Revalida Brazil: Complete Guide for Foreign-Trained Doctors (2026)

If you’re a foreign-trained doctor and want to practice legally in Brazil, Revalida Brazil is a mandatory step you need to understand in detail. This exam evaluates whether your medical training is equivalent to the standards required in Brazil and allows you to revalidate your degree, apply for your CRM, and work legally in the country.

In this updated Revalida Brazil 2026 guide, you’ll find a clear, practical explanation of what Revalida is, what it’s for, who can take it, the expected dates, requirements, necessary documents, and how each stage of the Revalida exam works.

Whether you’re just starting to research the process or already planning to take the Revalida exam in Brazil, this guide gives you a complete, well-organized overview designed for foreign-trained doctors who want to avoid mistakes and move forward with more confidence.

Revalida Exam Dates 2026

Important guidance
Official tracking: It’s essential to monitor the official INEP portal and the Revalida System to confirm the final dates as soon as the official notice is published.

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Latest Revalida News

Here you can find the latest official updates about Revalida, published directly by the National Institute for Educational Studies and Research Anísio Teixeira (INEP), the agency responsible for the exam.

You’ll find official announcements about:

• publication of notices and edital documents,
• official dates for registration and test administration,
• schedule changes,
• candidate guidance and results.

Important recommendation:

Even though this guide shares updated information explained clearly, you should always confirm any new updates directly through INEP’s official channels, since only they publish definitive and legally valid information.

Video About the Revalida Exam

Some videos published online about the topic.

Costs to Take the Revalida 2026

STAGE 1: R$410,00 (registration fee)

Was the candidate approved in Stage 1?

the process continues...

STAGE 2: R$4.106,09

(If you are not approved in Stage 2, the Stage 1 result remains valid for 12 months.)

Register for the Revalida exam on this page: http://revalida.inep.gov.br/revalida/

Steps Before Revalida

Like any move and settling in a new country, you’ll need the proper documentation to proceed:

Before you start, keep in mind that you cannot take the Revalida exam with a tourist visa.

If you are a citizen of a country that is part of the Mercosur agreement (list of countries), you can apply for a temporary residence visa and request your CPF, which allows you to work, study, open a bank account, buy a vehicle, etc. With this document, you’ll be able to complete many processes in Brazil.

Required Documents for the Revalida Exam in Brazil

• A document that shows your legal immigration status in Brazil. This can be the CRNM (Carteira Registro Nacional Migratório), formerly RNE (Registro Nacional de Extranjeros), if you are a resident, or a student visa (you can obtain it by enrolling in a Revalida prep course), a permanent stay visa, or refugee status. (How to apply for the CRNM)
• ID document
• CPF (Cadastro de Pessoa Física)
• Medical diploma already legalized in the issuing country and at the consulate.
• Complete academic program legalized in the issuing country and at the consulate. Full academic transcript (with grades) legalized in the issuing country and at the consulate.
• Pensum (degree curriculum / study plan) legalized in the issuing country and at the consulate.
• Pensum validity documentation legalized in the issuing country and at the consulate.
• Celpe-Bras is NOT strictly required to obtain revalidation, but it will make your life easier when facing questions and answers in Portuguese and proving your Portuguese level.
• The Celpebras exam (Portuguese proficiency exam), minimum level: upper-intermediate. (how to get the Celpe-Bras certificate)

IMPORTANT: PLEASE KEEP IN MIND

If your diploma, program, and transcript documents are in Spanish, institutions do not require translations. If they are in another language, you must find an official Portuguese translator.

At the time of registration, only your legalized and consularized diploma plus a document proving your legal immigration status in Brazil are requested.

If you pass the Revalida exam, you must have the remaining documents to complete the revalidation process.

You can carefully read the edital (in Portuguese), which is the official document with all the information about the process, requirements, dates for each stage, and how to submit documents. (It’s very long, but all the information is in this document.)

Steps to Practice Medicine in Brazil as a Foreign Doctor

The process to practice medicine legally in Brazil is not limited to the Revalida exam alone. Below I explain, step by step, how the full path works—from the exam to registration with the CRM.

Stage 1 of Revalida: Theory Exam

This is the first elimination stage of the Revalida exam.
If the candidate does not pass this stage, they cannot move on to the clinical skills exam.

The exam includes:

• 110 multiple-choice questions
• 5 written response questions

Areas tested:

• Internal Medicine
• Surgery
• Family and Community Medicine
• Public Health
• Mental Health

It evaluates general medical knowledge aligned with the training standards required in Brazil.

Stage 2 of Revalida: Clinical Skills Exam

Only candidates who pass the theory exam can access this stage.

It mainly evaluates:

• Patient communication skills
• Clinical reasoning
• Medical decision-making

Common areas:

• Gynecology and Obstetrics
• Pediatrics
• Family and Community Medicine
• Public Health

Here, what matters is how you act as a doctor—not just what you know.

Step 3: Diploma Revalidation at a Brazilian University

Once both Revalida stages are approved, the doctor must:

• Request formal diploma revalidation at an authorized Brazilian public university
• Submit the required documentation

In some cases, the university may require additional training, depending on the academic review.

CRM Registration (Conselho Regional de Medicina)

This is the final step to practice legally in Brazil.

