Jurisdiction — does the Brasília Embassy cover you?
The Brasília Embassy handles the Centre-West region and the entire North of Brazil. It covers a vast but relatively sparsely populated area.
| Mission | States covered |
|---|---|
| Brasília (Embassy) | Distrito Federal, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima, Tocantins |
| São Paulo | São Paulo, Paraná, Mato Grosso do Sul |
| Rio de Janeiro | RJ, MG, ES, interior of Bahia, GO*, TO* |
| Salvador | BA (city), SE, AL, PE, PB, CE, RN, PI, MA |
| Porto Alegre | RS, SC |
* Some sources list Goiás and Tocantins under Rio de Janeiro rather than Brasília. The most authoritative sources (the Embassy's own site and espanhalegal.info) place GO and TO under Brasília. Verify with the Brasília consular section if in doubt: sc.brasilia@maec.es.
Mato Grosso do Sul (MS) goes to São Paulo — not Brasília. Many people in Cuiabá (MT) and Campo Grande (MS) assume they share the same consulate. They don't — MT is under Brasília, MS is under São Paulo.
How to book your appointment
The Brasília Embassy consular section uses an online appointment system. Book through the official Embassy appointment page.
Book online via the Embassy appointment system. Go to the agendamento consular page and follow the instructions to select "vistos" and book a slot. Availability can be limited — book well in advance.
For consular queries: sc.brasilia@maec.es. For general Embassy matters (not visa): emb.brasilia@maec.es. Phone: +55 61 3701 1600.
Access the Embassy via the gate facing the lake (Lago Sul). The address is SES Avenida das Nações, Quadra 811, Lote 44. When visiting for a consular appointment, use the consular section entrance — not the diplomatic entrance.
Required documents
Submit originals and one copy of all documents. Portuguese-language documents are accepted without translation — the criminal record check is the exception. Documents in other languages need a sworn Spanish translation.
1
Visa application form (formulário de solicitação)
Original only — no copy needed. Complete on a computer, not by hand. One recent colour passport photo (light background, no sunglasses, full face visible) fixed to the form. Include your full address with CEP and state, email, phone, planned travel dates, and exact course start and end dates. Sign at the bottom.
Download the official form from the Embassy's requirements page →. Use our form helper for field-by-field guidance.
2
Passport
Valid for the entire planned stay in Spain. Original plus one copy of the biometric data page(s). Minimum two blank pages. Passports issued more than 10 years ago are not accepted.
3
School acceptance letter — prova de admissão
From your Instituto Cervantes accredited school in Spain. Original plus one copy. Must clearly state: exact course start and end dates, tuition value, weekly class hours (minimum 20 in person), and that the course leads to a certificate or qualification. For language courses, the letter must reference Instituto Cervantes accreditation.
All schools on this site are Instituto Cervantes accredited. Enrol and save €500 →
4
Proof of financial means — prova de recursos econômicos
The minimum required is equivalent to 100% of Spain's IPREM per month (approximately €600/month in 2024/25). Original and copy of documents proving you — or a supporting family member — have sufficient funds for the full stay plus return. Submit all that apply: income tax return (IR — copy only); last 3 months' payslips if employed (original + copy); last 3 months' bank statements for all accounts stamped by a bank employee at a physical branch (original + copy).
⚠️ Internet banking printouts are not accepted if your bank has physical branches. Go in person for stamped statements on every account.
If a family member is sponsoring you: they need a notarised Declaração de Manutenção with cartório-recognised signature, plus their own complete financial documentation. If accommodation costs are already paid in full, this amount may be deducted from the required minimum.
5
Health insurance — seguro de doença
From a DGSFP-authorised Spanish insurer. Must cover all risks of Spain's public health system: no copayments, no deductibles, no coverage limits. Travel insurance is not accepted. Must cover the entire duration of your stay in Spain. Original and one copy.
The Embassy's own page mentions Adeslas, Asisa, AXXA, DKV and Sanitas as examples. We partner with Atlántida — DGSFP-registered. Verify any insurer at rrpp.dgsfp.mineco.es. Get a quote →
6
Criminal record check — certidão de antecedentes penais Stays over 180 days
For courses over 180 days (adults only). Issued by the Polícia Federal — apply at gov.br. Apostille at a cartório. Submit: apostilled original + copy + sworn Spanish translation + copy of translation. Also provide apostilled checks from any country where you lived for 6+ months in the last 5 years.
⚠️ The PF criminal check requires a sworn Spanish translation even though it's in Portuguese. Use a translator from the Embassy's official translator list →
7
Medical certificate — atestado médico Stays over 180 days
For courses over 180 days. From any licensed Brazilian doctor with legible CRM number, signature cartório-recognised before apostilling. Must state that the applicant does not suffer from diseases with serious public health repercussions under the International Health Regulations 2005. Apostille at a cartório. Valid for 90 days from issue date. Submit: apostilled original + copy.
