Celpe-Bras — the government certificate of Portuguese proficiency

What it is for

• Admission to a Brazilian university. For a foreigner this is the mandatory proof of language competence when applying to graduação and to pós-graduação programs.
• Revalidation of a foreign diploma — see Recognition of a foreign diploma in Brazil — revalidação and reconhecimento (in Russian).
• Naturalization. Here Celpe-Bras is only one of eight ways to meet the language requirement, and often not the cheapest; the full list is How to prove Portuguese for naturalization (in Russian).

The exam tests the Brazilian variety of Portuguese — this is stated in the edital itself.

Structure

Audio and video are presented twice in a row without pauses. The oral part is audio-recorded — in case the score is reviewed.

Levels

Key rule: the level must be achieved in both parts, and when results differ the lower one counts. In other words, a strong written part will not make up for a failed oral part.

How to register

1. Registration only via celpebras.inep.gov.br and only within the registration period — registrations outside the system or after the deadline are not accepted.
2. Provide passport or identity document valid in the country of registration, date of birth and CPF, if you have one. The data must match what is recorded at Receita Federal, otherwise the details will not match — how to obtain and correct a CPF, see CPF for a foreigner — what it's for and how to get it.
3. Choose the country and a specific posto aplicador. Seats at a site are limited; when they are exhausted the system closes registration.
4. Pay the fee on time and wait for homologação — confirmation of the registration by the site coordinator.

Fee. Its amount is set by the site itself, but the edital sets a ceiling: in Brazil — no more than R$ 259 (as in both editais of 2026). For sites abroad the edital gives not a ceiling but a recommended amount: US$ 120 in 2026/1 and US$ 190 in 2026/2. Some sites announce free registration.

2026 calendar

There are two editions per year. Registration for 2026/2 is closed; the edital for 2027 had not been published as of 1 Oct 2026. Results of those who reached at least intermediário are additionally published in Diário Oficial da União.

There is no paper certificate. The certificate is an electronic statement that INEP issues at celpebras.inep.gov.br and which is verified by an electronic protocol. It is valid for Brazilian and foreign organizations; INEP does not issue a printed copy.

Review of scores through a separate appeal is not available: the edital considers that the marking methodology already includes ex officio review. If there are discrepancies in scores the written part and the recording of the oral part are rechecked by other examiners, up to a third review.

Where to take it in Santa Catarina

There are three testing sites in the state in the INEP register as of 19 Aug 2026: UFSC in Florianópolis (70 seats), UNIVALI in Itajaí (30 seats) and UFFS in Chapecó (100 seats). For a resident of the island the nearest is UFSC; it is run by NUPLE, the center for teaching Portuguese as a foreign language, at the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures (DLLE).

This is the same CCE building where UFSC runs Portuguese courses for foreigners, including Celpe-Bras preparation — see Where to learn Portuguese — free courses for migrants and what counts. For a resident of the island both things are physically in the same place.

Important: the site does not open registration by itself. It joins a given edition at INEP's call, so a site's participation in a past edition does not guarantee it in the next — and registration in any case goes only through celpebras.inep.gov.br.

What proves identity at the exam

In Brazil acceptable documents include, among others: CRNM and DPRNM (see Registration with the Federal Police and the CRNM card), an identity document issued by the Ministério da Justiça to a foreigner, including a recognized refugee, passport, CNH, an identity card issued by Secretaria de Segurança Pública, a CTPS work card issued after 27 Jan 1997, as well as digital photo documents in official apps or in Gov.br.

Not accepted: protocolos, boletim de ocorrência, birth or marriage certificate, proof of military service, student card, paper título eleitoral. Abroad — passport or an official photo ID valid in the country where the exam is held.

Special conditions

They must be requested at registration; they are not accepted retroactively. These include accessibility for disability, pregnancy and breastfeeding, dyslexia and ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, as well as use of a social name.

If an application for extra time is approved, +60 minutes are given for the written part. A breastfeeding participant needs an accompanying adult who stays with the child in a separate room.

Sources

1. T1INEP — Celpe-Bras exam page: organizer, two parts, held at centers in Brazil and abroadgov.br · primary source
2. T1Government services portal — service card: stages, duration of parts, what the certificate is accepted forgov.br · primary source
3. T2Edital INEP nº 8 of 20 Feb 2026 (DOU 24 Feb 2026, p. 35) — edital Celpe-Bras 2026/1: calendar, structure, fee cap, levels, eligibilityabmes.org.br · secondary source
4. T1Edital INEP nº 92 of 8 Jul 2026 (DOU 9 Jul 2026, p. 35) — edital Celpe-Bras 2026/2: calendar, fee cap R$ 259 and US$ 190 abroad, results 15 Dec 2026 and 15 Jan 2027, electronic statement instead of paper certificatein.gov.br · primary source
5. T1INEP — Celpe-Bras test centers in the South: in Santa Catarina UFFS (Chapecó), UFSC (Florianópolis) and UNIVALI (Itajaí), with contacts and number of seats; updated 19 Aug 2026gov.br · primary source
6. T1NUPLE UFSC — Celpe-Bras test center in Florianópolis: address in the CCE-B building at Trindade campus, email and phone of coordinationnuple.paginas.ufsc.br · primary source
7. T2Agência Brasil — deadlines of the 2026/2 edition per edital INEP nº 92 of 8 Jul 2026agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br · secondary source

T1 — primary: law, agency site, price list. T2 — secondary: press, specialist sites. T3 — other.