Embassy of Japan in Brasília

Brazilian passport holders travelling for short tourism (up to 90 days) do not need a Japanese visa — the bilateral visa-waiver arrangement, in force for decades, covers tourism, short family visits, short business meetings (non-remunerated) and transit. Brazilian travellers present a valid Brazilian passport (six months validity recommended), proof of return / onward travel, and proof of sufficient funds at Japanese immigration on arrival. The visa-free entry is non-extendable in country beyond the 90-day limit — Brazilians who wish to stay longer must either re-enter (within the same year, subject to immigration scrutiny) or apply for the appropriate long-stay visa before re-arrival. For stays exceeding 90 days or for non-tourism purposes, Brazilian applicants file at the Brasília embassy or at one of the Consulates-General (São Paulo handles by far the largest volume given the south-east Nikkei concentration). The principal long-stay categories: the Working Visa (under various status-of-residence classifications — Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services for graduate professionals, Intra-company Transferee, Skilled Labour, Highly Skilled Professional, Specified Skilled Worker for designated industries since 2019); the Student Visa (College / Pre-college Student status for Japanese universities and language schools); the Cultural Activities Visa (research, traditional arts study); the Trainee Visa; the Working Holiday Visa under the Brazil-Japan bilateral programme (annual quota, ages 18–30, one-time eligibility); the Spouse or Child of Japanese National Visa (for Brazilians married to Japanese citizens, including the substantial Brazilian-Japanese dual-national families); the Long-Term Resident Visa (used heavily by Japanese-Brazilian Nikkei descendants up to the third generation — the sansei generation — and their spouses and minor children, under the bilateral special-residence regime that recognises Japanese descent as a residence pathway); the Specified Skilled Worker Visa for healthcare, construction, hospitality, food-service and agricultural categories; and the Diplomatic, Official and Tokutei Katsudo (Designated Activities) categories. Document requirements vary by category but commonly include the Certificate of Eligibility (COE) — pre-approved by Immigration Services Agency of Japan and presented by the in-Japan sponsor (employer, university, family member) — passport, completed visa application form, photographs, and category-specific supporting documents (Japanese employer's offer letter for work visas, university Letter of Acceptance for student visas, family-relationship documentation for Long-Term Resident applications, Working Holiday quota allocation confirmation, etc.). Standard processing is five to seven working days from receipt at the consular post, longer for complex cases or during peak-demand periods. Japan does not use VFS Global, TLScontact or BLS in Brazil — all visa intake is performed directly by the embassy and Consulates-General.

Visa applications are filed directly at the embassy in Brasília or at the relevant Consulate-General by appointment — Brazilian visa applicants check the embassy's website (br.emb-japan.go.jp) for the appointment-booking link, document checklist for the specific visa category, and the per-category fee schedule. Japan does not use VFS Global, TLScontact or BLS in Brazil; the consular post performs intake directly. Consular email: consular.japao@bs.mofa.go.jp; general communications: comunicacaojapao@bs.mofa.go.jp. The main switchboard is +55 61 3442 4200 during office hours. For 24/7 emergencies affecting Japanese citizens in Brazil, the embassy publishes a separate emergency hotline on its consular pages.