On 10 November 2025 the Brazilian government issued a Global Mobility Services (GMS) Flash Alert clarifying that Decree 12,657—published in the Official Gazette last month—has now taken effect. The decree adds “technical assistance” and “technology-transfer services” to the list of activities allowed under the standard Visit Visa (VIVIS), eliminating the need for a Temporary V work permit for assignments of up to 90 days, extendable once to a maximum 180 days in any 12-month period.
Under the new rules, foreign engineers, IT specialists and field-service technicians can enter Brazil with nothing more than a visitor visa (or visa waiver, where applicable) provided their work is performed pursuant to a contract or cooperation agreement between a foreign entity and its Brazilian counterpart. The change slashes lead times from six to eight weeks to as little as 48 hours for visa-exempt nationals, a boost for multinationals in oil-and-gas, mining and heavy industry that often dispatch experts at short notice.
![Brazil Expands Visit Visa to Cover Short-Term Technical Assignments]()
Crucially, the decree preserves Brazil’s strict social-security and tax-registration thresholds. Technical visitors paid by an overseas employer remain exempt from local payroll registration but must not draw remuneration from a Brazilian source. Employers are urged to keep copies of commercial contracts and assignment letters on file in case of airport spot checks. Repeat visitors must track cumulative days in country to avoid triggering residence-tax status.
Immigration advisers recommend updating global mobility policies immediately. Companies should revise invitation-letter templates to reference Decree 12,657 and ensure travel-booking systems tag VIVIS travellers for compliance monitoring. The labour authorities have hinted that audits will focus on abuse of the new category—particularly cases where long-term project work is split into multiple 90-day rotations.
For Brazil, the measure aligns its visa regime more closely with OECD benchmarks and responds to long-standing complaints from investors about bureaucracy. It also arrives just months before São Paulo hosts the 2026 World Mining Congress, an event expected to draw thousands of short-term technical specialists.
Under the new rules, foreign engineers, IT specialists and field-service technicians can enter Brazil with nothing more than a visitor visa (or visa waiver, where applicable) provided their work is performed pursuant to a contract or cooperation agreement between a foreign entity and its Brazilian counterpart. The change slashes lead times from six to eight weeks to as little as 48 hours for visa-exempt nationals, a boost for multinationals in oil-and-gas, mining and heavy industry that often dispatch experts at short notice.
Crucially, the decree preserves Brazil’s strict social-security and tax-registration thresholds. Technical visitors paid by an overseas employer remain exempt from local payroll registration but must not draw remuneration from a Brazilian source. Employers are urged to keep copies of commercial contracts and assignment letters on file in case of airport spot checks. Repeat visitors must track cumulative days in country to avoid triggering residence-tax status.
Immigration advisers recommend updating global mobility policies immediately. Companies should revise invitation-letter templates to reference Decree 12,657 and ensure travel-booking systems tag VIVIS travellers for compliance monitoring. The labour authorities have hinted that audits will focus on abuse of the new category—particularly cases where long-term project work is split into multiple 90-day rotations.
For Brazil, the measure aligns its visa regime more closely with OECD benchmarks and responds to long-standing complaints from investors about bureaucracy. It also arrives just months before São Paulo hosts the 2026 World Mining Congress, an event expected to draw thousands of short-term technical specialists.
