Family reunification and extension of the effects of refugee status

This procedure is only available to refugees already recognized by Brazil and to relatives who are abroad.

If your relative is already in Brazil, go to the nearest Federal Police unit, together with your relative, and request the “extension of the effects of refugee status”.

With the exception of the form that you will fill out, SEI is in Portuguese, so we put here the step by step highlighting the words in Portuguese in quotes so that you can identify when filling out the petition:

Step 1 – Make your registration at SEI according to the instructions in the manual available at the link.

Step 2 – On the left side, under “peticionamento”, choose the “processo novo”.

Step 3 – In the “escolha o tipo do processo que deseja iniciar” list, select “Refúgio: Visto Reunião Familiar”.

Step 4 – In the specification, put “Reunião Familiar”.

Step 5 – In “interessado”, put your name.

Step 6 – In “documentos”, there will be a line with “documento principal”. Click on “Pedido de Reunião Familiar”.

Step 7 – Then, the family reunion form will open. Fill in all the fields and click on the “salvar” button, which is in the upper left corner of the form, and then close the form screen. (you can fill out this form in portuguese, english or spanish)

Step 8 – In “documentos complementares”, add your RNE or CNRM

Step 9 – In “formato”, choose “digitalizado”, and click “adicionar”.

Step 10 – Then click on “peticionar”.

After checking the refugee status of the applicant, the General Coordination of Conare will forward a letter to the Immigration Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DIM-MRE), which will inform the consular entities about the request. The General Coordination of Conare will also notify the refugee when the process is forwarded to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE), an organ of the Brazilian State with competence to decide on visas.

After sending the documents to the MRE, your family member must complete an online visa application form, and submit it duly completed and signed to the Consular Office, together with your express wish to call your family members for family reunification purposes. in Brazil and other documents necessary for the instruction of the visa application. Consult the Consular Office at the place where your family member is for information about all the necessary documentation to instruct the visa application and about its processing time.

Note: The refugee’s manifestation of will is no guarantee of a family reunion visa.

The family member can consult the consular unit to find out if the visa application has been approved. The refugee may contact DIM-MRE to inquire about the progress of his request by email [email protected]. Further information on family reunion visas can be found in Interministerial Ordinance No. 12.

The type of visa to be requested will depend on the existing relationship, in the following terms:

I – Spouse or partner;

II – Ascendants or descendants (father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-grandfather, great-grandfather, great-grandmother);

III- Members of the family group in a collateral line up to the fourth grade, who depend economically on the refugee (brother, sister, uncle (a), great-uncle, great-aunt, nephew, great-nephew, great-niece, cousin)

IV- Affinity relatives, economically dependent on the refugee (stepson, father-in-law, brother-in-law).

The temporary visa for Family Reunion will have a maximum term of one year. After entering the national territory, the family member must register with the Federal Police within 90 days to transform their visa into residence for family reunion.

It is important to keep in mind that all travel costs, such as airfare, are your responsibility. The Brazilian government will not bear the costs of your family coming to Brazil.

Should you require support please contact us at [email protected] or by phone at (61) 2025 9734

You can also watch the video (in Portuguese) prepared by CONARE:

In case you need any help in this process you can also contact your nearest UNHCR partner organization. Click here to access the list of organizations.

I am not yet an applicant, but I want to submit my application.

In this case, you must register with Sisconare (sisconare.mj.gov.br) and, when filling out your application, you can include your family members directly on your form.

Remember: until you appear before the Federal Police, you can always reopen and edit your request, in order to change any information – including the registration of your family members.

I am already an applicant, but I have not yet registered with Sisconare.

In this case, when you register your request at Sisconare (sisconare.mj.gov.br), you can include your family members. When including them, write the number of your own Refuge Protocol when the system asks about your relatives’ Refuge Protocol.

I am already an applicant, and I am already at Sisconare or I am already a refugee recognized by Conare.

In that case, fill out the application form for the extension of the effects of refugee status (only available in Portuguese) and schedule your visit to the Federal Police, together with your family member, to make the extension request.

In case you need any help in this process you can also contact your nearest UNHCR partner organization. Click here to access the list of organizations.

If an applicant, in agreement with his family member who is already recognized as a refugee by Conare, decides to convert his refugee request into an extension, it is necessary to convert the request into an extension of the refugee condition.

With the exception of the form that you will fill out, SEI is in Portuguese, so we put here the step by step highlighting the words in Portuguese in quotes so that you can identify when filling out the petition:

Step 1 – Fill out, print, sign and scan (or take a legible photo) the Requerimento para Conversão de Solicitação de Refúgio em Extensão (Application for Conversion of Asylum Request into Extension), in the case of adults, or the  Requerimento para Conversão de Solicitação de Refúgio em Extensão – C&A (Application for Conversion of Asylum Request into Extension – C&A), in the case of children and adolescents under 18.

IMPORTANT: the form must be signed by both those who will have their order converted and by the principal to whom the extension will be linked.

Step 2 – Make your registration at SEI according to the instructions in the manual available at the link.

Step 3 – On the left side, under “peticionamento”, choose the “intercorrente” option.

Step 4 – In “número de processo”, enter the number of the principal’s Refuge Protocol, or the number of the Refuge Protocol of who will have his request converted from principal to extension. Then click on “validar”.

Step 5 – After clicking on “validar”, SEI will fill in the ““Tipo” field, the information “Migrações: Pedido de Refúgio”. Click “adicionar”.

Step 6 – Then, go to the “escolher arquivo” option. Select the FORM already filled in with your information and signed.

Step 7 – In “tipo de documento”, choose “formulário” and, in the field “complemento do tipo de documento”, put CONVERSÃO.

Step 8 – In “formato”, choose “nato-digital”.

Step 9 – Then click on “adicionar”.

Step 10 – After including the form, click on “peticionar”.

After this process, your registration will be analyzed by the General Coordination of Conare.

Should you require support please contact us at [email protected] or by phone at (61) 2025 9734

In case you need any help in this process you can also contact your nearest UNHCR partner organization. Click here to access the list of organizations.