With your diploma revalidated, you can:

• Apply for registration with the CRM in the state where you’ll work
• Obtain legal authorization to practice medicine in Brazil

Without a CRM number, you cannot work as a doctor—even if you have passed Revalida.

Quick summary:

• Revalida → Diploma revalidation → CRM → Legal medical practice in Brazil.

Which CRM Should I Register With Based on the State Where I’ll Work?

CRM registration depends on the state where you will practice. Each Brazilian state has its own Regional Medical Council, with specific rules and timelines.

Central Official Page (CFM)

The official body that centralizes and links all state CRMs is the Conselho Federal de Medicina (CFM).

Official Page to Find Your State CRM

Use this official link to identify the CRM in the state where you’ll practice and review the specific registration requirements.

CRM registration can only be done after you pass Revalida and revalidate your diploma at a Brazilian university.

Revalida Brazil Examiner PDF Checklist

Download PDF - Revalida Brazil Examiner Checklist

The exam has a reputation for being “impossible,” but the truth is that having advanced Portuguese will be the differentiator when it comes to passing—because you need it to understand the questions better and to write answers that match your medical knowledge. (CELPE-Bras Portuguese Certificate)

In its seventh edition (2017), only 5.27% of the 7,379 participants were able to pass both tests. In the first phase, only 963 passed, and only 941 of them took the clinical skills exam. In the end, only 389 doctors were able to revalidate their diplomas to practice medicine in Brazil. According to a G1 report, only 5 out of every 100 interested doctors reached the required scores.

After the poor results in the seventh edition, the exam also adopted new evaluation parameters. The people involved include representatives from: MEC; Inep; Conselho Federal de Medicina (CFM); Secretaria de Educação e Gestão do Trabalho (SGETS / MS); Associação Médica Brasileira; and Academia Nacional de Medicina.

The most important thing is to review and adjust what you learned at your home university to Brazil’s criteria.

You can also review and try past exams from previous years to get familiar with the style of questions and see which topics are most common in each area. Besides that, you can find websites with Revalida practice simulations.

If you still think you need help for the exam, there are several academies with prep programs that can be useful, such as EstratégiaMed (20% discount with coupon: BRZ), Medcel or Revisamed, plus other relevant sources that you’ll find at the end of this post.

At the end of the day, the exam covers topics you already know as a doctor in your home country—you simply need to review them and study the correct terms in Portuguese, plus how to write well so your knowledge is clearly communicated and you can move on to practicing medicine in Brazil.

Brazil does not have any automatic revalidation / recognition agreement for higher-education diplomas with any country. Therefore, the rules are the same for all countries.

The Ministry of Education created a specific portal with detailed information about revalidating diplomas issued abroad: the Carolina Bori Platform.

So, to learn more and apply digitally through universities that joined the portal, you can access it here.

Some frequently asked questions about Revalida here.

Prepare for the Exam by Consuming Native Brazilian Content

Here are a few benefits of consuming medical content in Portuguese before, during, and after the exam.

• You’ll learn more vocabulary, expressions, and technical medical terms in Portuguese.
• You’ll see which techniques Brazilian doctors are using in practice.
• You’ll find Brazilian doctors participating in the comments.
• You’ll discover new sources of medical content that may be relevant to you.

Websites With Revalida Prep Content

Some websites that offer prep courses to validate your diploma through the Revalida exam in Brazil.

EstratégiaMed

Estratégia (20% discount) coupon: BRZ

Estratégia MED is an online educational preparation platform designed especially for physicians and candidates seeking approval in Medical Residency programs and the revalidation of medical degrees in Brazil (Revalida). The platform offers comprehensive, up-to-date, and well-structured courses taught by specialist instructors, with materials such as video lessons, question banks, mock exams, mentoring, and study schedules covering all stages of the exam.

• Medcel
• Revisamed
• Medgrupo

YouTube Channels With Medical Content in Portuguese

• Endocrinologia Padrão Ouro - Bruno Pires
• Doutor Ajuda
• Dr. Dayan Siebra
• Doutor TV
• Doutor Drauzio Varella
• MSF Brasil
• Instituto Dr. Barakat

Podcasts With Medical Content in Portuguese

• Saúde Digital
• Medcast
• Ausculta Podcast
• Maratona Saúde
• Medicina em Debate
• PQU Podcast
• Fronteira da Ciência
• Jornal da USP no AR
• Rádio CBN Medicina e Saúde
• Sociedade Brasileira de Diabetes

Instagram Profiles With Medical Content in Portuguese

• @revalidacao_medica
• @paginamedicinae
• @rafaelmedicina86
• @qualityeducacaomedica

What to Do After Passing Revalida Brazil

After you pass, the foreign-trained doctor must complete a few additional steps in order to practice legally in Brazil.

• Apply for professional registration (CRM) with the Regional Medical Council in the state where you will work.
• Submit your revalidated diploma and the documentation required by the corresponding CRM.
• Check whether your state requires additional documents or in-person interviews.
• Only after CRM registration can the doctor practice legally and be paid in Brazil.

That’s why it’s important to plan not only your preparation for the Revalida exam, but also the steps afterward—so you can avoid delays or bureaucratic issues when starting your professional activity in Brazil.

Frequently Asked Questions About Revalida Brazil