The Federal Police (DELEMIG) Immigration Appointment in Brazil: What to Expect

If you are a foreign national building a life in Brazil, sooner or later you will sit across from an officer of the Polícia Federal. The appointment where you register your visa or residence and collect your CRNM (Carteira de Registro Nacional Migratório) is the moment your status becomes real on paper. It is not something to improvise. As we tell every client: the Federal Police is where prepared files move and unprepared files stall.

This guide explains what the DELEMIG — the Federal Police’s immigration unit — actually does, what to bring, what trips people up, and what happens after you leave the counter. It applies wherever you register in Brazil. Where a detail is specific to São Paulo’s Lapa unit — the largest office dedicated to foreign nationals in the country — we say so.

Reviewed by Luciano Oliveira — Brazil–US attorney, LL.M., licensed in Brazil, Texas, and California · Last reviewed: July 2026.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Immigration outcomes depend on your facts, your route, your documents, and government processing. Requirements, fees, and procedures change, and Federal Police officers exercise discretion; your case should be reviewed by a licensed attorney.

What DELEMIG is — and what it is not

DELEMIG is the Delegacia da Polícia Federal para Imigrantes — the Federal Police’s immigration desk. At your appointment, the PF identifies you (fingerprints and photo), records your registration, issues your CRNM, and enters you into Brazil’s national migration database. That is the job of the office: identification and registration.

Here is what the DELEMIG is not. It is not the body that decides whether you qualify to live in Brazil. For most routes that decision is made upstream — often by the Ministério da Justiça — and the Federal Police registers the result. The officers are not there to build your case, second-guess your route, or fix a weak file. Expect processing, not counsel. Go in self-sufficient, with a file that is ready to submit.

A word on São Paulo: the Lapa unit is the largest Federal Police office dedicated to foreign nationals in the country and operates across multiple floors. It sees enormous volume. But the experience rhymes everywhere — the systems, the documents, and the mindset below apply whether you register in São Paulo, Rio, Florianópolis, or a smaller interior unit.

One appointment, three systems, two agencies

The single most confusing part of the process is that it runs across three different websites belonging to two different agencies. Keeping them straight saves you days:

• MigranteWeb — run by the Ministério da Justiça. Where certain residence-authorization requests are filed and decided.
• SISMIGRA — run by the Polícia Federal. Where you file your registration request (the requerimento) and, later, track your card’s status.
• Agenda Web — run by the Polícia Federal. Where you book the in-person appointment.

The order that works: settle your authorization, generate and pay the fee (GRU), complete the SISMIGRA requerimento, book your slot on Agenda Web, then attend, give biometrics, and receive your protocolo — before finally tracking and collecting your CRNM. If you are still deciding whether to apply from inside Brazil or at a consulate, that choice shapes which of these steps you meet first.

Getting an appointment (the honest version)

Appointment slots are scarce, especially in the big cities, and São Paulo runs a real backlog. It is common to open Agenda Web and see no availability at all. The practical path most people use is to check repeatedly, because cancellations reopen slots that get taken quickly. Turning up without a booking usually means being turned away at the door.

We won’t pretend this part is smooth. When we run a client’s immigration route, securing and holding the appointment is part of what we handle, precisely because the calendar — not the paperwork — is so often the bottleneck.

The three documents that most often stall a file

Most appointments that fail don’t fail on something exotic. Over and over, the same three items send people home to rebook:

1. An apostilled birth certificate. A birth certificate without a Hague apostille — and a sworn Portuguese translation — is one of the most common reasons a file is bounced. The apostille and the translation cannot be done at the counter, so build in the time.
2. An apostilled background check. For U.S. citizens, the FBI identity-history check is the gold standard. Whether a lesser state or county check will be accepted depends on your immigration route — some pathways require the federal check; others tolerate a local one. Don’t assume; confirm what your specific route needs. Like the birth certificate, it must be apostilled and translated.
3. Solid proof of a Brazilian address. Officers want credible evidence that you live where you say you do, and this is an area where they exercise real discretion. Note the trap that catches newcomers: the standard address letter Airbnb generates automatically is currently not accepted by most officers. A utility bill in your name (or your spouse’s), a formal lease, or an official document carries far more weight than an app-generated letter.

If there is one takeaway from this page, it is this: the appointment is won or lost on documents you prepare weeks earlier — foreign-issued papers that need apostilles and sworn translations before they ever reach the officer’s desk.

Fees (GRU) and the rest of the paperwork

The registration is paid through a GRU (Guia de Recolhimento da União) that you generate on the Federal Police site; the appointment itself is free. Different services carry different codes and amounts. As examples at the time of this writing (July 2026), CRNM card issuance is charged under code 140120 (about R$204,77) and residence-authorization processing under code 140066 (about R$168,13). Treat these as illustrations, not quotes — codes and amounts change — so confirm the current guia on the PF generator before you pay. One practical tip: if your browser is auto-translating the PF site, switch back to the original page before generating the GRU, or it can come out wrong.

Beyond the three documents above, bring your online requerimento, your passport, originals and copies of what your route requires, and proof of your GRU payment. Any foreign civil document generally needs the same apostille-plus-sworn-translation treatment.

