UNHCR offices and CONARE
UNHCR Offices
United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR)
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) provides aid to millions of people around the world who have been obligated to leave their country to save their lives. The agency promotes the protection of human rights and helps them to reconstruct their lives. UNHCR came into existence after the Second World War. Today, with a team of more than 7,500 people in over 125 countries, it helps around 34 million people worldwide. In Brazil, UNHCR supports the government as well as civil society organizations to strengthen the protection and integration of refugees, asylum seekers and stateless persons. UNHCR Brazil has offices in Brasília, São Paulo, Boa Vista and Manaus.
CEP: 70715-000
Other Contacts
National Committee for Refugees (CONARE)
CONARE is the government Committee in charge of reviewing and deciding all asylum claims in Brazil. It is also the authority responsible for defining the Brazilian policy on asylum.
CONARE is linked to the Ministry of Justice and it is constituted by representatives of the following Ministries: Justice, Foreign Affairs, Labor and Employment, Health, Education, as well as by the Federal Police and civil society organizations dedicated to the assistance, local integration and protection of refugees in Brazil. UNHCR and the Federal Public Defender’s Office have a seat at CONARE with the right to speak, but no right to vote.
CONARE's HQ is located in Brasília, at the Ministry of Justice, and has field offices in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Porto Alegre.
CONARE has several specific emails for you to contact them, such as:
cadastro.conare@mj.gov.br: information update in your registration (e.g. change of address);
entrevista.conare@mj.gov.br: booking and information on interviews;
certidao.conare@mj.gov.br: for RNE renewal procedures for refugees;
viagem.conare@mj.gov.br: for international travel authorization procedures for refugees;
rfamiliar.conare@mj.gov.br: for family reunification procedures;
recurso.conare@mj.gov.br: for procedures related to appeals;
perda.conare@mj.gov.br: for procedures related to the loss of the refugee condition.
For more information on these procedures, please read specific sections on the right side.
Rua Otto Alencar, nº 270, Bairro do Cambuci, São Paulo (SP)
Federal services
Brazilian legislation ensures that every person, including asylum seekers and refugees, who is unable to afford a lawyer has the right to have access to free legal assistance under income analysis.
The Federal Public Defender’s Office (Defensoria Pública da União) is a qualified body of civil servants that can support you for free with legal issues regarding: disagreements with the result of your asylum claim and general issues related to documentation, retirement, rights of foreigners in Brazil, access to assistance benefits, among others. Moreover, in case you are accused of a criminal case for Federal crimes - such as the falsification of passports/identity cards, or in procedures of extradition and/or expulsion of the country – a Federal Public Defender can act as your attorney free of charge.
Federal Public Defender's Office has representation in many Brazilian cities. Please see their website for more information and contacts in the city you live.
Brazilian legislation ensures that every person, including asylum seekers and refugees, who is unable to afford a lawyer has the right to have access to free legal assistance under income analysis.
The State Public Defender’s office (Defensoria Pública do Estado) is a qualified body of civil servants that can support you for free with legal issues regarding: housing, rent, divorce, alimony, allowance, guardianship, inventory, paternity investigation, reparation, among other topics. Moreover, in case you are accused of a criminal case for crimes under the competency of the State Justice, such as murder, theft, robbery, fraud, rape etc., a State Public Defender can also act as your attorney free of charge.
State Public Defender's Office has representation in many Brazilian cities. Please see their website for more information and contacts in the city you live.
The Federal Police (Polícia Federal) is the Brazilian authority in charge of registering asylum claims (and forwarding them to CONARE analysis), providing documents for asylum seekers and refugees, informing asylum seekers on the result of their claims and receiving appeals against CONARE’s negative decisions.
You can find your nearest Federal Police Station by checking their website.