A French client called Immigration Consulting Brasil in tears. She had just filed for divorce from her Brazilian husband. Her bank had already sent a letter demanding a valid RNM card, because they received a notice from the authorities informing the cancellation of her permanent residency. She assumed her entire legal status in Brazil — six years of building a career, a life, no kids— was about to collapse.
Here is what Brazilian immigration law actually says.Decree No. 9.199/2017, Article 135 establishes three grounds for losing a residence permit:
Extinction of the grounds that supported the residence permit
Obtaining a new residence permit based on a different reason
Absence from Brazil for more than two years without justification
The critical one for divorcing residents is Point I.If your residence permit is based on family reunification and you divorce or dissolve a civil union, the legal basis for that permit ends.This does not mean automatic cancellation — but it does mean your status is now at risk and requires immediate legal action.
If you are going through a divorce in Brazil and hold a residence permit based on family reunification, contact Immigration Consulting Brasil. mailto:info@immigration-consulting.com
