A student visa is issued to any foreign
national who is enrolled in an academic course given by an educational institution registered with the
Brazilian Ministry of Education
(Ministério da
Educação - mec).
This can be as simple as taking a part-time
'Portuguese for foreigners' class in an accredited institution,
or as demanding as enrolling in a full-time doctorate program -
however, students pursuing technical short-term
studies like portuguese or cultural studies visas must take at
least 15 hours of classes per week.