What documents do I need to move to Canada as a Brazil citizen?

Typical pathway: Express Entry

Last verified: September 22, 2026

Valid Brazilian passport (passaporte brasileiro) (before) — Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) – Express Entry document checklist
Machine-readable Brazilian passport valid well beyond the intended landing date; the biographic data page is uploaded with the e-APR and passport details must match the Express Entry profile exactly. Brazil is a visa-required country, so the passport is also sent to the visa office for the permanent resident visa counterfoil.
Language test results (IELTS General Training, CELPIP-General, TEF Canada or TCF Canada) (before) — Source: IRCC – Language requirements for Express Entry
Original test report from an IRCC-designated organization, less than 2 years old on the date of the permanent residence application. In Brazil, IELTS is offered in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Brasília, and CELPIP testing is available in São Paulo; French tests (TEF/TCF) are administered through Alliance Française centres.
Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report (before) — Source: IRCC – Educational credential assessment for Express Entry
Report from an IRCC-designated organization (WES is the most commonly used route for Brazilian degrees) equating the Brazilian diploma to a Canadian credential. Must be less than 5 years old at the time of profile creation and of the application.
Apostilled Brazilian diploma and histórico escolar (academic transcript) (before) — Source: Conselho Nacional de Justiça (CNJ) – Apostila da Convenção da Haia
Underlying academic documents issued by the Brazilian institution and apostilled under the Hague Convention (Brazil is a signatory; apostille is issued by authorized notary offices / cartórios under CNJ rules). These are sent to the ECA body, not to IRCC directly. Confirm the exact format your chosen ECA organization requires.
Certidão de Antecedentes Criminais issued by the Polícia Federal (before) — Source: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/medical-police/police-certificates/how/brazil.html
National criminal record certificate requested online at the Polícia Federal portal using CPF and RG/CIE, or in person at a PF office if you do not hold Brazilian ID numbers. IRCC no longer accepts Brazilian state-level certificates (Tribunal de Justiça / Secretaria de Segurança Pública) — only the national Federal Police certificate.
Police certificates from every other country of residence (6+ months since age 18) (before) — Source: IRCC – Police certificates for permanent residence applications
Separate from the Brazilian Federal Police certificate: one certificate per country/territory where the applicant (and each accompanying family member 18+) lived six consecutive months or more since turning 18 — e.g. FBI Identity History Summary for the USA, ACRO for the UK, AFP National Police Check for Australia. Required only if such residence applies.
Certidão de Nascimento (Brazilian birth certificate) (before) — Source: IRCC – Express Entry document checklist
Recent second-copy (segunda via) birth certificate for the principal applicant and for each dependent child included in the application; used to establish identity and family relationships in the e-APR.
Certidão de Casamento, união estável declaration, or divorce averbação (before) — Source: IRCC – Express Entry document checklist
Civil status proof for applicants who are married, in a common-law/união estável relationship, divorced or widowed. A divorce must be shown by the certidão de casamento bearing the averbação de divórcio. Required only if applicable to the applicant's civil status.
Employment reference letters from Brazilian (and foreign) employers (before) — Source: IRCC – Express Entry: Work experience documents
Letters on company letterhead stating job title, NOC-matching duties, start and end dates, hours per week, annual salary plus benefits, and the signatory's contact details. Carteira de Trabalho (CTPS) entries, contracts and payslips can be attached as secondary evidence but do not replace the reference letter.
Proof of settlement funds — official bank letters (before) — Source: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/documents/proof-funds.html
Letters on each bank's letterhead (Banco do Brasil, Itaú, Bradesco, etc.) showing account numbers, opening dates, current balances, six-month average balances and outstanding debts, converted to CAD. Required for Federal Skilled Worker and Federal Skilled Trades applicants; Canadian Experience Class applicants and those with a valid job offer are exempt but must still upload a short letter of explanation because the checklist requests the item from everyone. Verify the current amount for your family size on the official IRCC table before submitting, as it is updated at least annually.
Immigration Medical Examination (IME) results from an IRCC panel physician (before) — Source: IRCC – Find a panel physician
Upfront medical exam completed by an IRCC-designated panel physician in Brazil (clinics in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasília and other cities); the physician transmits results to IRCC via eMedical and gives the applicant a confirmation/receipt (IMM 1017B upfront medical report) to upload. Required for the principal applicant and all family members, including non-accompanying ones.
