Authorization for Issuance of a Brazilian Visa for a Minor: How the Parental Consent Is Commissioned

Last updated: October 13, 2026

Authorization for Issuance of a Brazilian Visa for a Minor: How the Parental Consent Is Commissioned

Quick answer: When a Brazilian visa applicant is under 18, the file carries an authorization from the parents or legal guardians consenting to the visa being issued, plus a document proving the relationship to the child. The Embassy of Brazil in Ottawa asks for it to be signed by both parents or legal guardians. In Ontario, that authorization can be commissioned over a secure video appointment only when it is prepared as a statutory declaration — O. Reg. 431/20 covers remote commissioning of oaths and declarations, not remote signature witnessing. The Brazilian consulate has confirmed in writing that it accepts it done this way. Minute Notary commissions it for $24.95 per seal plus HST; when both parents declare, the second parent is an additional signer at $24.95.

Brazil stopped waiving visas for Canadians. Since April 10, 2025, citizens of Canada, the United States and Australia have needed an electronic entry visa to travel there, and the Embassy of Brazil in Ottawa is blunt about where it comes from: the application "must be submitted exclusively" on the Brazilian government's official e-Visa portal. For most families that is a form, a photo, a passport scan and a fee.

Then there is a child on the booking, and the file grows a document most parents have never heard of.

This guide covers what that authorization is, who has to sign it, the two documents it is constantly confused with, and how it gets commissioned in Ontario — including the part that decides whether your appointment can happen over video or has to happen in a room. Minute Notary commissions the declaration as an Ontario notary public: see the Brazilian Visa Authorization for a Minor service, book with it preselected, or call (613) 434-5555.

Key Takeaways

What a Notary Can and Cannot Do

What a notary can and cannot do: An Ontario notary public confirms the identity of each parent, takes their declaration, and signs and seals the authorization. A notary does not complete the visa application, decide which supporting documents your file needs, judge who holds decision-making responsibility for the child, or give immigration advice. Those belong to the consulate, the visa portal, or a licensed immigration representative.

Why a Child's File Needs an Authorization at All

A consulate issuing a visa to a child is doing something the child cannot consent to. So it asks the people responsible for that child to say, in writing, that they agree — and it asks for proof that they are in fact those people.

The Embassy of Brazil in Ottawa publishes this plainly on its visitor-visa page. For applicants under 18 it lists two additional items: an authorization form signed by both parents or legal guardians, and "a copy of a document proving the relationship with the minor." The examples it gives for that second item are the ones worth memorising, because they are also the ones people arrive without:

• One piece of ID from each parent, together with the child's birth certificate naming those parents; or
• The death certificate of a parent, where one has died; or
• A copy of a judicial document attesting sole custody.

The Government of Canada points the same way without spelling out the paperwork. Its Brazil travel advice says only this about children: "If you are applying for a visa for a minor, contact the nearest Brazilian government office for guidance on how to submit this application." That is a polite way of saying the minor's file is handled differently and you should not assume the adult checklist covers it.

Which Route Are You On?

The requirements are similar, but the submission path is not, and it decides who you are dealing with when a question comes up.

The e-Visa portal. Canadian, American and Australian citizens apply online at the Brazilian government's official portal, operated by VFS Global. The Embassy states the total cost as US$80.90, payable only on that site. The minor's authorization is uploaded with the rest of the documents. Read the checklist the portal shows you after the questionnaire — it is the authority on file format and wording, and it changes.

The Consular Section in Ottawa. Applicants of other nationalities living in the Embassy's jurisdiction apply through the e-consular system and then attend in person with original documents. Two details catch people out here: the Embassy is responsible for Ottawa and Gatineau residents only, and non-Canadians must show proof of having lived in that area for at least the previous 12 months. On this route the Embassy also notes that for minor applicants, both parents must sign the Visa Form Delivery Receipt (RER) in the box provided — a second signature requirement, separate from the authorization itself.

Consular attendance is by appointment only, 9:00 to 13:00. The Embassy asks for visa applications at least 30 days before departure.

The Three Documents Everyone Confuses

This is where most of the wasted appointments come from. Three different documents, similar names, different jobs.

