Americas
Brazil.
Brazil's Penal Code makes failing to help someone in need an offense (article 135, omissao de socorro), and the Constitution lists building a solidary society among its fundamental objectives. Federal laws regulate volunteer service (Law 9.608/1998) and partnerships between public bodies and nonprofit civil society organizations (Law 13.019/2014).
Is there a legal duty to help a stranger?
YesArticle 135 of Decreto-Lei 2.848/1940 punishes failing to help, when it can be done without personal risk, an abandoned or lost child or an injured, helpless person in serious and imminent danger, or failing to call public authorities in those cases. The penalty is detention of one to six months or a fine, increased by half if serious bodily injury results and tripled if death results. Article 135-A separately punishes demanding a guarantee as a condition for emergency medical care. Translation from the Portuguese statute is this guide's own.
Are people who help protected?
None foundNo Brazilian statute was found in the sources reviewed that specifically protects good-faith helpers from liability. Law 13.722/2018, which requires first-aid training in schools, is a training mandate and not a liability shield.
How the government promotes giving and service
Ways to give and volunteer
Brazil has a large nonprofit sector, called organizações da sociedade civil (OSCs), and many local social services are run by religious groups, which this list does not recommend. Check that a group has a CNPJ number before giving.
Check a charity before you give
A government research institute (IPEA) map built from federal records, where you can look up nonprofits by name, location or CNPJ; it is not a complete list, and it does not certify any group.
Give your time
Give money, blood or a donation
In an emergency or a crisis
Before you act
- After disasters such as floods, fake appeals and bank-transfer or Pix scams spread quickly, so check the name and CNPJ on the Receita Federal lookup before sending money.
- Give through organizations with a public record and a clear address, and be careful with appeals on social media that ask for Pix to a personal key.
- Foreign visitors should not do regular unpaid work on a tourist visa, and should check the rules with the host group and Brazilian consulate.
This list does not cover state and city volunteer programs or small neighborhood associations that have no online presence. Checked 2026-10-28. Listing an organization is not an endorsement, and none of them has endorsed this site. Some official sites block automatic checks, so a link may need a second try.
One thing worth knowing
Brazil's duty-to-assist offense sits in the Penal Code alongside a constitutional objective of a solidary society.
What this does not mean
All Brazilian statute descriptions are this guide's own English renderings of the Portuguese official texts, so the wording is not official. The compiled statute pages include amendments. Not legal advice. This is a plain-language summary of public sources, not legal advice, and it does not rank countries. No government named here has endorsed this site. Not reviewed by a lawyer. Statutes were read in public sources and may have changed. Last checked October 26, 2026.