Quick answer
You need a signed passport with two blank pages and validity through your trip, a fresh photo (3.5 x 4.5 cm, white background, taken in the last six months), a color scan of the bio-data page, a confirmed return or onward ticket, and whatever extra document your travel purpose adds. Most rejected applications trace back to the photo or the scan, not the form itself, so give those two files the closest check. If a refusal has already landed, our Brazil eVisa rejection reasons guide maps each reason to its fix.
Core Documents Required for Every Brazil eVisa
Whatever category you apply under, tourism, business, transit, Business Event & Expo or Seafarer, the same five documents sit at the base of every application:
A signed passport with at least two blank visa pages. Official guidance asks for validity through the end of your trip; keeping six months of spare validity on top is the safer buffer most applicants go with
A color scan of the passport's bio-data page, showing the whole page with nothing cropped (full rules below)
A recent digital photo that matches the specifications for the online portal (3.5 x 4.5 cm on white, taken within six months)
A confirmed round-trip flight itinerary showing entry into and exit from Brazil, with your name spelled exactly as it appears in the passport
The completed online application form with personal and travel details that match your supporting documents
That's the floor, not the ceiling. Each category piles its own paperwork on top: an employer letter and proof of funds for the Business eVisa, an event invitation for Business Event & Expo, vessel documentation for Seafarer applications. The full breakdown sits further down this page under documents by travel purpose.
Brazil eVisa Photo Requirements
Photo problems are the single biggest cause of Brazil eVisa delays, and they're also the easiest to fix before you submit. Here's what the online eVisa portal expects:
Two things trip people up. First, you can't crop your photo out of your old passport or an ID card, it has to be a fresh shot made for this application. Second, some consular application routes still list the classic 2" x 2" size instead, so if you're not using the online portal, double-check which spec your route asks for before you book the photo.
Brazil eVisa Passport Scan Requirements
The passport scan gets judged separately from your photo, and reviewers look at it closely. These are the rules that keep yours out of the re-request pile:
- Use a flatbed scanner if you can get access to one. Phone photos of the page tend to pick up glare, shadows or a slight curve, and that's often all it takes to get bounced back
- The entire page has to sit inside the frame, every edge visible, nothing cut off at the sides
- No fingers over the page, no glare spots, no scanner artifacts sitting on top of the text
- The Machine-Readable Zone, those two lines of characters along the bottom, must be fully legible. If a reviewer can't read them, the scan fails
- Color only. A greyscale scan of a valid passport still counts as incomplete
- Sign the passport before you scan it, if the signature page is still blank
Brazil eVisa Documents by Travel Purpose
Beyond the baseline, your reason for travel decides what else you're handing over. Here's what each group actually needs.
Tourism eVisa documents
- Passport valid for at least six months with two blank pages
- Passport-style photo on a white background, fresh and un-cropped
- Round-trip itinerary and the baseline five documents from the top of this page
Holiday travel is the simple case, most first-timers clear it without any back-and-forth. Full details live on the Tourism eVisa page.
Business eVisa documents
- The same passport and photo as tourism, valid six months with two blank pages
- Proof of employment from your current company
- Proof of funds showing at least 2,000 USD available for the trip
- An official letter from your company on stationery, signed by a supervisor
That company letter is where business applications go wrong, because reviewers expect eight specific details inside it:
Documents for children and minors
Applications for anyone under 18 need a second stack of paperwork, and this is the category that stalls most often. Gather these before you start the form:
- A color scan of the child's birth certificate
- The authorization for issuance of a Brazilian visa, signed by both parents
- Color copies of both parents' passport or ID pages
- If only one parent is listed on the birth certificate, only that parent signs. Sole custody means a notarized court order goes in, and a parent's death means a death certificate
- Children of Brazilian parent(s) also need the Declaração de Não-Cidadania, a signed statement that the applicant is not a Brazilian citizen
- If one parent isn't traveling with the child, notarized consent from them is typically required as well
Financial and supporting documents
None of these are always demanded upfront, but officers can ask, and having them ready turns a two-day scramble into a two-minute upload:
- Recent bank statements or another proof of sufficient funds
- Proof of accommodation: a hotel booking or an invitation letter with the host's address
- Travel insurance. It isn't universally required for entry, though any regular traveler will tell you to carry it anyway
Common Document Mistakes That Cause Delays
Every one of these has held up real applications. Check yourself against the list before you hit submit:
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use my existing passport photo for the Brazil eVisa?
No. Photos copied or cropped from your passport's photo page are not accepted. You need a fresh photo taken specifically for the application, meeting the size and background specifications above.
What resolution does my digital photo need to be?
High resolution, crisp, no pixelation or blur. Some processing routes set the floor at 600 dpi, so check whatever portal you're applying through, since exact figures shift slightly between routes.
Do I need to get my passport scanned professionally?
Not necessarily, but a flatbed scanner beats a phone photo almost every time. Phone shots pick up the glare, shadows and slight distortion that cause the most common rejections.
How much passport validity do I need for a Brazil eVisa?
At minimum, one month past your planned departure from Brazil. Several official guidance documents treat six months of remaining validity as the safer standard, and most applicants follow that. Confirm the figure for your nationality before applying.
Does the document checklist differ by eVisa category?
The baseline three (passport, photo, itinerary) stay identical everywhere. What changes is the extras: an employer letter for Business, an event invitation for Business Event & Expo, vessel documentation for Seafarer. Each category page lists its own.
What documents do children need for a Brazil eVisa?
Alongside the usual passport, photo and itinerary: the child's birth certificate, an authorization signed by both parents, and copies of both parents' passport or ID pages. Children of Brazilian parents also need the Declaração de Não-Cidadania. The full list is in the minors section above.
VistoRoute is an independent visa information and facilitation platform and is not affiliated with the Government of Brazil or any consular authority. We help travelers understand eligibility and prepare accurate applications, but all final decisions on visa issuance rest with Brazilian immigration authorities. For official government guidance, always cross-check with your nearest Brazilian consulate.