Effective from October 8th, 2025, the Brazilian government announced an important change on the immigration rules governing short term assignments.
The change streamlines the immigration procedure by allowing workers to perform short-term technical and technology transfer activities under the visitor status.
Main changes
With Decree No. 12657 of October 7th, 2025, Brazil expanded the activities permitted under the visitor status.
The activities allowed with the visit visa (VIVIS) will now include technical assistance and technology transfer to Brazil, without the need to obtain a temporary work visa (VITEM) as previously required.
Furthermore, under the new rules, visitors may engage in such technical or technology transfer activities for maximum 90 days. There is also a possibility to extend the stay for additional 90 days, allowing a total of 180 days within a 365-day period.
The 365-day period shall not correspond to a solar year, but rather to a migration year, that is a 12-month period following the first entry in the country.
Such changes will ensure a speedy process for employers that can deploy workers for short-term assistance without a temporary work visa. However, employers should carefully monitor travel dates to ensure compliance and avoid overstays. In this regards, using an automated monitoring tool such as A&P Atlasposting software may reduce risks.
Supporting documents
Foreign professionals travelling to Brazil as visitors to perform technical activities will need to prove that they are invited in the frame of a technical services agreement or a cooperation agreement.
In the absence of the agreement, any other similar document between the foreign employer and the Brazilian company will be fine. The document shall mention that the Brazilian company is receiving the professionals as part of a technical assistance activity.
We therefore recommend that any foreign professional travelling to Brazil in the frame of a technical assistance activity shall bring the following:
- An invitation letter signed by the Brazilian company. The letter shall confirm that the worker is travelling for technical assistance of technology transfer activities, that the period of stay is limited to the one allowed, and it must refer to an existing services agreement.
- A copy of the service agreement.
These documents are on top of those normally applicable to the visitor status, depending on the traveler’s nationality.
Finally, it is important to mention that the worker cannot receive salary in Brazil. In fact, for any salaried activity, it is still necessary to obtain a work contract visa. Furthermore, visitors cannot register with the Federal Police, so they won’t receive a residence card and won’t be able to open a bank account.
