Which Criminal Record Certificates Must a Foreign National Submit?
Brazilian criminal record certificates are also required for residence applications submitted in Brazil. They are not exclusive to naturalization. Documents must be organized according to the category and stage: an application in Brazil, a visa application at a consulate or registration with the Federal Police (PF).
The five-year period under the general residence rule and the four-year period for Brazilian certificates required for naturalization identify the relevant residence history. They are not the certificates’ validity periods.
| Procedure | Criminal Records and Brazilian Documents |
|---|---|
| Residence applied for in Brazil | Certificates from the places where the applicant has lived during the past five years, including certificates from Brazil’s federal and state courts, plus a personal declaration; subject to specific rules. |
| Visa applied for at a consulate | Criminal records according to the visa category and consular guidance. Check documents from previous countries of residence, including Brazil where applicable. |
| PF registration of an already granted temporary visa | It is advisable to obtain up-to-date certificates from the federal and state courts for registration as well, as they may be requested. Confirm the local PF office’s guidance. |
| Ordinary or extraordinary naturalization | Federal and state court certificates covering places of residence during the past four years; a document from the country of origin; proof of legal rehabilitation following a conviction, where applicable. |
Check the general lists and the responsible office’s guidance. Agreements and specific categories may have their own requirements or exemptions. Decree No. 9,199/2017, Article 129, items V and VI. PF — Registration of an Immigrant Holding a Temporary Visa. Ordinance No. 623/2020, Annexes I and II.
Which Certificates Are Required When Applying for Residence in Brazil?
Under the general rule, the application must include criminal records from the places where the foreign national has lived during the past five years, including places of residence in Brazil. Brazilian documentation comprises the corresponding federal and state court certificates; the PF itself lists issuing bodies by state. These certificates should be included when preparing an application submitted in Brazil, together with the required foreign documents. Decree No. 9,199/2017, Article 129, items V and VI. PF — Federal and State Court Criminal Record Certificates.
A personal declaration, made subject to the penalties provided by law, confirming the absence of a criminal record in any country during that period is also required. Under the general rule, this declaration does not replace the certificates.
For applications within the remit of the Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MJSP) submitted through the MigranteWeb online service, Regulatory Resolution (RN) No. 1/2017 also requires criminal records for the past five years. Prior residence authorization to obtain a visa abroad, however, benefits from an exemption from these documents at that stage, preserved by Resolution No. 51/2025; this does not waive the criminal records subsequently required by the consulate. RN No. 1/2017, Article 1, items X and XI. National Immigration Council (CNIg)/MJSP Resolution No. 51/2025 — Amendment to RN No. 1.
A French national who has lived in France and Portugal and now applies for residence while in Brazil must organize the corresponding foreign documents and Brazilian court certificates. A tourist trip to another country does not, in itself, amount to having lived there.
For work-related residence, Technical Note No. 003/2018 allows, in the situations it addresses, the foreign evidence submitted to the consulate to be reused, while retaining the requirement for state and federal court certificates concerning residence in Brazil. Confirm whether reuse is accepted in the application and whether updates are needed. This guidance does not waive foreign documents for someone who entered as a visitor without having previously submitted them. Technical Note No. 003/2018/CGIg/GM/MTb.
Renewal, changes of category and international agreements may have their own lists. The applicable category and the documents’ territorial coverage must be checked. PF — Documents Required for Immigration Procedures.
What Changes at the Consulate and at PF Registration?
Through the consular route, criminal record requirements follow the visa category and the consular post’s guidance. Decree No. 9,199/2017 provides for a certificate from the country of origin or an equivalent document accepted by the consular authority. Anyone who has previously lived in Brazil should also check the need for Brazilian documents before submitting the application. Decree No. 9,199/2017, Article 49, item V.
For the PF appointment, it is advisable to obtain up-to-date criminal record certificates from the federal and state courts, including when registering an already granted temporary visa. Advance preparation reduces the risk of requests for further documents and a return visit.
The PF’s registration lists allow additional documents to be requested depending on the case. Before scheduling the appointment, confirm with the responsible office the coverage of the certificates to be submitted. PF — Registration of an Immigrant Holding a Temporary Visa. PF — Registration Following Publication in the Federal Official Gazette.
