After weeks of warnings, Brazil’s Federal Police (PF) stopped accepting new passport requests at midnight on 3 November 2025, citing the exhaustion of its R$ 329 million annual budget for the ‘Passport and Traffic-Control System.’ The shutdown came after Congress failed to approve an emergency R$ 97.5 million credit requested by the Justice Ministry.
Across the country, appointment slots were removed from the online booking portal and PF posts turned away applicants, telling them to monitor the website for updates. Passports already printed can still be collected, but renewals and first-time documents are on hold indefinitely. In 2024 the PF issued a record 3.7 million passports; officials estimate a backlog of up to 25,000 applications per day during the suspension.
![Passport Crunch: Federal Police Halt Issuance as Funding Gap Hits on 3 November]()
Travel-reliant sectors reacted swiftly. Airlines waived re-booking fees for Brazilian citizens unable to travel because of expired documents, and the National Confederation of Industry warned that missed business trips could cost exporters at least US$40 million per week. Multinationals are advising assignees to carry certified copies of their Brazilian ID and to avoid international trips that would require re-entry before passports are renewed.
The Justice Ministry says it is “working with the Economy Ministry and Congress” to reallocate funds and hopes to restore service within ten days, but analysts note that a similar budget freeze in 2022 lasted five weeks. Companies with impending moves are urged to file emergency humanitarian requests—allowed in cases of health treatment or study abroad—and to explore alternative travel documents for Mercosur neighbours, where a national ID card suffices.
From a global-mobility standpoint, the episode underlines Brazil’s vulnerability to fiscal gridlock: firms should build extra lead-time into assignment timelines, maintain a reserve of valid passports for critical staff and monitor congressional appropriations that fund essential travel documents.
Across the country, appointment slots were removed from the online booking portal and PF posts turned away applicants, telling them to monitor the website for updates. Passports already printed can still be collected, but renewals and first-time documents are on hold indefinitely. In 2024 the PF issued a record 3.7 million passports; officials estimate a backlog of up to 25,000 applications per day during the suspension.
Travel-reliant sectors reacted swiftly. Airlines waived re-booking fees for Brazilian citizens unable to travel because of expired documents, and the National Confederation of Industry warned that missed business trips could cost exporters at least US$40 million per week. Multinationals are advising assignees to carry certified copies of their Brazilian ID and to avoid international trips that would require re-entry before passports are renewed.
The Justice Ministry says it is “working with the Economy Ministry and Congress” to reallocate funds and hopes to restore service within ten days, but analysts note that a similar budget freeze in 2022 lasted five weeks. Companies with impending moves are urged to file emergency humanitarian requests—allowed in cases of health treatment or study abroad—and to explore alternative travel documents for Mercosur neighbours, where a national ID card suffices.
From a global-mobility standpoint, the episode underlines Brazil’s vulnerability to fiscal gridlock: firms should build extra lead-time into assignment timelines, maintain a reserve of valid passports for critical staff and monitor congressional appropriations that fund essential travel documents.
