Have you reached a “brick wall” in your genealogy research? Onsite genealogy research in Brazil may just be the key to extending your Brazilian ancestry. We have genealogists in Brazil that can help!
Challenges in Brazilian Genealogy Research
As a former colony of Portugal, family history research in Brazil relies primarily on civil registration and Catholic parish records. While an increasing number of these records have been digitized, many are still only held onsite. In most cases, successful Brazilian genealogy research will require a Legacy Tree researcher to visit an archive or government office in person. It is also important to understand that Brazil was historically the recipient of immigrants from all around the globe. If your ancestors migrated to Brazil from Portugal or some other country, it will usually be necessary to complete research in Brazil first to learn the name of their foreign hometown. Depending how early your ancestors arrived, this can take some time. Research in Brazil can also be complicated for those of African descent because of the late end to chattel slavery and the fact that there are few records containing information about enslaved people earlier than the late nineteenth century. DNA testing can often be helpful in learning about African origins.
Our Team of Professional Genealogists Can Help
If you have Brazilian ancestry, our professionals can help track down the town of origin of your ancestors, determine where that location is today, and identify where the records for that place are currently kept. We can also do the preliminary research in immigrant destination countries to learn the original European hometown, if necessary. For those areas that don’t have records available online or on microfilm, our onsite agents can visit that location to obtain any documents that are available.
Onsite Archive Access in Brazil
Our onsite genealogy researchers have access to the following archives, repositories, and libraries in Brazil to help track down the records you need to extend your Brazilian family history:
- Arquivo Nacional (National Archive)
- Arquivo do Ministério do Exército (Archive of the Ministry of the Army)
- Arquivo da Marinha (Archive of the Navy)
- Arquivo do Instituto Histórico e Geográfico Brasileiro (Archive of the Historical and Geographical Institute of Brazil)
- Arquivo Geral do Estado do Acre
- Arquivo Público de Alagoas
- Fundação Cultural do Estado de Amapá
- Arquivo Público Estadual de Amazonas
- Arquivo Público do Estado da Bahia
- Arquivo Público do Estado do Ceará
- Arquivo Público do Distrito Federal
- Arquivo Público Estadual do Espírito Santo
- Arquivo Histórico do Estado de Goiás
- Arquivo Público do Estado do Maranhão
- Arquivo Público de Mato Grosso
- Arquivo Público do Estado de Mato Grosso do Sul
- Arquivo Público Mineiro (Minas Gerais)
- Arquivo Público do Estado do Pará
- Arquivo Administrativo da Paraíba
- Arquivo Público do Estado do Paraná
- Arquivo Público Estadual de Pernambuco
- Arquivo Público e Museu Histórico do Piauí
- Arquivo Público do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
- Arquivo Público Estadual do Rio Grande do Norte
- Arquivo Histórico do Rio Grande do Sul
- Arquivo Público do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul
- Arquivo Geral do Estado de Rondônia
- Arquivo Público do Estado de Roraima
- Arquivo Público do Estado de Santa Catarina
- Arquivo Público do Estado de São Paulo
- Arquivo Público Estadual de Sergipe
- Arquivo Público Estadual de Tocantins
- Fundação Biblioteca Nacional (National Library Establishment)
- Instituto Genealógico Brasileiro
- Universidade de São Paulo
