No consent from both parents, no Brazilian passport for your child.
The consulate issues a Brazilian passport to a minor under 18 only when both the father and the mother give consent, with a certified signature. Is one parent not Brazilian, living in Brazil, or unwilling to sign? There is a path for each case. Cartório BR prepares the application, the notarized consent form, and the 2x2 photo, and supports your family all the way to the appointment.
- 2x2 photo and notarization included
- Application prepared in e-Consular
- A team that knows every family situation
Neither parent can handle a minor's passport alone.
Many families only find out on the day of the appointment: without the consent of both parents, the consulate will not issue a Brazilian passport to a minor under 18. A parent who shows up with only the child and their own ID is turned away.
And consent is more than a simple note. It must be on the correct form, and the signature of the parent who is not present must be certified in the way the consulate accepts.
The path also depends on the family: one parent is not Brazilian, one lives in Brazil, or one refuses to sign. Each situation calls for a different document.
The worst time to find this out is after you have bought the plane tickets.
The consulate serves families by appointment or by mail, always after the application is validated in e-Consular.
The mobile consulates in Seattle and Portland are held on set dates, only a few times a year. A mistake in the parental consent means waiting for the next opening or the next mobile consulate. Cartório BR prepares everything ahead of time: whether in person or by mail, your family hands over only what is already complete.
What does Cartório BR do for your child's passport?
A Brazilian passport for a minor under 18 is issued by the Consulate General of Brazil in San Francisco, which serves the Pacific Northwest of the United States. The consulate also holds mobile consulates in cities such as Seattle and Portland.
The application starts in the e-Consular system, with the documents of the child and of both parents, the consent of both, and a photo that meets the required standard. Once validated, it is completed in person or by mail, depending on the case. Our team will tell you whether your child needs to be present.
Cartório BR's service includes:
The passport application. Our team reviews your family's situation, checks the documents, and builds the application in the consulate's system.
Notarization. The parent who will not attend the appointment signs the consent form before a notary public, who certifies the signature in the form the consulate accepts.
The 2x2 photo. Taken to the Brazilian passport standard, to avoid rejection over background, framing, or size.
Parents unsure which form to use or who has to sign, holding a photo that misses the standard, and worried about losing their consulate appointment.
Application ready, consent form with a certified signature, the right photo, and a family that knows what to expect on appointment day at the consulate or the mobile consulate.
For families in the United States with a Brazilian child under 18
Both parents are Brazilian and live in the United States
This is the most straightforward case: both parents consent, and Cartório BR handles the application, the photo, and the consent form for whichever parent cannot attend.
One parent is not Brazilian
The non-Brazilian parent, whether American or of another nationality, must also give consent. They sign by presenting their own ID, and our team explains which identification is accepted and how the signature is certified.
One parent lives in Brazil
The parent in Brazil signs the consent form there, at a Brazilian notary office (cartório), has the signature certified in person (reconhecimento de firma por autenticidade, meaning it is signed in front of the notary), and sends the document here. Our team provides the template and explains how to send it.
The child does not have a CPF yet
The CPF (Brazilian taxpayer ID number) is mandatory for the passport application. If your child does not have one, Cartório BR requests it from Brazil's Federal Revenue Service (Receita Federal) before applying for the passport, as part of the same service.
One parent does not consent
When a parent refuses to sign or cannot be located, the passport can only be issued with a court order. The order may come from a Brazilian judge or from a foreign court, with the document legalized by apostille. It is a last resort, and our team guides your family through it. See more in the FAQ below.
The problem shows up once the trip is already booked.
A child's Brazilian passport is valid for a shorter period than an adult's. It expires without anyone noticing, and the family only checks it when buying tickets to Brazil.
That is when the rush begins. Appointments at the consulate must be booked in advance, and mailing the application also takes time. The next mobile consulate is months away. The father needs to sign and lives in another state, or the mother is in Brazil and must have her signature certified in person at a cartório.
Without a Brazilian passport, your child cannot enter or leave Brazil as a Brazilian citizen. A US passport does not solve this: Brazil requires its citizens to use the Brazilian document.
Without your child's passport, these can be put on hold:
- A vacation trip to Brazil
- Visits with grandparents and family
- Boarding your flight to Brazil
- The travel authorization noted in the passport
- Entering and leaving Brazil as a Brazilian citizen
The law prohibits issuing a minor's passport without the express consent of the parents.
