Edward Snowden has applied for asylum in Brazil, as the former NSA contractor and whistleblower himself announced in an interview.

"If Brazil offers me asylum, then I'll gladly accept it. I would like to live in Brazil," the Moscow Times quotes him as saying on Brazilian television channel Globo News.

Russian daily Gazeta.ru reports that the Brazilian Foreign Ministry has denied receiving an application from Snowden.

The whistleblower, who has worked for both the CIA and NSA, resides in Russia since he fled the US after leaking thousands of secret documents alleging mass surveillance practised by the US intelligence.

He could stay in Russia until this summer and it is not known whether his permit will be extended afterwards.

In an open letter to Brazil, he earlier praised the country for its stance against US spying.

Snowden has reiterated he would not trade secret documents for asylum in any country, as he thinks such should be granted to him on humanitarian grounds.

Apart from Brazil, he claims he has officially applied for asylum in a number of other countries.

In his native US, he would be facing a number of charges including theft of government property, unauthorized communication of national defense information and willful communication of classified intelligence.