Justice Ministry issues fresh guidance for Brazilians flying abroad with children

With Brazil’s July school holidays in full swing and international departures surging, the Ministry of Justice and Public Security published an updated advisory on Friday night (10 July 2026) reminding parents and airlines of documentation rules for minors travelling out of the country. The notice—released through the National Justice Secretariat’s migration and nationality division—details when a child under 18 needs written authorisation, how to obtain the electronic authorisation (AEV) and what carriers must check at the gate. Under Brazil’s Child and Adolescent Statute and Federal Police Normative Instruction 141/2023, children travelling with only one parent, with third parties, or unaccompanied must carry either a notarised hard-copy authorisation or the QR-coded AEV generated via the e-Notariado platform. The ministry stresses that authorisations issued before 1 February 2024 remain valid until their stated expiry date, countering misinformation circulating on social media. Passports issued since December 2025 already include both parents’ names; in such cases, no birth certificate is needed at immigration. Airlines operating in Brazil are being told to reinforce staff training after the Federal Police recorded 312 denied boardings last month—double the figure for June 2025—largely because authorisations were incomplete, illegible or mistakenly apostilled. Carriers that board a minor without the correct paperwork face fines of up to R$30,000 and may be required to fly the passenger back at their own expense. The advisory also clarifies that digital copies shown on a smartphone are not accepted; only the AEV PDF with an embedded validation code or the original notarised form is valid. For corporate mobility managers, the reminder is timely: many expatriate employees based in São Paulo and Rio are sending children to language camps in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom during the four-week recess. HR departments should circulate the new checklist and verify that accompanying caregivers—often nannies or grandparents—have individual entry visas as required by the destination.



For travellers who still need to secure those entry visas or even transit permits, VisaHQ can simplify the process. Through its Brazil-specific portal, users can review up-to-date requirements for dozens of countries, complete digital application forms, and track approvals in one dashboard—particularly handy when a sudden camp invitation demands a Canadian eTA or a Colombian transit visa on short notice.

Families using connecting flights through Panama or Colombia must account for potential transit-visa requirements triggered by recent rule changes. Immigration lawyers welcomed the clarity but called for a longer-term fix. "Brazilian rules remain among the strictest in the region. A single, globally-recognised digital consent form would prevent last-minute airport drama," said Luciana Silva, partner at Dias & Silva Advogados. The Ministry confirmed it is in talks with the Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) to embed an authorisation-status field in passenger name records, but implementation is unlikely before mid-2027.