the case.
❌ Generic wording ("it is dangerous") without specifics and evidence ❌ Not attending the PF after online registration ❌ An outdated address in Sisconare — notices never arrive ❌ Assuming refúgio is "automatic" for Ukrainians — it is an individual assessment
Benefits
State cash benefits for Ukrainians
The state pays no dedicated cash aid to Ukrainians. The general Bolsa Família programme is available only to low-income residents after CadÚnico registration (CPF and residence document required).
How to apply: Local CRAS (social assistance centre) — CadÚnico
SUS healthcare
Everyone in Brazil, including migrants and asylum seekers.
How to apply: Cartão SUS at the local UBS (CPF + address)
UNHCR and partner assistance (Cáritas etc.)
Asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants: legal aid, integration programmes, in some cases humanitarian support.
How to apply: Via help.unhcr.org/brazil ("Onde encontrar ajuda" section)
Wise — transfers without hidden fees
A multi-currency account and transfers between Ukraine and Europe at the real exchange rate. Handy for receiving salary and sending money to family.
Open a Wise accountThe price for you does not change; the commission supports our free guides.
Where to apply
Polícia Federal — São Paulo Superintendency (DELEMIG)
Polícia Federal — DELEMIG Brasília
Polícia Federal — other units (nationwide)
Contacts
What happens after protection ends
The humanitarian CRNM is issued for 2 years and then converts to indefinite residence (apply to the PF before it expires). Naturalization (naturalização ordinária) — after 4 years of permanent residence, with basic Portuguese and a clean record; for those married to Brazilians or with Brazilian children the term drops to 1 year.
What happens when protection ends
These are options for the future — you will need to choose ONE, and not now.
These routes are available outside temporary protection — work, study, family, business, etc.
The description below is a general scheme, similar across countries. Check exact requirements, fees and timelines via the official link in each card — they differ by country and change over time.
💼 Visa/residence via Federal Police
Those with a valid employment contract in this country.
Passport; employment contract; proof of residence. Authority: Polícia Federal — São Paulo Superintendency (DELEMIG).
- Foreign passport
- Employment contract
- Proof of residence
- Health insurance (optional)
Polícia Federal — São Paulo Superintendency (DELEMIG)
The employer or the applicant files; the immigration authority decides.
Before the current status or permit expires.
- Collect the card/decision
- Register address and social number
Renewable together with the contract.
Processed per national rules; often before entry.
🎓 Study — Brazil
Enrolment at an accredited institution.
Acceptance letter; proof of funds; housing; insurance.
- Foreign passport
- Acceptance letter
- Proof of funds
- Health insurance (optional)
Polícia Federal — São Paulo Superintendency (DELEMIG)
Apply via the institution or the immigration authority.
Before the semester starts.
- Register at the institution and locally
Yearly with continued studies.
Processed per national rules; often before entry.
👨👩👧👦 Family reunification — Brazil
Spouse, children or relatives of a resident or citizen.
Marriage/birth certificates; housing; sponsor income.
- Foreign passport
- Marriage/birth certificate
- Sponsor income proof
- Proof of residence
Polícia Federal — São Paulo Superintendency (DELEMIG)
The sponsor or family files; documents need apostille and translation.
Before the current status expires.
- Collect the family member card
Renewable; a path to permanent residence.
Processed per national rules; often before entry.
🏢 Self-employment/business — Brazil
Company or self-employment registration; business plan or contracts.
Registration documents; tax number; funds; housing.
- Foreign passport
- Company/self-employment registration
- Business plan or contracts (optional)
- Proof of residence
Polícia Federal — São Paulo Superintendency (DELEMIG)
Register the business, then apply for residence as an entrepreneur.
Before the current status expires.
- Tax registration and bank account
Tied to the company activity.
Processed per national rules; often before entry.
🏠 Permanent residence — Brazil
Usually after 5 years of continuous legal residence.
Stable income; housing; integration/language per national rules.
- Foreign passport
- Income proof
- Proof of residence
- Language/integration certificate (optional)
Polícia Federal — São Paulo Superintendency (DELEMIG)
Apply once the required residence period is met.
After the required residence period is met.
- Obtain permanent resident status
Permanent status; card replaced periodically.
Temporary protection time often counts towards the period (per national rules).
Opportunities: housing, jobs, grants
5 verified programmes: housing support, job portals, business grants, free courses — with direct official links and verification dates. Available with Varta.
Forms & samples (PDF)
FAQ
Do I need to do anything to keep my protection after the current period?
