This guide is for filing from inside the U.S. (adjustment of status).Interviewing at a U.S. consulate abroad?Expect a police certificate and, for some countries, an apostille.

Brazil Civil Documents · Updated August 2026

The Civil Documents You Need From Brazil for a U.S. Marriage Green Card

If you were born in Brazil and are applying for a U.S. marriage green card, here are the Brazilian civil documents USCIS will expect and exactly how to get each one.

Quick answer

For a U.S. marriage green card, the Brazilian spouse generally needs the Birth Certificate, Police Certificate, and Marriage Certificate. An apostille is generally not required by USCIS for a filing inside the U.S. Non-English documents need a certified English translation, which you can self-certify.

📄3 core documents
- Birth Certificate
- Police Certificate
- Marriage Certificate
No apostille needed
For a filing inside the U.S., USCIS accepts a certified copy plus an English translation.
Translate it yourself
Any bilingual person can certify the English translation. No licensed translator required.

The documents you actually need

Start with these core records in order. Each one lists who issues it, what it costs, how long it takes, and exactly what USCIS wants.

Birth Certificate

Certidão de Nascimento

What USCIS needs: USCIS wants a full certified copy that shows both parents' names. Order a recently issued copy rather than reusing an old one, since older certificates can be outdated after amendments.

How to get it: Request a recent certified copy from the cartório where you were born, either in person or online. Many records are now available nationwide through the Registro Civil portal (registrocivil.org.br), so you often no longer need to travel to your home state.

Issued by: Civil registry office (Cartório de Registro Civil das Pessoas Naturais) in the municipality where the birth was registered
Cost: First copy is free by law (Lei 9.534/1997); additional certified copies approx R$20 to R$120 (roughly USD 4 to 24) depending on the state
Timing: Same day to about 1 week if requested in person; online orders that ship a physical copy can take 1 to 3 weeks

Order at the official site

Insider tip: Ask for the full/unabridged version (Certidão de Inteiro Teor) if your birth record was ever amended; it shows the complete history and avoids follow-up requests.

Police Certificate

Certidão de Antecedentes Criminais (Polícia Federal)

What USCIS needs: A Brazilian police certificate is usually required only for consular processing (when you apply for your immigrant visa from abroad), not for adjustment of status filed inside the United States. The certificate is valid for about 90 days, so time it to your interview.

How to get it: Request it online for free through the federal government portal using your CPF number; the Federal Police system searches and issues the certificate automatically. In-person requests at a Federal Police unit are also possible.

Issued by: Brazilian Federal Police (Polícia Federal)
Cost: Free (federal police certificate issued online at no charge)
Timing: Usually issued immediately online; occasionally held for manual review that can take a few days

Order at the official site

Insider tip: If the automated search flags a possible match, you may be asked to request the certificate in person or provide fingerprints, so start early if you have a common name.

Marriage Certificate

Certidão de Casamento

What USCIS needs: You need this only if you are already married to your U.S. petitioner in Brazil. If you have never married, USCIS does not require a separate single-status document; a current birth certificate with no marriage annotation serves as proof you are unmarried. If you were married before, request the marriage certificate with the divorce annotation (averbação de divórcio) or the spouse's death certificate.

How to get it: Request a certified copy from the cartório that registered the marriage, in person or via the Registro Civil online portal. If you married in the U.S. or another country, use the U.S. or local certificate instead of a Brazilian one.

Issued by: Civil registry office (Cartório de Registro Civil das Pessoas Naturais) where the marriage was registered
Cost: Approx R$20 to R$120 (roughly USD 4 to 24) per certified copy, varies by state
Timing: Same day to about 1 week in person; 1 to 3 weeks if a physical copy is mailed

Order at the official site

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At a glance

Topic	Details
Apostille status	Brazil joined the Hague Apostille Convention, in force August 14, 2016; apostilles are issued by authorized notary offices (cartórios) and courts. Note that USCIS generally does not require an apostille for documents submitted with a U.S. filing (an apostille is typically only relevant for consular processing or when a document must be used by a foreign authority).
How records are kept	Vital records are decentralized: each municipal civil registry office (cartório) holds its own births, marriages, and deaths. A national online portal (registrocivil.org.br) increasingly lets you order copies from any state, and records since late 2017 are more consistently digitized.
Typical time to gather	Certificates are often issued the same day in person; online orders with a mailed copy typically take 1 to 3 weeks. The federal police certificate is usually instant.
Translation	Portuguese-language documents need a certified English translation. USCIS lets any person competent in both English and Portuguese self-certify the translation; a licensed or sworn translator is not required for a U.S. filing (a sworn translation may be needed for consular processing).

