Brazil’s Federal Police (PF) used the first week of 2026 to run a multi-agency sweep at São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport, the country’s busiest gateway. Between 1 and 5 January officers arrested fugitives from three states, intercepted a passenger carrying cocaine internally on a flight bound for France, and confiscated a batch of counterfeit passports.
The PF communiqué of 6 January highlights the growing use of forensic document scanners and INTERPOL databases at primary inspection booths. Officers now run suspicious travel documents through multiple biometric and data-validation layers, extending average queue times but boosting interdiction rates. The crackdown follows December’s record seizure of nearly 100 kg of narcotics at the same airport.
![Federal Police Intensify Border Checks at Guarulhos, Seize Fake Passports and Drugs]()
For travellers who discover they need a replacement passport or an emergency visa, services such as VisaHQ can take the administrative burden off their hands, arranging expedited renewals and Brazil e-visas in a matter of days; full information is available at https://www.visahq.com/brazil/.
Airlines have been warned that secondary inspections may lengthen minimum-connection times; carriers should brief crews to allow extra buffers for tight transfers. Travellers presenting damaged passports or non-standard travel documents can expect on-the-spot inadmissibility decisions under Migration Law 13.445/2017.
Corporate mobility teams should remind assignees to keep passports in pristine condition and carry hard copies of e-visas. For urgent travel, consider accelerated passport renewals and visa services to avoid last-minute boarding denials.
The PF communiqué of 6 January highlights the growing use of forensic document scanners and INTERPOL databases at primary inspection booths. Officers now run suspicious travel documents through multiple biometric and data-validation layers, extending average queue times but boosting interdiction rates. The crackdown follows December’s record seizure of nearly 100 kg of narcotics at the same airport.
For travellers who discover they need a replacement passport or an emergency visa, services such as VisaHQ can take the administrative burden off their hands, arranging expedited renewals and Brazil e-visas in a matter of days; full information is available at https://www.visahq.com/brazil/.
Airlines have been warned that secondary inspections may lengthen minimum-connection times; carriers should brief crews to allow extra buffers for tight transfers. Travellers presenting damaged passports or non-standard travel documents can expect on-the-spot inadmissibility decisions under Migration Law 13.445/2017.
Corporate mobility teams should remind assignees to keep passports in pristine condition and carry hard copies of e-visas. For urgent travel, consider accelerated passport renewals and visa services to avoid last-minute boarding denials.
