Accredited TEFL Certification for Teaching English in Brazil

You need a Temporary Work Visa, known as the VITEM V. Brazil's Ministry of Foreign Affairs says foreign citizens traveling to Brazil under a work contract must hold this visa. It requires prior approval of the work contract and a Previous Residence Authorization from the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, which your Brazilian employer requests. You apply for the visa at a Brazilian consulate only after that approval is published.

Your employer in Brazil starts the process. The Consulate General of Brazil in Washington states that every VITEM V application needs prior authorization of your temporary residence from the Ministry of Justice, initiated by the employer. Requests based on work are filed with the Ministry of Justice and Public Security through its MigranteWeb system. The authorization is valid for 6 months from the decision, so apply within that window.

The Consulate General of Brazil in Washington lists a signed visa application form receipt, a 2 by 2 inch passport style photo, a valid signed passport with at least two blank visa pages, a letter of intent, a birth certificate and an FBI background check issued within the past 60 days. Applicants who are not US citizens also show proof of US residence. Check the page of the Brazilian consulate that serves your area before you apply.

Register with the Federal Police within 90 days of first entry. Brazil's Ministry of Foreign Affairs makes this mandatory for all temporary visa holders, and you bring your passport with the visa, the stamped visa application receipt, your birth certificate and your criminal record certificate. Those documents need an apostille and a translation into Portuguese by a sworn translator in Brazil. A CPF tax number before you travel is recommended.

The 180 hour Government Regulated Level 5 TEFL Diploma, Ofqual reference 610/1572/6, suits most people heading to Brazil. It is a recognized Level 5 qualification that employers can verify on the UK government register. The 120 hour Accredited Online TEFL Course is the starting option, and the 60 hour Level 5 Business English course adds a focused option if you plan to teach adults and working professionals.