Decree No. 5,978 of December 4, 2006, which governs Brazilian travel documents, states in Article 27 (as amended by Decree No. 8,374/2014) that, for minors under eighteen, no travel document may be issued without the express consent of both parents or the legal guardian. The same article lists the exceptions: consent from only one parent when the other has died or lost parental authority, as proven by a certificate or a court order, and consent from the sole parent listed on the birth certificate. The sole paragraph completes the rule: if the parents disagree, the document is granted only by court order.
Travel requires a different authorization. Brazil's Child and Adolescent Statute (Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente, ECA, Law No. 8,069/1990), Article 84, waives court authorization for international travel when the child or adolescent travels with both parents, or with one of them expressly authorized by the other in a document with a certified signature. Resolution No. 131/2011 of Brazil's National Council of Justice (CNJ) details this rule: Article 2 covers minors who live outside Brazil and are returning to their country of residence, and Article 13 allows the travel authorization to be given in the passport application itself, so that it appears in the passport.
In practice, applicants often mix up the two authorizations, and the consulate handles each one differently. When the case calls for it, Cartório BR prepares both, so your child leaves the appointment with the passport application and the travel authorization taken care of.
For minors under eighteen, no travel document may be issued without the express consent of both parents or the legal guardian. The same article lists the exceptions: consent from only one parent when the other has died or lost parental authority, as proven by a certificate or a court order, and consent from the sole parent listed on the birth certificate. If the parents disagree, the document is granted only by court order.
Waives court authorization for international travel when the child or adolescent travels with both parents, or with one of them expressly authorized by the other in a document with a certified signature.
Article 2 covers minors who live outside Brazil and are returning to their country of residence, and Article 13 allows the travel authorization to be given in the passport application itself, so that it appears in the passport.
What you need to send
From the child, in every case
- Original Brazilian birth certificate
- The child's CPF (if your child does not have one, Cartório BR first requests it from the Federal Revenue Service; see below)
- Previous Brazilian passport (renewals only)
Case 1: both parents are Brazilian and live in the United States (documents from each parent)
- ID: a valid Brazilian passport or a Brazilian ID card (RG) issued less than 10 years ago
- CPF number
- Proof of address
Case 2: one parent is not Brazilian (documents from the Brazilian parent)
- ID: a valid Brazilian passport or an RG issued less than 10 years ago
- CPF number
- Proof of address
Case 2: documents from the non-Brazilian parent
- Valid foreign passport or, if the parent is American, a valid state ID or driver's license
Case 3: both parents are Brazilian and one lives in Brazil (documents from the parent in Brazil)
- ID: a valid passport, an RG issued less than 10 years ago, or a valid Brazilian driver's license (CNH)
- CPF number
- Proof of address in Brazil, in the parent's own name
Case 3: documents from the parent in the United States
- ID: a valid Brazilian passport or an RG issued less than 10 years ago
- CPF number
- Proof of address
If your child does not have a CPF yet, in addition to the documents for your case
- A selfie of one parent holding their own ID
You don't face the consulate's system alone: Cartório BR prepares everything ahead of time.
You tell us about your family
Are both parents Brazilian? Is one of them American? Does either of them live in Brazil? Does your child already have a CPF? With those answers, our team identifies your case and the documents you need to send.
You send the documents on WhatsApp
Our team checks every item before any appointment is booked. This is where most problems are caught: an RG that is too old, a certificate that will not work, a missing CPF.
Cartório BR prepares the application, the consent form, and the photo
If your child does not have a CPF, Cartório BR first requests one from Brazil's Federal Revenue Service (Receita Federal), which usually issues the number within a few business days. With the CPF in hand, our team enters the application in e-Consular, handles the notarization of the consent of the parent who will not attend, and takes your child's 2x2 photo to the required standard.
You complete the application with everything ready
At the Consulate General in San Francisco, at a mobile consulate, or by mail, depending on the case, your family submits the documents, and your child's biometric data is collected when required. The consulate then issues the passport and tells you how to pick it up or receive it.
Why choose Cartório BR?
Experience at the mobile consulates
Francisco Harto has lived in the United States since 2016 and, since 2017, has volunteered at the mobile consulates held by the Brazilian consulate. Cartório BR has served the Brazilian community for more than five years, mainly in Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco.