Brazil does not grant EU-directive temporary protection. It runs its own scheme: acolhida humanitária (humanitarian reception) under its migration law. The act in force is Portaria Interministerial MJSP/MRE No. 60 of 30.12.2025, effective 01.01.2026. It revoked the "Ukrainian" Portaria No. 50/2024 (art. 13). There is no automatic renewal: you must file the request with the Polícia Federal yourself. WHAT TO DO. If you were in Brazil as of 31.12.2025, art. 7 expressly lets you apply at a Polícia Federal unit for a residence permit for humanitarian reception — REGARDLESS of your current migration status: whether your permit has already expired, whether your CRNM is still valid, or whether you have no documents at all. The new residence runs for 2 years (§ 1). Art. 7 sets no filing deadline, but do not delay. HOW. Fill in the electronic form on the Polícia Federal site (gov.br/pf, "Carta de Serviços" → "Migração" → "Obter Autorização de Residência"), book an appointment, and attend in person at the PF unit for your place of domicile: registration is done by biographic and biometric data, with you present (§ 4). The request may be filed by you, your legal representative, or an attorney-in-fact; for a child or a person of limited capacity, by either parent or the legal representative (§§ 2–3). No fees, charges or fines are payable for registration and the residence permit (art. 10): the standard PF fees (R$ 168.13 and R$ 204.77) do not apply to you, and the exemption also covers relatives called for family reunion. The right to work is guaranteed (art. 9). WHAT NOT TO DO. Do not leave Brazil for good and do not cross the border outside official migration control: in that case the basis for humanitarian reception is deemed to have ceased (art. 11). ON INDEFINITE RESIDENCE — BE CAREFUL. Art. 6 allows you, in the last 90 days before the two-year term ends, to request that the permit be changed to indefinite validity (conditions: no absence from Brazil over 90 days per migration year; entry and exit only through Brazilian migration control; no criminal record in Brazil; proof of means of subsistence). But in the text art. 6 is tied to the two-year term under art. 5 § 1 — that is, to people who entered on a humanitarian visa. The Portaria does not say it extends to residence granted under art. 7 or to a CRNM issued under the revoked Portaria No. 50/2024. So do not count on this step in advance — ask the Polícia Federal directly. Source: bibliotecadigital.mj.gov.br/bitstream/1/16477/1/PRI_MJSP_MRE_2025_60.html Source: https://bibliotecadigital.mj.gov.br/bitstream/1/16477/1/PRI_MJSP_MRE_2025_60.html (checked 03.09.2026).
Do Ukrainians need a visa for Brazil?
No — a visa waiver applies for short stays: up to 90 days, extendable by another 90 via the Polícia Federal. The waiver does not allow work — you need residence (CRNM) or an asylum seeker’s DPRNM for that.
What happened to the humanitarian visa for Ukrainians in 2026?
Since 01.01.2026 Ordinance 60/2025 revoked the separate schemes for Ukrainians, Afghans and Haitians and introduced a unified framework: new humanitarian visas (180 days, requiring sponsorship by an accredited civil-society organization) will be issued only to nationals of countries on a list the government has yet to approve. As of 16.08.2026 there is no confirmation that Ukraine is on it.
I arrived in Brazil by 31.12.2025. What should I do?
You fall under the transitional provisions of Ordinance 60/2025: you can apply to the Polícia Federal for humanitarian residence regardless of your current migration status (even if your stay has expired). You receive a 2-year CRNM with work rights.
My passport is non-biometric or expired. Can I still apply?
For residence and refúgio — yes: the PF assesses other proof of identity (internal passport, certificates) case by case, and humanitarian practice for Ukrainians has accepted expired documents. For border crossing you need a valid passport — renew it at the Ukrainian Embassy in Brasília if needed.
Does asylum (refúgio) give work and healthcare rights?
Yes. Filing is free; while pending you receive the DPRNM (provisional document), which allows working (via the Carteira de Trabalho Digital) and using SUS. CONARE decides the case; you cannot be deported before a final decision.
- Polícia Federal — Imigração (офіційний портал) ✓
- Portaria Interministerial MJSP/MRE nº 60/2025 (офіційний запис MJ) ✓
- UNHCR Help Brazil
- PF — Superintendência Regional em São Paulo (адреси, контакти) ✓
- Fragomen — Brazil: New Humanitarian Visa Framework (аналіз змін 2026)
This information is for reference only and is not legal advice.