Expert: Ken Rapoza Cruz - 10/23/2009

Question
Hi,I am a Indian and I am inlove with a brazil girl. How should I get married with Her? Also if I am taking a tourist VISA and travelling to brazil and later on getting married to her, is this aginst Brazil LAW. How much time will it take for me to become a citizen of Brazil? Also if I am getting married in Brazil on a base of tourist VISA and not return back to India. is this against Indian / Brazil LAW? What do you say Ken?

Answer
This is not a problem and not against the law.  Is your name  Amar? That means "to love" in Portuguese.

You can travel to Brazil on a tourist Visa and then get married within six months. At that time, you will have to present your legal marriage documents to what is called in Portuguse a "cartorio". THen you take those documents from the cartorio that states your marriage is legally recognized and you bring it to the immigration office of the local Federal Police. On that day, you will fill out a form, get finger printed, and get your passport stamped that says you can stay in the country indefinitely. Later, you will get a permanent residency card and permanent visa stamp in your passport.  I dont know how it works in INdia, but once you are legally married in Brazil, then you just legally register the marriage in India.

In some cases, if youare not really getting married for love, but are getting married because you paid a Brazilian girl some money to marry you just so you can stay in the country, then, if that is discovered, or suspected in interviews with the couple in the federal pollice office, you can be charged with visa fraud. I do not know the fine, but the main penalty is that you will be expelled from the country and not allowed back for a very long time, if ever.

As this is not your intention to commit visa fraud -- I hope -- then you will not have a problem.

Good luck.

Ken