Brazilian consulates exercise notarial functions for acts destined for Brazil: public powers of attorney, signature certifications and certified copies. A power drawn up at the consulate is a public instrument with the same effect as one executed before a notary in Brazil, and it needs no apostille to be used there.
Quick facts
This is how people here sell an apartment, settle an estate, deal with a bank or defend a case in Brazil without flying back. The alternative — a U.S. notary plus apostille plus sworn translation — also works, but it is slower and more often questioned by registries.
Fees breakdown
| Route | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Public power of attorney at the consulate | Consular table | USPS money order, exact amount |
| Signature certification | Consular table | Per signature |
| Certified copies | Consular table | Per document |
| U.S. notary route instead | $5–$25 plus $3–$25 apostille | Plus sworn translation in Brazil |
Fees are published in the consular table and charged in dollars. Buy the money order only after confirming the current amount.
How to apply
- Ask the lawyer or notary in Brazil who will use the power to supply the exact wording, including the powers and any property or case references.
- Open the request in e-consular under the consulate covering your address and upload the draft and your documents.
- Wait for the consulate to prepare the instrument.
- Attend the appointment with valid identification and sign before the consular officer.
- Pay by money order for the exact amount.
- Send the original to Brazil, keeping a copy and the courier record.
Required documents
- Valid Brazilian passport or identity card for every grantor.
- Taxpayer number of the grantor and of the person receiving the power.
- Proof of address in the consular district.
- The draft wording, with the acts described precisely.
- Property registration details or case numbers the power concerns.
- Civil status documents where the act depends on them.
Where to apply
At the consulate covering your U.S. address. Notarial appointments are among the scarcest in the network, so book as soon as the draft exists.
Consulate General of Brazil
View details โBostonConsulate General of Brazil in Boston
View details โChicagoConsulate General of Brazil
View details โEdinburgHonorary Consulate of Brazil for South Texas
View details โHartfordConsulado-Geral do Brasil em Hartford
View details โHoustonConsulate General of Brazil
View details โLos AngelesConsulate General of Brazil in Los Angeles
View details โMiamiConsulate General of Brazil
View details โOrlandoConsulado-Geral do Brasil em Orlando
View details โOrlandoMister W Concierge - Orlando - Passaportes, Vistos, Apostilas de Haia, Consulado Brasileiro nos Estados Unidos
View details โViennaBrazilian Army Commission
View details โWashingtonConsulate General of Brazil
View details โWashingtonEmbassy of Brazil in Washington, D.C.
View details โAdditional notes
Specific beats general
Registries and banks in Brazil reject vague powers. Naming the property, the account and the acts authorised is what makes the document usable.
Foreign nationals
Someone who is not Brazilian normally uses the U.S. notary and apostille route, followed by a sworn translation, rather than a consular instrument.
Return authorisation
Consulates also issue return authorisations for Brazilians who need to travel home without a valid passport, which is a different service from the notarial one but often needed alongside it.
Revocation
Revoking a power requires a further instrument executed the same way, and notice has to reach whoever holds the original.