the process can take anywhere from 6 months to a year to complete, and cannot be started outside the country. 

however, in certain cases an immediate temporary resident authorization document is issued, such as in the case of foreigners with brazilian spouses.

The first step is accessing the Federal Police (Polícia Federal) website and filling out the form Guia de Recolhimento da União - GRU, printing it, and then paying the required fees are any local bank, lottery shop, or post office.