U.S. Embassy Brasilia
SES 801- Avenida das Nacoes, Lote 03
70403-900 - Brasilia, DF Brazil
Telephone: 011-55-61-3312-7000
Emergency After-Hours Telephone: 011-55-61-3312-7400
Fax: (61) 3312-7651
Email: BrasiliaACS@state.gov

Embassy Branch Office in Belo Horizonte
Avenida do Contorno, 4520 / 2nd floor – Funcionários
30110-028 Belo Horizonte, MG – Brazil
Telephone: +55 (31) 3338-4000
E-mail: BrasiliaACS@state.gov
Emergency After-Hours Telephone: Please contact the U.S. Embassy in Brasilia

Consular Agency in Brasilia’s Consular District
Manaus Consular Agency
Edificio Atrium, Suite 306
Rua Franco de Sá, 310
69.079-210 Manaus, AM Brazil
Telephone: 011-55-92-3611-3333
Emergency After-Hours Telephone: Please contact the U.S. Embassy in Brasilia

U.S. Consulate General Porto Alegre
Avenida Assis Brasil, 1889
Passo d' Areia
91010-004 - Porto Alegre, RS Brazil
Telephone: 011-55-51-3345-6000
Email: PortoAlegreACS@state.gov

U.S. Consulate General Recife
Rua Goncalves Maia, 163, Boa Vista
50070-125 - Recife, PE Brazil
Telephone: 011-55-81-3416-3050 or 011-55-81-3416-3080
Emergency After-Hours Telephone: 011-55-81-3416-3060 or 011-55-81-9916-9470
Email: RecifeACS@state.gov

Consular Agency in Recife’s Consular District
U.S. Consular Agency Fortaleza
Avenida Santos Dumont 2828, Aldeota, Suite 708
60150-162- Fortaleza, CE Brazil
Telephone: 011-55-85-3223-4902
Emergency After-Hours Telephone: Please contact the U.S. Consulate General in Recife

U.S. Consulate General Rio de Janeiro
Avenida Presidente Wilson, 147, Castelo
20030-020, Rio de Janeiro, RJ Brazil
Telephone: 011-55-213823-2000
Emergency After-Hours Telephone: 011-55-21-3823-2029
Email: acsrio@state.gov

Consular Agency in Rio de Janeiro’s Consular District
U.S. Consular Agency Salvador da Bahia
Avenida Tancredo Neves, 1632, Caminho das Arvores
Salvador Trade Center-Torre Sul, Room 1401
41820-020 - Salvador, Bahia Brazil
Telephone: 011-55-71-3113-2090/2091/2092
Emergency After-Hours Telephone: Please contact the U.S. Consulate General in Rio de Janeiro: (21) 3823-2029

U.S. Consulate General Sao Paulo
Rua Henri Dunant, 500 Chacara Santo Antonio
04709-110 - Sao Paulo, SP Brazil
Telephone: 011-55-11-3250-5000
Emergency After-Hours Telephone: 011-55-11-3250-5373
Email: SaopauloACS@state.gov

Brazil and the United States have been treaty partners under the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (Hague Abduction Convention) since December 1, 2003.

For information concerning travel to Brazil, including information about the location of the U.S. Consulate General, the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, entry/exit requirements, safety and security, crime, medical facilities and health information, traffic safety, road conditions and aviation safety, please see country-specific information for Brazil.

The U.S. Department of State reports statistics and compliance information for individual countries in the Annual Report on International Child Abduction. The report is located here. 

The U.S. Department of State serves as the U.S. Central Authority (USCA) for the Hague Abduction Convention.  In this capacity, the Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs, Directorate for Overseas Citizen Services, Office of Children's Issues facilitates the submission of applications under the Hague Abduction Convention for the return of, or access to, children located in countries that are U.S. treaty partners, including Brazil.  Parents are strongly encouraged to contact the Department of State for assistance prior to initiating the Hague process directly with the foreign Central Authority.