Source: U.S. State Dept Reciprocity Schedule: Brazil. Verified August 2026. Need to translate a document? See our certified translation guide.

What officers watch for

Document reliability: The U.S. State Department notes that Brazilian civil documents are generally considered reliable, but because records are held by thousands of individual notary offices, always obtain recently issued certified copies directly from the issuing cartório rather than reusing old or photocopied versions.

Full document reference

Every civil record from Brazil that can come up in a marriage green card case, with the issuing authority, cost, and how to obtain it.

Document	Issuing authority	Cost	How to obtain
Birth Certificate	Civil registry office (Cartório de Registro Civil)	First copy free; extra copies approx R$20 to R$120	Request a recent certified copy in person or via registrocivil.org.br
Marriage Certificate	Civil registry office (Cartório de Registro Civil)	Approx R$20 to R$120 per copy	Request a certified copy from the cartório that registered the marriage
Divorce Certificate	Civil registry office (annotation on the marriage certificate) plus court decree	Approx R$20 to R$120 per copy	Obtain the marriage certificate showing the divorce annotation (averbação de divórcio) and, if needed, the court divorce decree
Death Certificate	Civil registry office (Cartório de Registro Civil)	Approx R$20 to R$120 per copy	Request a certified copy of the certidão de óbito from the cartório that registered the death
Police Certificate	Brazilian Federal Police (Polícia Federal)	Free	Request online with your CPF at gov.br/pf, or in person at a Federal Police unit

What applicants report

“Applicants repeatedly report that ordering a freshly issued birth certificate (rather than reusing one from years ago) and, for consular cases, timing the 90-day federal police certificate close to the interview are the two things that keep the case moving without RFEs.”
VisaJourney and Reddit, 2024 to 2025

File your Brazilian spouse's marriage green card for $99.

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Sources

Verified August 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an apostille on my Brazilian birth certificate for USCIS?

Usually not for a green card application filed inside the United States (adjustment of status). USCIS generally accepts a certified copy with an English translation. An apostille is mainly relevant for consular processing or when a Brazilian document must be recognized by a foreign authority. Brazil has been part of the Hague Apostille Convention since August 14, 2016, and apostilles are issued by authorized cartórios and courts.

Which version of the Brazilian birth certificate should I submit?

A recent certified copy that shows both parents' names is what USCIS expects. If your birth record was ever amended (for a name change or correction), request the full/unabridged version (Certidão de Inteiro Teor), which includes the complete history and reduces the chance of a follow-up request.

Do I need a Brazilian police certificate if I am adjusting status inside the U.S.?

Generally no. A Brazilian Federal Police certificate is typically required for consular processing abroad, not for adjustment of status filed within the United States. If you do need one (for consular processing), it is free online through gov.br/pf and is valid for about 90 days, so request it close to your interview date.

I have never been married. Do I need a single-status certificate from Brazil?

No separate single-status document is required by USCIS. A current Brazilian birth certificate with no marriage annotation generally serves as proof that you are unmarried. If you were married before, provide the marriage certificate with the divorce annotation (averbação de divórcio) or the former spouse's death certificate.

Does my Portuguese document need a professional or sworn translator?

For a U.S. filing, no. USCIS allows any person competent in both English and Portuguese to translate the document and self-certify the translation's accuracy; a licensed or sworn translator is not required. A sworn (juramentada) translation may be needed for consular processing or other official uses.

How do I get my Brazilian documents if I am already living in the United States?

You can order certified copies of your birth and marriage certificates online through the national civil registry portal (registrocivil.org.br) or ask a relative or a despachante in Brazil to request them at the cartório. The federal police certificate can be requested entirely online with your CPF number.

Key takeaways

✓
The core documents most Brazilian applicants need are the Birth Certificate, Police Certificate, Marriage Certificate.
✓
Brazil is a Hague Apostille Convention member, but USCIS generally does not require an apostille for a marriage green card filed inside the U.S.
✓
You do not need a licensed translator: any competent bilingual person can translate a document and self-certify it for USCIS.
✓
A home-country police certificate is generally needed only for consular processing abroad, not for adjustment of status inside the U.S.
✓
Order fresh certified copies directly from the official issuer and keep the originals; documents from Brazil draw closer scrutiny.

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