Keep the documents submitted to the consulate available. Even after a visa or residence has been granted, the PF may request additional or updated documents.
What Changes for Brazilian Naturalization?
For ordinary and extraordinary naturalization, Ordinance No. 623/2020 requires:
- Criminal record certificates from the federal and state courts for the places where the applicant has lived during the past four years.
- A criminal record certificate or equivalent document issued by the country of origin.
- Proof of legal rehabilitation, where applicable.
Here, the four-year period is specific to Brazilian documentation for naturalization and does not replace the five years under the general residence rule. The country-of-origin document remains required even for those who have lived in Brazil for many years, including for extraordinary naturalization, subject to statutory exemptions. Ordinance No. 623/2020, Annexes I and II. Decree No. 9,199/2017, Article 239.
Anyone who has lived in more than one Brazilian state during the relevant period must ensure that all places of residence are covered. Collecting documents for the current address alone is insufficient.
There are express exemptions: refugees, persons granted political asylum and stateless persons applying for naturalization are exempt from the country-of-origin certificate under Article 57 of the Ordinance. The status supporting the exemption must be recognized and documented; it does not remove the procedure’s other requirements. Ordinance No. 623/2020, Article 57. MJSP — Documents for Ordinary Naturalization.
Special naturalization, provisional naturalization and conversion to definitive naturalization have their own lists. The documentation for an adult applying for ordinary naturalization should therefore not automatically be applied to a child or adolescent.
Does a Federal Police Certificate Replace Court Certificates?
No. The Federal Police and the federal courts are different bodies. Where the list requires federal and state court certificates, a police certificate alone does not satisfy that requirement.
The police certificate draws on the PF database, which does not fully cover other bodies’ records. It does not replace the court certificates required for residence or naturalization. PF — Issuing a Criminal Record Certificate. PF — Federal and State Court Criminal Record Certificates.
The Federal Justice Council (CJF) provides a unified federal court certificate. State certificates are obtained from the state Courts of Justice. Select the criminal records option and check the coverage and any additional certificates needed. CJF — Issuing Federal Court Certificates.
How Long Are the Certificates Valid?
There is no single validity period for all certificates and procedures.
The criminal record certificate issued by the Federal Police is valid for ninety days. Court and foreign certificates must be assessed under their own rules and the requirements of the procedure in which they will be used. PF — Issuing a Criminal Record Certificate.
In its documentary guidance for residence authorization, the PF uses a ninety-day reference period and states that acceptance of certificates outside that period is at the competent authority’s discretion. This does not justify assuming that an older document will be accepted. PF — Documents Required for Immigration Procedures.
Ordinance No. 623/2020 does not establish a single validity period for the entire set of criminal record documents for naturalization. The reference to the past four years does not authorize the submission of certificates issued four years ago.
Plan issuance close to the appointment, allowing time for any apostille or legalization and translation. Observe the issuer’s validity period and the receiving authority’s requirement for recent documents. A recent translation does not renew the original. Comply with requests for updated documents during the procedure.
Does a Foreign Certificate Need an Apostille and Translation?
As a rule, foreign documents must meet the authentication and translation requirements applicable in Brazil. An apostille is used where the Hague Apostille Convention applies; outside that regime, consular legalization may be necessary. Before arranging any formality, check whether an international agreement provides an exemption. Decree No. 8,660/2016 — Apostille Convention.
French criminal record certificates covered by the France–Brazil agreement are exempt from apostille and legalization requirements. The exemption derives from Article 23 of the agreement promulgated by Decree No. 3,598/2000. A sworn translation into Portuguese by an authorized public translator remains a separate requirement. France–Brazil Agreement, Article 23. Ordinance No. 623/2020, Annexes I and II.
In France, the individual concerned may request bulletin No. 3, an extract from the criminal record register (casier judiciaire), through the official service, including while living abroad. French law does not set a validity period for this extract, but the receiving authority may require recent issuance. The absence of an expiration date on the French document therefore does not remove Brazil’s requirement for a recent document. Service Public — Requesting Bulletin No. 3 and Its Validity.