1. The authorization for issuance of a visa for a minor. Parents consent to a visa being issued to their child. It supports the application, before the trip. This is the document this guide is about.

2. A travel consent letter. The child carries this while travelling without someone who has decision-making responsibility. The Government of Canada recommends it and provides a template, but it is not legally required in Canada. It is about the journey, not the visa. See our travel consent letter guide for that one.

3. Brazil's travel authorization for a minor. Brazil requires this for Brazilian children leaving Brazil unaccompanied, with one parent, or with a third party. It is a Brazilian document, governed by Brazilian rules, and it is about exit from Brazil — not about your child's visa application in Canada.

A Canadian family flying to Brazil with one parent may genuinely need the first and the second. They almost certainly do not need the third. If the wording you were sent is ambiguous — "minor travel authorization" gets used loosely for all three — ask the receiver which one they mean before you prepare anything.

Can It Be Commissioned Online in Ontario?

This is the question that decides your appointment, and the honest answer has two halves. Both have to be true.

Half one: the Ontario rule. O. Reg. 431/20 lets an Ontario notary or commissioner administer an oath or declaration remotely, over an audio-visual link. It does not extend to witnessing a signature. Section 3(3) of the Notaries Act only allows a notary to act outside a person's physical presence where a regulation under the Act provides for it, and no such regulation exists for signature witnessing or certified copies. So an authorization presented as "sign here in front of a notary" is an in-person job.

The way around it is not a workaround at all — it is a different, ordinary notarial act. The authorization is prepared as a statutory declaration: the parent solemnly declares the consent rather than merely signing it, and the notary commissions that declaration and applies the O. Reg. 431/20 jurat. That act is eligible for a video appointment. It is the same route we use for travel consent letters that need to be done remotely.

Half two: the receiver. Ontario law decides what a notary may do; it does not decide what a consulate will accept. A remotely commissioned declaration is a valid Ontario notarial act, and the Brazilian consulate has confirmed to us in writing that it accepts this authorization commissioned that way.

That includes a checklist that says each parent's signature must be "notarized". In Ontario this authorization is commissioned, not notarized: each parent signs it and swears it before the commissioner on the video call, and the jurat states that it was signed and sworn before us. If your file also asks for an apostille, you need an in-person appointment instead, because an apostille needs a wet-ink original.

What It Costs

Minute Notary charges a flat $24.95 per stamp or seal, plus HST, regardless of how long the document is.

The number that surprises people is the signer fee. The authorization itself takes one seal, and the first parent is included; when both parents declare, the second parent is charged as an additional signer at $24.95, so a two-parent authorization comes to $49.90 plus HST. Documents attached as exhibits are each endorsed and sealed separately too, and each one counts as an additional seal. If you are attaching a birth certificate and a custody order, say so when you book so the quote is right the first time.

Does It Need an Apostille?

Ask the consulate or the portal. Both Canada and Brazil are parties to the Hague Apostille Convention — Brazil since 2016, Canada since January 11, 2024 — so an apostille is available for a document commissioned by an Ontario notary through Ontario's Official Documents Services. See our apostille process guide for how that step works.

Two practical points. An apostille is a separate step after the commissioning, with its own turnaround. And it is applied to a physical document, so a file that needs one needs wet-ink signing at an in-person appointment, not a video one. Find out before you book, not after.

What to Bring, and How the Appointment Runs

Have these ready:

• The completed authorization, unsigned. Use whatever wording the consulate or portal gives you. Do not sign it in advance — the declaration is made in front of the notary.
• Photo ID for every declaring parent or guardian. Valid, government-issued.
• The child's details exactly as the passport spells them — full name, date of birth, passport number, including middle names, accents and hyphens.
• The relationship document — long-form birth certificate naming the parents, or the death certificate, or the sole-custody order.

The appointment itself averages 3 to 4 minutes. The notary confirms each parent's identity, adds the declaration wording and the O. Reg. 431/20 jurat, takes each declaration in turn, then signs and seals. You leave with the sealed PDF ready to upload, or the wet-ink original if that is what your route needs.