A path for every family
Brazilian parents, an American parent, a parent in Brazil, a parent who won't sign. Our team has seen each of these cases and knows which document the consulate accepts and which one it sends back.
Photo and notarization in one place
You don't need to look for a studio that knows the Brazilian standard or a notary who understands the consulate's form. The photo and the notarization are included in the service.
Application ready before appointment day
The e-Consular application, the consent form, and the photo are ready before your appointment. Whether in person or by mail, nothing reaches the consulate without being checked. No surprises at the consulate counter.
Mistakes that get a minor's passport application rejected by the consulate
Going to the consulate with only one parent, without the other parent's certified consent.
Assuming the non-Brazilian parent does not need to consent.
Sending the consent of the parent in Brazil without the signature certified in person at a cartório.
Presenting an RG issued more than 10 years ago as the father's or mother's ID.
Showing up without the child's CPF.
Bringing a photo that does not meet the standard (background, size, glasses, smiling).
Waiting until the week of the mobile consulate to get started.
Confusing consent to issue the passport with authorization to travel: they are different documents.
The consulate sets the timeline; your date depends on open appointments or the mobile consulate schedule.
Cartório BR prepares the application, the consent form, and the photo within a few days of receiving your complete documents. The passport is issued by the Consulate General of Brazil in San Francisco, and the consulate gives the delivery estimate when it receives the application. The mobile consulates in Seattle and Portland take place on dates set by the consulate. Families with a ready application have a better chance of getting a slot; those who start the week of the mobile consulate risk being pushed to the next one. If one parent does not consent, the timeline is up to the courts, in Brazil or here, and Cartório BR cannot promise a date.
Frequently asked questions
Not necessarily. The law requires the express consent of both, but a parent who cannot attend can give consent in writing, with a certified (notarized) signature, and the document goes with the application. Cartório BR handles that notarization.
Yes. The rule applies to both parents, Brazilian or not. He signs the consent form by presenting his US passport, state ID, or valid driver's license. Our team explains the form and how the signature is certified.
She signs the consent form in Brazil, with her signature certified in person (por autenticidade) at a Brazilian cartório, and sends the document here. Our team provides the template and explains what it must include and how to send it.
Without consent from both parents, the consulate will not issue the passport. Decree No. 5,978/2006, Article 27, sole paragraph, states that when the parents disagree, the document is granted only by court order. The path, then, is to obtain an order that replaces the missing consent. It may come from a Brazilian judge, in a lawsuit for court-granted consent (ação de suprimento de autorização) filed by an attorney, or from a foreign court, with the document legalized by apostille. It is a last resort: it has costs, it takes time, the judge may request more documents, and the decision is the judge's. Cartório BR guides you on the documents and refers the case, but does not promise any outcome or timeline.
Article 27 of Decree No. 5,978/2006 also allows consent from only one parent when the other has died or lost parental authority, as proven by a death certificate or a court order, and consent from the sole parent listed on the birth certificate. Cartório BR reviews the documents and tells you what to submit.
Yes, within the same service. The CPF is mandatory for the passport application, and it is issued by the Federal Revenue Service through a separate request sent by email. Cartório BR submits that request first, with a selfie of one parent holding their own ID, and then enters the passport application.
No. A minor's passport is issued by the consulate in the United States. The application is completed at the Consulate General in San Francisco, at a mobile consulate, or by mail, depending on the case. Only the lawsuit, when one is needed, goes through the courts, in Brazil or here. Even when it is filed in Brazil, it is handled by an attorney, and you generally do not need to travel.
No. Consent to issue the passport is one thing; travel authorization (ECA, Article 84, and CNJ Resolution No. 131/2011) is another. The travel authorization can be included in the passport itself at the time of the application or provided in a separate document. Cartório BR guides you on both as part of the same service.
No. Cartório BR is a private document services company in Bothell, Washington; it is not a consulate, a cartório, or a government agency. The passport is issued by the consulate, and any court order, when needed, is up to the judge.
Don't find out at the consulate counter that a signature was missing.
First passport or renewal: Cartório BR gets the application, the notarized consent form, and the 2x2 photo ready, and your family arrives at the consulate knowing exactly what to hand over. Tell us about your situation, and our team will point you to the right document.
Remote service for Brazilians in the United States, with a team in both countries.