Frequently asked questions

Yes: under the Constitution (art. 12, I, “a”), a child born in Brazil is a Brazilian by birth, even if the parents are foreigners. The exception: the parents are in the country in the service of their own state.

Citizenship arises by the fact of birth, and the birth certificate (certidão de nascimento) confirms it. Whether the child also gets the citizenship of the parents’ country is determined by that country’s law: check with the consulate.

A parent of a Brazilian child may apply for a residence permit on the ground of family reunification (Lei 13.445/2017, art. 37, II; Decreto 9.199/2017, art. 153, III). The Ministry of Justice’s document list includes a declaration, made under legal responsibility, that the Brazilian child lives in Brazil, so the application is meant for those who stay in the country with the child. The application is filed with the Polícia Federal; after approval a migrant card (CRNM) is issued.

The official guideline for processing time: up to 180 days (per gov.br; the Ministry of Justice page says 130–180 days). Government authorities decide, so neither the result nor the timing can be promised. The amount of the fees is given on the service page on gov.br and in the table “What the cost is made of” on the page “What it costs”.

Parents of a Brazilian child can apply for ordinary naturalization: the minimum residence period is reduced from 4 years to 1 year (Lei 13.445/2017, art. 65–66, II). Residence for an indefinite period counts toward the period (Decreto 9.199, art. 221), and it must immediately precede the application (art. 233, § 1). The term of the permit (fixed-term or indefinite) is stated by the Polícia Federal; check in advance what term is issued on the basis of a Brazilian child, because the start of the one-year count depends on it.

Also needed are proof of Portuguese (for example, Celpe-Bras), certificates of no criminal record and other documents from the Ministry of Justice list. The official guideline for the procedure: up to 180 days; the Ministry of Justice decides, and the result and timing are unknown in advance.

Short trips are acceptable: occasional absences do not interrupt the residence period. The criterion: less than 90 days a year, with an overall limit of 12 months (Portaria of Brazil’s Ministry of Justice 623/2020, art. 51; Decreto 9.199, art. 233, § 2). For parents of a Brazilian child the period is reduced to 1 year, so the 90-day limit matters.

A long absence is risky: staying outside the country for more than two years without justification can lead to loss of the residence permit (art. 135, III), and the period for naturalization must immediately precede the application. If you plan to leave for months or years, first check the rules with the Polícia Federal or a lawyer.

That is determined by your country’s law. For Russian citizens, notification of acquiring another citizenship, or a residence permit or other document confirming the right to permanent residence in another country, must be filed no later than 60 calendar days from the date of receipt (art. 11, part 6, Law No. 138-FZ). It is filed with Russia’s Interior Ministry or, from abroad, with a consulate; for a child, the notification is filed by the legal representative (parts 2 and 4).

Other countries have different rules, and dual citizenship is not permitted everywhere. The conditions for recognizing a child as a citizen of your country are also set by its law: check with the consulate. The site gives no legal opinions on the law of other countries. How the law applies in your case, check with Russia’s Interior Ministry or the consulate.

A birth is registered by a cartório (the equivalent of a civil registry office). You need the Declaração de Nascido Vivo (DNV, the declaration of live birth, issued by the maternity hospital) and the parents’ documents. The first registration and first copy of the certificate carry no fee (Lei 9.534/1997); later copies are paid, except where poverty is recognized. The CPF (tax number) must be entered in the certificate (Código Nacional de Normas of the CNJ, art. 477).

In maternity hospitals with a registration point, the mother is discharged already with the certificate (Código Nacional de Normas of the CNJ, art. 445). The state maternity hospital Carmela Dutra reports that a cartório operates there on weekdays from 9 to 16; other hospitals have their own procedure. To use the document abroad, you will need an apostille (a stamp for recognition of a document abroad).

You need the birth certificate, the CPF (tax number; usually already in the certificate) and an in-person appointment at the Polícia Federal, required for children too. A CPF is needed by every applicant, including children (Lei 14.534/2023). For children under 12 the certificate replaces an ID card; for children under 5 a 5×7 photo is needed.