Other agreements may also waive formalities, each within its own scope. Certain documents, including certificates confirming the absence of a criminal record, are exempt from translation in immigration procedures covered by Mercosur agreements. This exemption should not automatically be extended to naturalization or documents outside the agreement’s scope. Decree No. 5,851/2006 — Mercosur Translation Exemption. Decree No. 5,852/2006 — Mercosur, Bolivia and Chile.
The guide on exemptions from apostilles, legalization and translation explains the relevant countries and situations in detail.
Does an Entry on a Criminal Record Certificate Prevent Residence or Naturalization?
If an entry appears, its content must be identified. An investigation, pending proceedings, an acquittal and a final conviction are different situations. Where necessary, a certificate describing the subject matter and procedural status of the case (certidão de objeto e pé), or an equivalent document, can clarify the proceedings and their stage. São Paulo State Court of Justice (TJSP) — Frequently Asked Questions About Certificates.
For residence authorization, Article 132 of Decree No. 9,199/2017 establishes a restriction linked to a final criminal conviction, in Brazil or abroad, for conduct also classified as a crime in Brazil. The same article contains exceptions, including offenses classified under Brazilian law as less serious (infrações de menor potencial ofensivo), certain situations involving the legal extinguishment of the sentence or of the State’s power to punish, and applications based on family reunification.
These exceptions must be read together with the other rules. Article 133 provides further grounds for refusal, including proceedings abroad for an intentional offense that is extraditable under Brazilian law. Not every entry therefore prevents residence, but the absence of a final conviction does not resolve every case either. Decree No. 9,199/2017, Articles 132 and 133.
For naturalization, the legislation requires the absence of a criminal conviction or legal rehabilitation, according to the category and applicable rules. Where there has been a conviction, completion of the sentence alone should not be presented as automatically equivalent to legal rehabilitation. The corresponding legal status must be proved. Law No. 13,445/2017, Article 65, item IV. Decree No. 9,199/2017, Article 238.
A certificate showing no criminal record must also be read within its scope. France’s bulletin No. 3, for example, does not reproduce every item of information in a person’s criminal history. Declarations submitted in the procedure must correspond to what was asked and to the applicant’s actual circumstances. Service Public — Contents of Criminal Record Extracts.
How Should You Organize the Documents Before Applying?
List the places and periods of residence and confirm the responsible office’s guidance. Prepare Brazilian court certificates for the PF. Check personal details, including name changes, and retain electronic files and authentication methods. Clarify discrepancies, entries relating to people with the same name or other record entries before the appointment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Federal and State Court Certificates Required Only for Naturalization?
No. They also form part of the documentation for residence applied for in Brazil, according to the places where the applicant has lived and the category’s rules. The general period is five years for residence and four years for Brazilian certificates for naturalization.
I Have Lived in Brazil for More Than Ten Years. Do I Still Need a Country-of-Origin Certificate for Naturalization?
As a rule, yes. The country-of-origin document requirement is separate from the requirement covering places of residence in Brazil during the past four years. Time spent living in Brazil does not create an automatic exemption.
Are All Certificates Valid for Ninety Days?
No. That is the federal police certificate’s validity period and a reference in PF residence guidance. The issuer’s rule and the procedure’s requirements must be checked, especially for court and foreign certificates.
Does a French Certificate Need an Apostille?
No, where it is covered by the France–Brazil agreement. The exemption from apostilles and legalization does not remove the sworn translation requirement applicable to its use in Brazil.
Can I Replace the Certificate with a Personal Declaration?
Only where the applicable rule permits this alternative or a decision authorizes it in the specific case. Under the general residence rule, the certificate and declaration are separate requirements. Difficulty obtaining the document does not, on its own, create an exemption.
Should I Prepare Brazilian Certificates to Register My Visa with the PF?
Yes. It is advisable to obtain up-to-date federal and state court certificates and confirm the responsible office’s guidance. Having a visa granted and the absence of a reference in a general list do not guarantee exemption from these documents at the appointment.
How SCCM Can Help
SCCM advises foreign nationals on identifying the certificates needed for residence and naturalization, organizing documents issued in different countries and assessing criminal record entries that may affect the application.
This preparation helps identify requirements and exemptions before commissioning translations or submitting the application.
Check the criminal records and documents needed for your residence or naturalization application.