Brazilian travellers woke on 10 March to discover that scheduling systems for new passports were offline after the National Association of Federal Police Delegates (ADPF) began a nationwide mobilisation late on 9 March. The action suspends all routine passport-booking slots, though emergency cases—where travellers can prove imminent departure—will still be processed. Investigations involving public-office holders, human-trafficking cases and life-threatening situations are also exempt.
Delegates are pressuring the federal government to send Congress a bill creating the National Fund for Combating Organised Crime (FUNCOC), arguing that confiscated criminal assets should bankroll Federal Police operations. Without the fund, says ADPF, budget shortfalls hamper investigations and threaten service standards—including passport issuance that hit an all-time high of 3.6 million documents in 2025.
![Federal Police Work-to-Rule Halts New Brazilian Passport Appointments Nationwide]()
For global-mobility managers the disruption is immediate. First-time assignees and dependants who have not yet secured passports face delays, and travellers with documents expiring in the next six months may be unable to renew in time for overseas postings. Some companies are fast-tracking employees to emergency queues by booking fully-refundable flights to satisfy the “proof of travel” requirement, while others are rerouting staff through corporate hubs that accept second-nationality passports.
Whether you are waiting for a new passport or already have one in hand, VisaHQ can help streamline the next step: securing the right visas for your destination. The company’s Brazil portal (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) lets travelers and mobility teams check entry requirements, complete applications online, and track status in real time, reducing last-minute surprises once passport services are back to normal.
The work-to-rule comes just five months after the Federal Police cleared a backlog of 300,000 passport requests created by a 2025 materials shortage. If the impasse drags on, analysts warn of a new surge in black-market appointment slots—already advertised at up to R$1 500 on social media during last year’s crisis. The Justice Ministry says negotiations are ongoing but has not indicated when normal service will resume. (96fm.com.br)
Delegates are pressuring the federal government to send Congress a bill creating the National Fund for Combating Organised Crime (FUNCOC), arguing that confiscated criminal assets should bankroll Federal Police operations. Without the fund, says ADPF, budget shortfalls hamper investigations and threaten service standards—including passport issuance that hit an all-time high of 3.6 million documents in 2025.
For global-mobility managers the disruption is immediate. First-time assignees and dependants who have not yet secured passports face delays, and travellers with documents expiring in the next six months may be unable to renew in time for overseas postings. Some companies are fast-tracking employees to emergency queues by booking fully-refundable flights to satisfy the “proof of travel” requirement, while others are rerouting staff through corporate hubs that accept second-nationality passports.
Whether you are waiting for a new passport or already have one in hand, VisaHQ can help streamline the next step: securing the right visas for your destination. The company’s Brazil portal (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) lets travelers and mobility teams check entry requirements, complete applications online, and track status in real time, reducing last-minute surprises once passport services are back to normal.
The work-to-rule comes just five months after the Federal Police cleared a backlog of 300,000 passport requests created by a 2025 materials shortage. If the impasse drags on, analysts warn of a new surge in black-market appointment slots—already advertised at up to R$1 500 on social media during last year’s crisis. The Justice Ministry says negotiations are ongoing but has not indicated when normal service will resume. (96fm.com.br)
