Brazil, Rio de Janeiro National Archives, Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records

Brazil Rio de Janeiro

What is in the Collection?
This collection consists of vital records from the municipality of Rio de Janeiro for the years 1929-1962. Although these records originate from various civil registration offices within Rio de Janeiro, they are available in hard-copy only at the National Archives.

Collection Content
This collection contains mixed birth, marriage, and death records. For details about the contents of these records, and help using them see the Brazil Civil Registration page.

What Can This Collection Tell Me?
The following lists indicate potential information given in each type of record. It must be remembered that every record may not provide all the listed information, as record-keeping practices often varied by time and location.

How Do I Search the Collection?
Before beginning a search in these records, it is best to know the full name of the individual in question, as well as an approximate time range for the desired record. When entered into the search engine on the Collection Page, this information provides the quickest, most reliable path to finding the correct person. Of course, other information can be substituted as necessary.

Search by Name by Visiting the Collection Page
Fill in the requested information in the initial search page to return a list of possible matches. Compare the individuals on the list with what is already known to find the correct family or person. This step may require examining multiple individuals before a match is located.

View Images in This Collection by Visiting the Browse Page
If granted the rights to view the digitized records in this collection (see below), the images may be accessed by following this series of links: ⇒ Select Browse through images on the initial collection page ⇒ Select the appropriate Município ⇒ Select the appropriate Região Administrativa ⇒ Select the appropriate Tipo de Registro e Anos to go to the images Compare the information found on the images with what is already known determine if a particular record relates to the correct person. This process may require examining multiple records before the correct person is located.

For Help Reading these Records
These records are in Portuguese. For help reading the records, see the following guides:


 * Portuguese Genealogical Word List
 * Brazil Language and Languages

To learn more about using the information in civil records, watch this video lesson for free: Brazil Beginning Research Series Lesson 2: Civil Registration Records

I Found the Person I Was Looking for, What Now?

 * Make sure to fully transcribe and cite the record entry for future reference; see below for assistance in citing this collection. Save or print a copy of the image if possible.
 * Use the information which has been discovered to find more. For instance, use the age listed in the record to estimate a year of birth, if that is yet undetermined.
 * Continue to search the index to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives. Note that family members often appear on an individual's vital records, such as in the role of witnesses to a marriage.

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking for, What Now?

 * When looking for a person with a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which individual is correct. Use other information, such as place of birth, age, occupation, or names of parents, to determine which candidate is the correct person. If listed, a personal title may be a clue to property ownership or occupation, either of which might be noted in other records.
 * Check for variants of given names and surnames; simple clerical errors were always possible. In addition, spelling was not standardized for much of the period of this collection, so pay special attention to how the name should have been pronounced and try variations on the pronunciation. Individuals could also listed under a middle name, nickname, or abbreviation of their given name. For women, it was not uncommon to revert to a maiden name after the death of a husband.
 * Vary the search terms. For example, search by either the given name or surname to return broader list of possible candidates which can then be examined for matches. Alternatively, try expanding the date range.
 * Search the records of nearby localities. Jurisdictional boundary changes occurred regularly, so the individual's records might be listed under what is now a nearby locality. It is also possible that the individual moved around a bit, so that the records from different points in their life are in different locations.
 * The individual might have left the country entirely. See the Brazil Emigration and Immigration page for information on emigration records.
 * Look at the actual image of the record to verify the information found in the online description, if possible.
 * Church records are a good substitute when civil records cannot be found or are unavailable.
 * Brazil Catholic Church Records
 * Brazil Church Records

For additional help searching online collections see FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

Citing this Collection
Citing sources correctly makes it easier to refer back to information that has already been discovered; proper citations are therefore indispensable to keeping track of genealogical research. Following established formulae in formatting citations also allows others to verify completed research by helping them find and examine records for themselves.

To be of use, citations must include information such as the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records, if available. The following examples demonstrate how to present this information for both this particular collection as well as individual images within the collection: Collection Citation:

Image Citation