If only one parent comes, the other’s consent is required: a signature on the form certified at a cartório (abroad, with an apostille), or a power of attorney. A power of attorney not in Portuguese must be translated by a sworn translator. The Polícia Federal guideline for issue: 6–10 working days after the appointment; collect the passport within 90 days. The exact document list is generated on gov.br for your case; the fee is in the table “What the cost is made of” on the page “What it costs”.

A Brazilian birth certificate can be used abroad after it is apostilled: Brazil and Russia are parties to the Hague Apostille Convention (in force since August 14, 2016 and May 31, 1992 respectively, per the Hague Conference on Private International Law). The apostille is issued by an authorized cartório (a notary or registry office); its cost equals that of a power of attorney without declared value (procuração sem valor declarado) and depends on the state (CNJ, Resolução 228/2016, art. 18).

Translation and the procedure for recognizing a document are set by the receiving country; for Russia, check the requirements with the consulate in advance.

The first prenatal appointment takes place at the UBS, the clinic for your address (in Florianópolis it is called Centro de Saúde). The state maternity hospital Carmela Dutra states that the hospital itself provides prenatal care only for high-risk pregnancies, by referral.

For the maternity hospital, bring a photo ID, your SUS card, your prenatal care card or booklet and test results. This is Carmela Dutra’s list; other facilities may differ. What is accepted from foreigners when issuing a SUS card, check with your UBS: the procedure depends on the municipality.

Citizenship by birth is set by the Constitution (art. 12), while fees, timelines and document lists are set by laws and regulations, and they change more often. That is why the answers and tables on this site show the dates checked and links to sources: before filing documents, compare them with the official pages.

It cannot be promised in advance that the rules will not change. If the conditions change, a new check date will appear on the pages. What this means in your case, check with government authorities or a lawyer: they make the decisions on documents.

Yes, the law does not forbid a foreign woman from giving birth in Brazil. Under the Constitution (art. 12, I, “a”), a child born in the country is a Brazilian by birth, except when the parents are in Brazil in the service of their own state. Access to the public health system SUS rests on the principle of universality (Constitution, art. 196); for tourists the facility decides how patients are admitted, and a place cannot be counted on in advance.

Entry is a separate question. At the border it is decided by the Polícia Federal (Federal Police), and the outcome is not predetermined. Admission procedures at maternity hospitals and the terms of private clinics differ, so important steps are worth checking against official sources. This is reference information, not legal advice.

Public maternity hospitals (SUS) do not charge the patient. The hospital where you will give birth is usually assigned by the system, and each has its own admission procedure: at HU-UFSC, under the service charter (2024 edition), a referral or an assigned area is needed; at Carmela Dutra, emergency care runs around the clock, with admission after triage (assessment of urgency). In private clinics the terms and cost are set by the contract with the clinic and the medical team, and the approach to birth depends on the team too.

There is no single “right” option: the choice depends on health, budget and expectations. Katerina accepts any choice a family makes and helps you find out in advance how a particular facility works: whether a doula is allowed, how registration works, what the rules for companions are.

As a rule, no: in SUS the system assigns the maternity hospital. Every pregnant woman has the right to know in advance where she will give birth and where she will be referred in case of complications, and to be linked to that hospital; the link is made when you register for prenatal care, and the hospital must suit your risk level (Lei 11.634/2007, art. 1).

In practice, your address often decides: for example, 18 Centros de Saúde are assigned to HU-UFSC (the list is in the hospital’s 2024 service charter). On the private route, the family chooses the hospital under a contract. Ask at your Centro de Saúde: Em qual maternidade vou ter meu bebê? (“Which maternity hospital will I give birth in?”).

Yes. A woman has the right to have an adult companion (acompanhante) of her choice at consultations, examinations and procedures, including birth, in public and private facilities (Lei 8.080/1990, the SUS law, art. 19-J as amended by Lei 14.737/2023; earlier, the right to a companion in labor in SUS was established by Lei 11.108/2005).

In the operating room and intensive care, justified restrictions are possible: then only a companion who is a health professional is allowed. A doula does not replace a companion: it is a separate right.

