Brazil

Brazil Investor Visa Overview

The Brazil Investor Visa, officially designated VITEM IX, allows foreign nationals to obtain temporary residence in Brazil by making a qualifying investment in a Brazilian business, innovative startup, or real estate. 

Three investor categories are available, with minimum thresholds starting at BRL 150,000 (approx. US$30,600) for innovative projects and reaching BRL 1,000,000 (approx. US$204,100) for real estate in most regions of Brazil.

The main applicant can include a spouse and dependent children under family reunification status.

Eligibility Requirements

All investments must be made with foreign funds transferred through an authorized Brazilian bank and registered with the Central Bank of Brazil within 30 days of the investment. 

Three categories are available.

Individual Entrepreneur and Startup Route

• The applicant invests their own foreign funds in a Brazilian business or develops an innovative, scientific, or technological project with potential for economic impact
• Standard business investment: minimum BRL 500,000 (approx. US$102,000) in a new or existing Brazilian company, with a business plan demonstrating job creation potential of at least 10 jobs
• Innovative startup investment: minimum BRL 150,000 (approx. US$30,600) for projects in technology, science, or other priority innovation areas, subject to approval of a detailed business plan demonstrating innovation and economic impact
• Governed by Normative Resolution RN 13/2017

Real Estate Route

• Minimum purchase of BRL 700,000 (approx. US$142,900) in municipalities in the North or Northeast regions of Brazil
• Minimum of BRL 1,000,000 (approx. US$204,100) in all other regions, including the Center-West, Southeast, and South
• Property must be registered with the Registro Geral do Imóvel and the foreign investment reported to the Central Bank of Brazil via the RDE-IED system within 30 days of purchase
• Governed by Normative Resolution RN 11/2017

Corporate Representative Route

• The applicant must be an executive, director, manager, or administrator with legal authority to represent a civil or commercial company, business group, or conglomerate making a foreign direct investment in a Brazilian company
• The investment must demonstrate potential for job creation or income generation in Brazil
• Governed by Normative Resolution RN 11/2017

Consular Application Requirements

The following documents must be presented at the Brazilian consulate once the in-Brazil authorization is underway. All documentation must be submitted in Portuguese, English, or Spanish; documents in other languages must be translated before submission.

• Completed online visa application form (RER form) from formulario-mre.serpro.gov.br, signed with name and telephone contact
• Recent 5×7 color photograph, frontal, against a white background, attached to the RER form
• Original passport, signed, valid for at least 6 months, with a minimum of 2 blank pages
• Birth certificate, preferably bilingual
• Criminal clearance certificate from the country of residence, issued no earlier than 30 days before the visa application date
• Airline reservation inbound to Brazil; purchased tickets are not recommended as fees are not refunded if the application is refused
• Documents issued outside Brazil must be apostilled if the issuing country is a signatory of the Hague Apostille Convention, or notarized by the competent Brazilian consulate in the country of issuance if not

Route to Citizenship

Brazil’s VITEM IX visa grants a two-year temporary residence permit, renewable provided the investment remains active. 

After the required period of lawful temporary residence, applicants may apply for permanent residence, which is granted provided the qualifying investment has been maintained throughout.

After four years of legal residence in Brazil with the investment active, holders become eligible to apply for Brazilian citizenship by naturalization. This period is reduced to one year for applicants who have a child born in Brazil. 

Naturalization requires basic Portuguese language proficiency, a clean criminal record, and demonstrated integration into Brazilian society. Brazil permits dual nationality; applicants are not required to relinquish their prior citizenships.

Mobility and Taxation

Mobility

Brazilian citizens can access approximately 170 destinations visa-free or visa-on-arrival, including the European Union and Schengen Area, the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, and all MERCOSUR member states. 

As a founding member of MERCOSUR, Brazil’s citizens benefit from free movement and simplified residency rights across Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and associate states. 

The VITEM IX visa grants the right to live and work anywhere in Brazil for the duration of the permit. 

Tax

Brazil taxes tax residents on worldwide income. 

A person is generally considered a Brazilian tax resident once they obtain the CRNM resident card, from which point they are subject to Brazilian income tax on all income from all sources at progressive rates from 7.5% to 27.5%. 

Capital gains on the sale of Brazilian assets are taxed at rates from 15% to 22.5% depending on the amount. 

There is no inheritance tax at the federal level, though individual states levy a state-level inheritance and donation tax at varying rates. 

How to Apply

The program is administered by the Ministry of Justice and Public Security for prior authorization, and by theMinistry of Foreign Affairs through Brazilian consulates for visa issuance. The process is conducted in two mandatory sequential stages and cannot be initiated at a consulate. 

The process typically runs as follows.

• Step 1: Complete the qualifying investment in Brazil; transfer funds through an authorized Brazilian bank and register with the Central Bank of Brazil via the RDE-IED system; incorporate the Brazilian company and obtain the CNPJ, or complete real estate registration.
• Step 2: The Brazilian inviting party or legal counterpart submits the temporary residence permit application at the Ministry of Justice and Public Security in Brazil under the applicable Normative Resolution; this step must be completed in Brazil and cannot be initiated from abroad.
• Step 3: While the in-Brazil permit is being processed, the applicant completes the online visa application at formulario-mre.serpro.gov.br; prints, signs, and prepares the RER form with photograph; gathers all consular documents including passport, birth certificate, and criminal clearance certificate issued within 30 days; books a consular appointment via e-consular; translates any documents not in Portuguese, English, or Spanish.
• Step 4: Attend the mandatory in-person interview at the Brazilian consulate with all required documents; pay visa fees in cash; the consulate recommends submitting at least one month before the intended travel date as processing may take several days or longer and all applications are sent to the State Department for consultation; the consulate holds full discretion to refuse any application.
• Step 5: Enter Brazil on the VITEM IX visa; register with the Federal Police within 90 days of arrival to obtain the CRNM resident identity card.
• Step 6: Renew the VITEM IX temporary residence before expiry by demonstrating the investment remains active; maintain documentation evidencing the ongoing investment, employment generated, and compliance with Brazilian tax and corporate obligations.