Contact information:

U.S. Department of State 
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Office of Children's Issues
CA/OCS/CI 
SA-17, 9th Floor 
Washington, DC 20522-1709
Telephone:  1-888-407-4747
Outside the United States or Canada: 1-202-501-4444
Website:  travel.state.gov

The Brazilian Central Authority for the Hague Abduction Convention is the Secretaria de Estado dos Direitos Humanos (SEDH).  SEDH's role is to perform the duties given to central authorities under the Hague Abduction Convention, including processing Hague Abduction Convention applications for return of and access to children.

 They can be reached at:

Secretaria de Estado dos Direitos Humanos
Setor Comercial Sul - B, Quadra 9, Lote C
Edificio Parque Cidade Corporate
Torre "A", 10º andar
70308-200, BRASILIA-DF
Telephone/Fax:  +55-61-2025-3481 and +55-61-2025-3975
Website

To initiate a Hague case for return of, or access to, a child in Brazil, the left-behind parent may submit a Hague application to the BCA.  The USCA is available to answer questions about the Hague application process, to forward a completed application to the BCA, and to subsequently monitor its progress through the foreign administrative and legal processes.  Petitioning parents may also initiate a Hague case for return of, or access to a child in Brazil by retaining a private Brazilian attorney and directly filing a Hague case before a federal court.  However, if a Hague case is directly filed before a federal court, the BCA will not monitor the progress of the case and will have no authority to assist in any manner.

There are no fees for filing Hague applications with either the United States or Brazil.  Attorney fees, if necessary, are the sole responsibility of the person hiring the attorney.  Additional costs may include airplane tickets for court appearances and for the return of the child, if so ordered.

A parent or legal guardian may file an application under the Hague Abduction Convention for return to the United States of a child abducted to, or wrongfully retained in Brazil.  The U.S. Department of State can assist parents living in the United States to understand whether the Convention is an available civil remedy and can provide information on the process for submitting a Hague application.

A person may file an application under the Hague Abduction Convention for access to a child living in Brazil.  The criteria for acceptance of a Hague access application vary from country to country.  The U.S. Department of State can assist parents living in the United States to understand country-specific criteria and provide information on the process for submitting a Hague application.

Retaining a private attorney is not required in order to file Hague Abduction Convention applications with courts in Brazil. However, parents should consider hiring a private attorney to follow up on cases, directly provide information to courts, and generally advise courses of action appropriate for their individual circumstances. A privately-hired attorney should contact the BCA as soon as possible after the Hague Abduction Convention application has been filed. If a parent does not hire a private attorney, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) will act as the legal representative of the state of Brazil on behalf of Hague applications, because Brazilian law considers Hague abduction cases to be public cases. Therefore, it is important to note that the OAG does not represent the interests of either party. The OAG will file cases with a federal court. 

The Brazilian Bar Association and the Brazil's Defensoria Publica Da Uniao (Public Defender's Office) offer free legal assistance for any type of legal proceeding to those who demonstrate financial need. For additional information, please contact the Brazilian Bar Association, Sao Paulo Section, Legal Assistance Committee at: assistencia.judiciaria@oabsp.org.br.

The U.S. Embassy in Brasilia, Brazil posts a list of attorneys including those who specialize in family law. 

This list is provided as a courtesy service only and does not constitute an endorsement of any individual attorney. The Department of State assumes no responsibility or liability for the professional ability or reputation of, or the quality of services provided by, the following persons or firms.  Professional credentials and areas of expertise are provided directly by the lawyers.

In Hague Abduction Convention cases, the BCA always promotes mediation between parents before sending the case to the courts.  Voluntary agreements are also strongly encouraged by the courts. Upon receiving a case, judges schedule a formal conciliation hearing to determine if parties can reach an a agreement which would then be formalized by the court. If a voluntary agreement is not reached, the court will then conduct further hearings and rule on the merits of the application. There are no NGOs or non-profit organizations that mediate between parents in abduction cases in Brazil.