By law, yes: in the state of Santa Catarina, public and private maternity hospitals must admit a doula at the woman’s request (Lei SC 16.869/2016, art. 1); the federal law on the doula profession (Lei 15.381/2026, art. 6) also confirms a doula’s presence in labor in both networks. Admission depends on the documents the facility asks the doula for.

Each facility sets its own admission procedure: usually a letter of introduction, a photo ID, a description of methods and the woman’s written consent are needed; HU-UFSC, for example, requires prior registration of the doula. A doula does not perform medical procedures.

Cesarean section is performed often in Brazil. In its 2015 statement, WHO notes that when the population-level cesarean rate rises to about 10 percent, maternal and newborn deaths fall, and above 10 percent there is no evidence of further reduction.

You can choose, but with caveats. Under the rules of the Federal Council of Medicine (Resolução CFM 2.284/2020), a woman may choose a cesarean in planned situations: with normal risk, not before 39 full weeks, after detailed information about the risks and with written consent; a doctor may decline and refer you to a colleague. In SUS the mode of birth is determined after the doctor’s examination: Carmela Dutra, the state maternity hospital, for example, states that cesareans are not done there by appointment. The mode of birth is decided by the woman and the doctor together; a doula does not make this decision.

That depends on the facility and on the woman’s condition. The state maternity hospital Carmela Dutra reports that analgesia in labor is available, but not everyone uses it: there are many non-drug ways to ease pain. Other maternity hospitals and private clinics may have different rules and availability.

The choice of pain relief is made together with the doctor: it is worth writing the question into the birth plan in advance and discussing it at an appointment. Katerina helps you ask questions and understand the answers but does not make medical decisions.

Doctors and midwives are responsible for medical care; a doula is responsible for physical, informational and emotional support (Lei 15.381/2026, art. 2 and 4). She suggests how to ease contractions, helps you breathe, stay calm and understand what is happening.

A doula does not perform medical procedures, give medication or interfere in the care team’s technical actions (art. 4, parágrafo único). Katerina also interprets and helps you ask questions. A doctor treats; a doula supports and interprets.

Yes, Katerina helps with breastfeeding as a doula: she informs and supports. The doula profession law includes among a doula’s tasks help and guidance on newborn care and breastfeeding (Lei 15.381/2026, art. 4, IX). This support is part of the packages with postpartum meetings.

This is not a medical consultation. For pain, cracked nipples, a fever, or worry about your baby’s weight and condition, see a doctor or go to the maternity hospital; if life is at risk, call SAMU 192 (ambulance).

The typical order is this. First, get the Declaração de Nascido Vivo (DNV, the declaration of live birth) at the maternity hospital. Then register the birth at a cartório (the equivalent of a civil registry office): the first registration and first copy carry no fee. Then check your baby’s CPF (tax number) on the certificate: it is entered at registration, and if there is no number, it is arranged separately. The CPF is needed for the passport, which is applied for at the Polícia Federal. If you plan to stay, the parents need to apply for a residence permit.

Timelines and conditions change: see current ones on gov.br. More details: the “Your family’s path” section and the page “Newborn documents”.

The decision on admission at the border is made by the Polícia Federal, case by case. By law, entry may be refused after an individual interview and by a reasoned decision, for example if the purpose of the trip does not match the visa or the stated reason for visa-free entry (Lei 13.445/2017, art. 45, VII).

It is not possible to promise in advance that you will be let in, and Katerina does not help hide the purpose of a trip. Current information with dates is on the page “What to know in 2026”. Before traveling, it is worth consulting a lawyer who specializes in migration law.

There is no single timeframe: it depends on how you feel, your doctor’s recommendations, airline rules and your plans. Standby mode is the period when Katerina is reachable and ready to come when labor starts; it usually begins at week 33, and the date is agreed.

How long to stay after the birth is determined by the condition of mother and baby, the queue for an appointment at the Polícia Federal and your goals (only the child’s passport, or a residence permit too). On the first call you can discuss rough guidelines.

For a patient of the public SUS system, birth is not paid for: Carmela Dutra, the state maternity hospital in Santa Catarina, states directly that there are no payments for SUS care. SUS is built on the principle of universal access (Constitution, art. 196).