Brasília-exclusive shortcut: use the bilingual template. The Embassy provides an official bilingual Portuguese-Spanish medical certificate template. If your doctor uses this template, no Spanish translation of the certificate is needed — saving you the cost and time of a sworn translation. Download the bilingual template →
Apostille first, then copy. Never copy the document before apostilling.
8
Proof of residence in the consular jurisdiction
A utility bill (electricity, water, gas, landline or internet) or rental contract showing your name and address in one of the states covered by the Brasília Embassy: DF, GO, MT, AC, AP, AM, PA, RO, RR or TO.
9
Visa fee payment
Paid in Brazilian reais (BRL) in cash or by PIX on the day of your appointment. Check the current BRL rate on the Embassy's official fees page before attending.
The bilingual medical template — Brasília's biggest advantage
This is the standout difference between Brasília and every other Spanish consulate in Brazil. The Embassy publishes an official medical certificate template in both Portuguese and Spanish simultaneously. If your doctor fills in and signs this bilingual form (and it is then cartório-recognised and apostilled in the normal way), the Embassy accepts it without requiring a separate sworn Spanish translation. Every other consulate requires the apostilled certificate to be translated into Spanish by a sworn translator — an extra step that takes time and costs money.
Print it and take it to your doctor. They fill in their CRM number, address, your name and passport number, and sign it. The wording already states the required IHR 2005 public health declaration in both languages.
Have the doctor's signature cartório-recognised (firma reconhecida em cartório).
Apostille the document at a cartório. Make one A4 copy of the apostilled original. Done — no Spanish translation needed.
Step-by-step process
1
Enrol at an Instituto Cervantes accredited school
Get your acceptance letter confirming course dates, timetable, tuition value, and Cervantes accreditation.
⏰ At least 3 months before course start
2
Download the bilingual medical template and get it signed (stays over 180 days)
Download from the Embassy page. Take to your doctor — they fill in and sign. Get the signature cartório-recognised. Apostille at a cartório. Make one A4 copy. No translation needed.
⏰ Within 90 days of your appointment
3
Get your Polícia Federal criminal check and apostille (stays over 180 days)
Apply at gov.br. Apostille at a cartório. Commission a sworn Spanish translation from the Embassy's official translator list. Submit: apostilled original + copy + translation + copy of translation.
⏰ Allow 2–3 weeks — start immediately
4
Collect bank statements in person
Go to your bank branch for 3-month stamped statements on all accounts. Internet banking printouts are not accepted.
⏰ Close to your appointment
5
Purchase Spanish health insurance
DGSFP-authorised insurer. No travel insurance. Covers full stay from entry to return.
⏰ Before booking your appointment
6
Book your appointment online
Via the Embassy's agendamento consular page. Select "vistos". Book at least 2 months before your course start date.
⏰ At least 2 months before course start
7
Attend your appointment — SES Av. das Nações, Brasília
Enter via the gate facing Lago Sul. Bring originals and one copy of all documents. Pay fee in BRL cash or PIX.
⏰ Day of appointment
8
Wait for processing — allow 6–8 weeks
Track at sutramiteconsular.maec.es. Student visas require Madrid authorisation. Do not book non-refundable flights until the visa is in your passport.
⏰ No non-refundable bookings until visa confirmed
Frequently asked questions
I live in Cuiabá (Mato Grosso) — is Brasília my Embassy? +
Yes. Mato Grosso falls under the Brasília Embassy. Do not confuse MT (Mato Grosso) with MS (Mato Grosso do Sul) — MS is under the São Paulo consulate. Residents of Cuiabá and all of MT apply in Brasília.
I live in Manaus / Belém / Goiânia — do I apply here? +
Yes. Amazonas (Manaus), Pará (Belém), Goiás (Goiânia) and all other states in the Brasília jurisdiction apply here. There are honorary Spanish consulates in some of these cities, but they cannot process student visas — you must apply at the Embassy in Brasília.
Why is the bilingual medical template useful? +
Every other Spanish consulate in Brazil requires you to get the apostilled medical certificate translated into Spanish by a sworn translator — an extra cost and typically several extra days. The Brasília Embassy's bilingual template means your doctor fills in a form that is simultaneously in Portuguese and Spanish. Once signed, cartório-recognised and apostilled, the Embassy accepts it without a separate translation. It's a genuine time and money saver unique to the Brasília office.
Do I need to translate my documents? +
Generally no — Portuguese documents are accepted without translation. The main exceptions are: (1) the Polícia Federal criminal record check, which requires a sworn Spanish translation despite being in Portuguese; and (2) any document in a language other than Portuguese or Spanish, which also needs a sworn translation. The medical certificate is the exception to the exception — use the bilingual template and no translation is needed.
How long does processing take? +
Student visas require prior authorisation from Madrid's central immigration services, which extends the process beyond the standard 1-month window. Allow 6–8 weeks total from your appointment. Apply at least 2–3 months before your course start date and don't book non-refundable travel until you have the visa physically in hand.