Mistakes That Send a File Back

• Names that do not match the passport. A dropped middle name or a stripped accent is the single most common reason a supporting document gets queried.
• One parent's signature with nothing to explain it. If the other parent has died or you hold sole custody, the certificate or the order has to be in the file too.
• Signing before the appointment. A declaration made outside the notary's presence is not a declaration. It gets re-done.
• Preparing the wrong document. See the three-document section above. A travel consent letter will not satisfy a visa checklist asking for an authorization.
• Leaving it to the last week. The Embassy asks for visa applications at least 30 days before departure, and an apostille, if you need one, adds its own time on top.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the authorization for issuance of a Brazilian visa for a minor?

It is a written consent from a child's parents or legal guardians, agreeing that a Brazilian visa may be issued to the child. It supports the visa application itself, so it is prepared and submitted before the trip. The Embassy of Brazil in Ottawa lists it for applicants under 18 alongside a document proving the relationship to the child.

Do both parents have to sign the authorization?

The published checklist asks for both parents or legal guardians. Where one parent signs alone, the reason normally travels with the file — the other parent's death certificate, or a court order granting sole custody. A notary commissions the declaration each parent makes but cannot decide who has to consent; the consulate decides what it accepts.

Can the authorization be commissioned online in Ontario?

Yes, when it is prepared as a statutory declaration. O. Reg. 431/20 lets an Ontario notary take an oath or declaration over video. It does not allow a signature to be witnessed remotely — the Notaries Act only allows a notary to act outside a person's physical presence where a regulation provides for it, and none exists for signature witnessing. The Brazilian consulate has confirmed to us in writing that it accepts the authorization commissioned this way, even when its checklist says each parent's signature must be notarized: each parent signs and swears it before the commissioner on the video call, and the jurat states that it was signed and sworn.

Is this the same as a travel consent letter?

No. A travel consent letter is what a child carries while travelling without someone who has decision-making responsibility; the Government of Canada recommends it but does not require it. The visa authorization is part of the visa application. A family flying to Brazil may need both documents.

Is it the same as Brazil's travel authorization for a minor?

No. Brazil requires a travel authorization for Brazilian children leaving Brazil unaccompanied, with one parent, or with a third party. That is a Brazilian document about exit from Brazil. The visa authorization is a consent to the visa being issued, prepared before the trip.

What does it cost?

Minute Notary charges $24.95 per stamp or seal plus HST. The authorization itself takes one seal, and the first parent is included; when both parents declare, the second parent is charged as an additional signer at $24.95. Attached exhibits such as a birth certificate or a custody order are endorsed and sealed separately.

Does the authorization need an apostille?

Ask the consulate or the visa portal — the receiver decides. Canada joined the Hague Apostille Convention on January 11, 2024 and Brazil is a member, so an apostille is available for a document commissioned by an Ontario notary. It is a separate step after the commissioning and needs a wet-ink original, which means an in-person appointment rather than a video one.

Do Canadians need a visa for Brazil?

Yes. The Embassy of Brazil in Ottawa states that citizens of Canada, the United States and Australia travelling to Brazil from April 10, 2025 onward require an electronic entry visa, applied for exclusively on the Brazilian government's official e-Visa portal. The Government of Canada's Brazil travel advice lists tourist, business and student visas as required.

Can the notary complete the visa application for us?

No. A notary commissions the declaration and seals the document. Choosing which supporting documents a file needs, completing the application, and any question about eligibility belong to the consulate, the visa portal, or a licensed immigration representative.

Sources

• Embassy of Brazil in Ottawa — Visitor Visas / Transit Visas: the e-Visa requirement from April 10, 2025, the US$80.90 fee, the Ottawa/Gatineau jurisdiction, and the requirements for applicants under 18.
• Government of Canada — Brazil travel advice, entry and exit requirements: visas required for tourism, business and study, and the guidance to contact the nearest Brazilian government office about a minor's application.
• Brazil e-Visa — the Brazilian government's official portal: the only site where eligible travellers apply.
• O. Reg. 431/20, Administering Oath or Declaration Remotely and the Notaries Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. N.6: the Ontario boundary between remote commissioning and in-person witnessing.

Entry requirements and consular checklists are the receiving country's to set and can change without notice. Check the official sources above before you book travel, and confirm your own file's requirements with the consulate or the visa portal.