The migration law ensures access to healthcare for a “migrant” without discrimination by citizenship or status (Lei 13.445/2017, art. 4, VIII). But the paragraph that extended these rights to short-term visitors (visitante) was struck down by a veto (art. 4, § 4). For tourists and other non-residents, the order of care, referrals and admission rules are set by the municipality and the particular hospital, so you cannot count in advance on either a place or a birth without payment. Check with your UBS (the neighborhood clinic) and the maternity hospital. In private clinics, birth is paid for under a contract.

There is no single total: birth in SUS is not paid for by the patient (the admission procedure depends on the facility), and in a private clinic the price is set by the contract with the clinic and the medical team. Support, flights, housing, food, government fees (the child’s passport, a residence permit), apostille and translations are paid separately.

Katerina’s support comes in four packages; what is included, what isn’t and who does the work is described on the page “Services and prices”. Amounts with dates and sources are collected on the page “What it costs”, in the table “What the cost is made of”; figures from the media and chats are not used.

Paid separately, unless the package states otherwise: a private clinic, government fees, flights and housing. What support includes and what is paid separately is set out in the contract.

Refund terms depend on the contract and the package: check them before signing and ask to be shown the relevant clause. Katerina cannot promise that entry to the country will be approved or that the birth will go to plan, so such cases are worth discussing in advance.

In an emergency, call SAMU 192 (ambulance) or go to the nearest hospital. SAMU works around the clock, and calls from landlines and mobile phones cost nothing (Brazil’s Ministry of Health data). Katerina is a doula, not a doctor: she supports you and helps with communication but does not diagnose or replace medical care.

Discuss with your doctor in advance where to go when labor starts, and keep your documents, SUS card and pregnancy card at hand.

Katerina is not a doctor or a lawyer. The law forbids a doula to perform medical, physiotherapy and nursing procedures, give medication and interfere in the technical actions of medical staff (Lei 15.381/2026, art. 4, parágrafo único; Lei SC 16.869/2016, art. 2); diagnoses and treatment stay with the doctor. She gives no legal opinions, does not make decisions for government authorities and does not promise results: neither citizenship, nor timelines, nor a particular course of birth.

She also does not help hide the purpose of a trip and does not publish families’ stories without their written consent.

Katerina supports births in a maternity hospital. A doula does not deliver babies and does not replace a doctor or midwife; the decision about the place of birth is made by the family and the medical team. If you are considering a home birth, discuss the risks and legal conditions with your doctor, not only with a doula.

For a hospital birth, Katerina helps you draw up a plan in advance and prepare questions for the doctors.

Katerina is responsible for birth preparation, support at the maternity hospital, interpreting and support in the first weeks. Organizational tasks (airport meeting, finding housing, car rental) are included only in the extended package; who exactly does them can be clarified on the first call.

The scope of a package is set out in the contract: compare it with the description of the chosen package and ask your questions before signing.

Katerina speaks Portuguese: she interprets at appointments and in the maternity hospital and helps you ask questions and understand the answers. She interprets as a doula, not as a sworn translator: official translations of documents are done by sworn translators.

A few key phrases for birth, with their English meaning, are collected on the page “Portuguese for birth”. It is normal to ask someone to repeat or to speak more slowly.

Katerina is a doula and perinatal educator, a mother of four; three of her children were born on Santa Catarina Island. She holds a certificate of participation in a doula and perinatal educator course (Curso de Doula e Educadora Perinatal, organized by Ama Nascer, Florianópolis, October 6–12, 2025, 60 academic hours). The scan is not published on the site.

More details are on the page “About Katerina”. You can ask about experience, documents and reviews directly on the first call: it is an ordinary question.

The first conversation takes 20 minutes, with no obligation. Tell Katerina where you are now, how far along you are and what worries you most: she will answer your questions and suggest where to start and which support format might fit.

You can reach her on WhatsApp, by email or through the form on the site. The decision about support and the contract are separate steps after the conversation.

The main area is Florianópolis and its surroundings. Whether she can come to another city should be discussed in advance, before any agreements.

The list of maternity hospitals and their doula admission rules is on the page “Florianópolis maternity hospitals”.