International Adoption is ruled, in Brazil , by the Brazilian Law nº 8069 of July 13th. 1990 ("Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente"/"Statute for Children and Adolescents"), articles 39 to 52, being the adoption procedures attributed exclusively to the Brazilian Justice.
The foreign applicant must have previous contact with lawyers or institutions in Brazil specialized in international adoptions and, upon submission, prove through document issued by the competent authorities of his/her legal domicile that he or she is entitled to adoption according to the legislation of his/her original country, besides submitting an elaborate psychological and social study prepared by a specialized and accredited agency in the country of origin. The Brazilian judicial authority can determine the submission of the pertaining foreign legislation, together with proof of its legal validity. In short, the applicant(s) for adoption must search for an institution or entity in his/her country of origin (where he and/or she has his/her legal domicile), which must be officially entitled to mediate the adoption procedure. If the country of origin has not ratified the Hague Convention on International Adoption, the application can be done through power of attorney granted to a third party. The institution must be registered in the Brazilian Federal Police, accredited by the ACAF (Autoridade Central Administrativa Federal/Federal Administrative Central Authority), in Brasilia , authorized by the Brazilian Ministry of Justice and accredited by CEJAI (Autoridade Central Estadual/ Central State Authority).
The documents in foreign languages, must be legalized by the Consulate General and translated into Portuguese by an official translator in Brazil , before submission to the judge.
In Brazil , the period of adaptation will be of at least 15 days for children up to 2 years old and 30 days for children older than 2 years old. Before the judicial adoption is completed, the child will not be allowed to leave the Brazilian territory. In order to enter the Brazilian territory, the foreign applicants must apply for a Temporary Visa II.