Brazilian travelers may soon pay R$ 430 (about US$ 86) for a standard passport, up from R$ 257, after the Federal Police formally asked the Ministry of Justice to approve a 67 % increase. The request, confirmed on 23 January, cites inflationary erosion since the last adjustment in 2015 and a spike in biometric-chip manufacturing costs.
If endorsed, the new tariff would place Brazil among Latin America’s most expensive passport issuers, just as outbound travel rebounds to pre-pandemic levels. In 2024, the country issued a record 2.1 million passports; demand is projected to grow a further 12 % this year due to resumed U.S. and European flight capacity and the surge in remote-work travel.
![Brazil Weighs 67 % Hike in Passport Fee, Raising Cost of Global Mobility]()
Corporate-mobility managers warn that higher document costs could become a hidden expense in expatriate packages and business-travel budgets. A family of four renewing passports would face an additional R$ 690 outlay—costs that employers often reimburse. The hospitality sector also fears that leisure travelers on tight budgets could postpone plans that require multiple visas, dampening outbound tourism to destinations such as Japan, which recently reinstated in-person visa appointments for Brazilians.
The Ministry of Justice has opened a 15-day public-consultation window. Travel-industry associations are lobbying for a phased approach or fee waivers for low-income applicants, pointing to surplus revenues in the Federal Police’s migration fund. Critics argue that steep hikes without service-level guarantees—average issuance still takes 7–10 working days in major cities—could fuel black-market document brokers.
For now, applicants can still pay the old fee, but advisers urge travelers with urgent international plans to submit requests promptly. The government has not ruled out parallel increases to express-service and lost-passport penalties, which would rise proportionally if the proposal is approved.
If endorsed, the new tariff would place Brazil among Latin America’s most expensive passport issuers, just as outbound travel rebounds to pre-pandemic levels. In 2024, the country issued a record 2.1 million passports; demand is projected to grow a further 12 % this year due to resumed U.S. and European flight capacity and the surge in remote-work travel.
Corporate-mobility managers warn that higher document costs could become a hidden expense in expatriate packages and business-travel budgets. A family of four renewing passports would face an additional R$ 690 outlay—costs that employers often reimburse. The hospitality sector also fears that leisure travelers on tight budgets could postpone plans that require multiple visas, dampening outbound tourism to destinations such as Japan, which recently reinstated in-person visa appointments for Brazilians.
The Ministry of Justice has opened a 15-day public-consultation window. Travel-industry associations are lobbying for a phased approach or fee waivers for low-income applicants, pointing to surplus revenues in the Federal Police’s migration fund. Critics argue that steep hikes without service-level guarantees—average issuance still takes 7–10 working days in major cities—could fuel black-market document brokers.
For now, applicants can still pay the old fee, but advisers urge travelers with urgent international plans to submit requests promptly. The government has not ruled out parallel increases to express-service and lost-passport penalties, which would rise proportionally if the proposal is approved.
Source: JusBrasil