Certified Portuguese-to-English/French translations with translator affidavit (before) — Source: IRCC – Translation of supporting documents
Every Portuguese document (police certificate, birth/marriage certificates, reference letters, bank letters) must be accompanied by a translation plus the original or a certified copy. In Brazil this is normally produced by a tradutor público juramentado; if the translator is not certified, a sworn affidavit from the translator is required. Confirm the exact certification wording with IRCC, as translation formatting is a frequent cause of incomplete applications.
Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) and permanent resident visa counterfoil (before) — Source: IRCC – Prepare for arrival as a permanent resident
Issued after approval. Because Brazilian citizens are visa-required, the visa office (Ottawa/Mexico City network serving Brazil) places a PR visa counterfoil in the Brazilian passport in addition to issuing the COPR/eCOPR; both must be presented to board the flight and at the Canadian port of entry.
Signed COPR / eCOPR confirming landing (during) — Source: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/refugees/economic-mobility-pathways-pilot/immigrate/arrive.html
At the port of entry (or through the PR Portal for in-Canada landings) the COPR is validated and signed; the signed eCOPR is the temporary proof of permanent resident status until the physical PR card arrives. Keep digital and printed copies — it is the document Service Canada and provincial offices will ask for.
Personal effects accounting list (CBSA form BSF186) and 'goods to follow' list (BSF186A) (during) — Source: Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) – Form BSF186 Personal Effects Accounting Document
Two typed copies of an itemized list, with values in CAD, of household goods brought at landing and of goods arriving later by air/sea freight from Brazil. Must be presented to CBSA at first entry to claim duty- and tax-free settler's effects; goods not declared at landing generally cannot be imported duty-free later.
Currency declaration for CAD 10,000 or more (CBSA form E677) (during) — Source: CBSA – Cross-border currency and monetary instruments reporting
If cash, bank drafts or other monetary instruments totalling CAD 10,000 or more (including Brazilian reais at equivalent value) are carried in, the amount must be reported to CBSA at the border. Not a visa requirement, but non-declaration can lead to seizure of the settlement funds.
Social Insurance Number (SIN) application at Service Canada (during) — Source: Service Canada – Social Insurance Number
Apply online or in person with the signed COPR (or PR card) plus the Brazilian passport and a Canadian proof of address. The SIN is not issued automatically on landing and is needed to work, open interest-bearing accounts and receive benefits.
Canadian mailing address notification for the first PR card (after) — Source: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/family-sponsorship/other-relatives/prepare-arrival.html
The first PR card is mailed automatically; if a Canadian mailing address was not given when PR status was granted, it must be supplied through IRCC's online address notification tool within 180 days or the card is cancelled and a new application with new fees is required.
Permanent Resident Card (PR card) (after) — Source: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/application-forms-guides/guide-5445-applying-permanent-resident-card-card-first-application-replacement-renewal-change-gender-identifier.html
The official PR travel and status document, needed to re-enter Canada by commercial carrier (otherwise a Permanent Resident Travel Document must be obtained at a Canadian mission abroad). Renewals and replacements are made with form IMM 5444 under Guide 5445; keep a travel record because the 730-days-in-5-years residency obligation must be proven.
Provincial or territorial health insurance card (after) — Source: Provincial/territorial ministry of health (e.g. ServiceOntario–OHIP, RAMQ Québec, Health Insurance BC)
Apply with the COPR/PR card, Brazilian passport and proof of provincial residence (lease, utility bill). Coverage rules differ by province and some impose a waiting period of up to three months, during which private interim health insurance is advisable — verify the current waiting period with the provincial ministry of health.
Provincial driver's licence exchange or road test file (after) — Source: Provincial licensing authority (e.g. ServiceOntario/DriveTest, SAAQ Québec, ICBC British Columbia)
The Brazilian CNH is generally usable only for a short grace period (often 60–90 days) after establishing residence, and most provinces do not have a full reciprocal exchange agreement with Brazil, so road and knowledge tests plus a certified translation of the CNH or an International Driving Permit are usually needed. Requirements vary by province — verify with the provincial licensing authority.

Not legal advice. Based on cached research — verify with official sources before making decisions.

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