The day of — what to expect

Plan for half a day. Even with an appointment, waits of an hour or two are normal in busy units, and the office can be crowded. You’ll give fingerprints and have your photo taken on-site.

Be ready for a wide range in how you’re received. Officer conduct is not standardized. Some officers speak good English and will offer genuinely helpful, actionable guidance; others expect a complete, submit-ready file and won’t make an effort to communicate in English. Neither is personal. The way to be comfortable at either end of that range is to arrive fully prepared, so you don’t need the officer to coach you. Dress and carry yourself as you would for any government office, and keep your appointment printout and documents in order.

After the appointment — your protocolo and your card

You do not walk out with the plastic card. You leave with a protocolo — a printed receipt of your registration — and it matters more than people realize. You are a legal resident from the day you register, not the day the card prints. The protocolo stands in for the CRNM while it is produced, including as identification and for traveling in and out of Brazil.

The physical CRNM can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months, depending on the unit and any production backlogs. You can track the status yourself on the Federal Police’s SISMIGRA system, and you’ll collect the card when it is ready. If your protocolo approaches its expiry before the card arrives, it can be renewed. The card’s validity term matches your residence authorization. (When the time comes to renew, replace, or request a second copy, see our guide to the CRNM: renewal, 2ª via, and deadlines.)

Deadlines, renewals, and the cost of missing them

The clock starts earlier than most people expect. If you entered on a temporary visa, you generally must register within 90 days of arrival. If your residence was authorized while you were already in Brazil, you generally have 30 days from the publication of the approval. Missing the window triggers a fine (multa) assessed for the delay — as of now, up to R$100 per day, capped at R$10,000 — and letting your status lapse altogether is worse: it can complicate leaving and re-entering the country.

Renewals bring their own version of the same problem: start early. Because appointment availability is the real constraint, the safe move is to begin well before your current document expires rather than discovering there are no slots when you’re up against the date.

Watch: a real Lapa appointment, start to finish

Luciano walks through a São Paulo (Lapa) Federal Police appointment from arrival to card pickup, including the mistakes that stall cases.

How Oliveira Lawyers helps

We don’t sell a standalone “book your Federal Police appointment” product. What we do is handle the Federal Police step as part of your immigration route. When you retain us for a pathway such as a Brazil Retirement Visa / Residency or a Marriage-Based Residency (in Brazilian law, Autorização de residência para reunificação familiar), the DELEMIG appointment is built into the work: we secure and hold the slot, generate and pay the GRU, and prepare your full submission — apostilles, sworn translations, address proof, and all — so that your file is one of the ones that moves.

We typically review every document before your visit to the Federal Police, which reduces the chance of a non-approval and of the multiple return trips that catch so many applicants off guard. If you are still weighing whether to go it alone, our take on whether you need an immigration lawyer in Brazil lays out where representation actually earns its keep.

Common questions

Do I need an appointment, or can I just show up?

In practice you need a booked appointment, made through Agenda Web. Turning up without one — especially in São Paulo — usually means being turned away at the entrance.

Agenda Web shows no available slots. What do I do?

Availability opens as others cancel, so checking repeatedly is how most people find a slot. If you’re on a deadline, this is one of the reasons clients bring us in — securing the appointment is part of running the route.

Which GRU code and fee do I pay?

It depends on the service. As examples current to July 2026, the CRNM card is generated under code 140120 (about R$204,77) and residence-authorization processing under code 140066 (about R$168,13). Codes and amounts change — confirm the current guia on the Federal Police generator before paying.

Do my birth certificate and background check need to be apostilled and translated?

Yes. Foreign civil documents generally need a Hague apostille and a sworn (juramentada) Portuguese translation. For U.S. background checks, the FBI check is the gold standard; whether a state or county check is accepted depends on your route.

Is an Airbnb letter enough to prove my address?

Usually not. The standard auto-generated Airbnb letter is currently not accepted by most officers. A utility bill, a formal lease, or an official document in your (or your spouse’s) name is far safer.

How long does the CRNM take, and can I travel while I wait?

The card can take from a few weeks to several months. In the meantime your protocolo serves as proof of your status and lets you travel in and out of Brazil.

Am I a legal resident from registration, or only when the card prints?

From the day you register. The card is the physical document; your residence exists from registration, evidenced by the protocolo.

What happens if I miss the 90-day or 30-day window?

A fine applies for the delay — as of now, up to R$100 per day, capped at R$10,000 — and letting status lapse can create bigger problems for future entries and renewals. If a deadline is close, act now rather than waiting for the perfect appointment slot.

Does anyone at the Federal Police speak English?

Sometimes. It varies by officer and unit, so plan to be self-sufficient — or bring representation — rather than counting on it.

General information only, not legal advice or tax advice. Immigration requirements, fees, and Federal Police procedures change and are applied at the officer’s discretion; confirm current rules for your route before acting.

Related guides: Brazil Immigration & Residency · Family-Reunion (Marriage-Based) Residency · CRNM: renewal, 2ª via & deadlines · Overstay fines & tourist extensions · Apply in Brazil or at a consulate? · Do you need an immigration lawyer?