Residence renewal
Renewing your residence in Brazil
Most residence in Brazil starts temporary. Before it ends you can renew it or ask for indefinite residence, and your CRNM card has its own expiry date too.
- First residence
- Usually up to 2 years (study: 1 year)
- Then
- Up to 2 more years, or indefinite residence
- CRNM
- 9 years for indefinite residents; no expiry from age 60 or with a disability
- When
- Renew your CRNM from 90 days before it expires
Who it's for
- Temporary residents (work, study, family, retirement, digital nomad) whose residence is ending.
- Mercosur and CPLP residents moving to indefinite residence in the 90 days before their 2 years end.
- Indefinite residents whose CRNM is about to expire.
- Anyone who's spent more than 2 years outside Brazil: without a justification, residence can be lost.
How it works
- Check the end date on your CRNM and which route your residence is based on.
- Collect your route's proof: a new contract for work, enrolment for study, means of support for Mercosur and CPLP.
- Apply before your residence ends: work routes to the Ministry of Justice, the others online with the Federal Police.
- Once it's approved, register and collect your new CRNM.
Documents
- The application form, signed
- A copy of your CRNM
- A declaration that you have no criminal record
- Your route's proof: contract and work card, enrolment, or means of support
- The fee receipts
Letting temporary residence expire can mean a fine for each day late and, if it isn't put right, deportation. There's no fine for an indefinite resident's expired CRNM.
Have an attorney handle your renewal
A licensed immigration attorney checks your deadline and your route's proof, and files the renewal or the move to indefinite residence. You choose them in the Emigro app and see their fee before you commit.
Book an attorney for my renewal Or talk to a lawyer firstRather talk to an immigration lawyer first?
Send a short note to an independent immigration lawyer who uses Emigro. If they offer a paid call, you can pick a time on their calendar right away; otherwise they reply by email.
Official sources
Migration FAQ, Federal Police ↗
Residence authorization and CRNM, gov.br ↗
Decree 9.199/2017, arts. 74, 135 and 142 ↗
Checked against official sources on October 24, 2026. Emigro gives preliminary guidance, not legal advice, and is not a law firm. Lawyers on Emigro are independent, registered with the OAB, and solely responsible for their advice. Emigro is a private company, not affiliated with the Brazilian government, the Federal Police, Itamaraty, the Ministry of Justice or the Receita Federal.
More free tools
- Residency and citizenship guidesHow to get Brazil residencyEvery route to live in Brazil, side by side, and which one fits you.
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- Residency and citizenship guidesWork visaResidence for a job with an employer in Brazil: the six qualification routes.
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