Do I need to present criminal records for the Brazil Working Holiday?

Volare Editorial | March 26, 2026

Security is an essential component in the evaluation of applicants for the Brazil Working Holiday Visa. Unlike other more flexible immigration processes, the Brazilian State requires physical and documentary evidence of the applicant's conduct in all territories where they have recently resided. Below, we detail the technical guidelines for obtaining and presenting criminal record certificates to the Itamaraty authorities.

Mandatory Nature of the Requirement

The presentation of the criminal record history is strictly mandatory for all participating nationalities. This document allows the consular officer to verify the suitability of the young person before authorizing their entry into the country under the VITEM VI category.

• Geographic Scope: It is not enough to present the certificate from the country of origin. A physical certificate must be presented from each country where the applicant has officially resided during the last 12 months.

• Critical Validity: Certificates must have an issuance date of less than 90 days at the time of the digital application in the E-Consular system or when delivering the physical file. A document issued outside this timeframe will be automatically rejected.

  
  

Legalization and Sworn Translation

For a criminal record issued abroad to have legal validity in Brazil, it must comply with a double international validation process:

1. Hague Apostille: The original certificate must have the Hague Apostille seal issued by the competent authority of the country where the document was generated. Without this seal, the Federal Police of Brazil will not recognize the authenticity of the record.

2. Sworn Translation into Portuguese: Once apostilled, the document must be translated into Portuguese by a registered sworn translator. This translation is mandatory for all certificates not originally written in Portuguese.

   
   

File Format

The Brazilian system prioritizes physical and verifiable documentation. During the process, the applicant must:

• Upload digital copies of the criminal records and their translations to the visa registration platform.

• Present the physical originals (with their respective apostilles and translations) during the consular interview or send them by certified postal mail, as determined by the corresponding diplomatic office.

It is important to remember that omitting any country of residence during the last year or the lack of legalization of any of the certificates will prevent the issuance of the visa.

More information

If you wish to know the list of recommended translators or the steps for subsequent registration with the Ministry of Justice, we invite you to consult the full section on the Brazil Working Holiday Visa on our Volare website.