Brazil residence permit: all routes and residence through property

All grounds for Brazilian residence in 2026

Buying property is only one of the grounds. Brazil also grants residence to people living on a pension, working remotely, investing in a business or raising a Brazilian child, and for many families these routes are faster and cheaper.

Remote work for foreign clients is covered on the page Brazil nomad visa, and having a child on the page giving birth in Brazil. Every ground leads to a passport through naturalisation: timelines, the exam and documents are on the page Brazilian citizenship.

The investment property

Duplex apartments in a condominium on the Atlantic coast in the state of Ceará in north-eastern Brazil.

Yield

The guaranteed yield is 7% a year for the first 2 years. From the third year the projected yield is around 14% a year.

Construction and payment

Construction takes 12 months. Payment is by instalments: a 30% down payment, with the balance paid as the construction milestones are reached.

Getting the residence permit

Processing the residence permit after the purchase and payment takes 3-6 months.

Russian citizens can stay in Brazil without a visa for up to 90 days, which is enough to close the deal and file the documents.

Legal basis: real estate investor residence

The rule has applied since 2018 and the thresholds have not changed. Dollar amounts at the Central Bank of Brazil official rate of 05.10.2026, BRL 4.99 per dollar, rounded up.

How to transfer the money correctly

The main source of trouble with this permit is a wrong transfer. Funds must come from abroad through a bank licensed by the Central Bank of Brazil for foreign exchange, under an exchange contract in the applicant's name. The sender, the buyer on the contract and the applicant must be the same person. Third-party transfers, cash and card payments do not count.

What it costs, item by item

Documents and where to get them

• Passport.
• Birth certificate with apostille and sworn Portuguese translation.
• Police clearance with apostille and translation.
• Tax number from a Brazilian consulate or online.
• Purchase contract or registered promise of sale and a property registry extract.
• Exchange contract and bank proof of the transfer from abroad.

Steps and timeline

1. Tax number, 1-7 days.
2. Property and developer due diligence, 2-4 weeks. Title, debts, building permits.
3. Funds transfer through an authorised bank under an exchange contract.
4. Deal registration at the property registry, transfer tax paid.
5. Residence application in the online migration system.
6. Processing, 3-6 months.
7. Federal Police registration and foreigner ID card.

Risks of buying off-plan

• Construction delays do not affect the permit if the contract is registered and funds transferred, but they affect rental income.
• Developer: check building permits, project registration and lawsuits.
• Promised yield is a term of the developer's or manager's contract, not a state guarantee: check who backs it and how.
• Selling the property before the switch to indefinite residence can cost you the status.

Family

A spouse and children get residence by family reunification with the investor, with apostilled marriage and birth certificates and sworn translations. When the investor moves to indefinite residence, family members switch too.

From residence to citizenship

Ordinary naturalisation in Brazil is possible after 4 years of residence and requires indefinite residence, so in practice the path from purchase to passport takes about 8 years. A spouse or parent of a Brazilian needs 1 year. Portuguese must be proven by exam. Dual citizenship is allowed. On having a child in the country, see birth in Brazil. Timelines, the exam and documents are on the page Brazilian citizenship.

Taxes

You become a Brazilian tax resident after 183 days in 12 months or immediately with indefinite residence. Residents pay tax on worldwide income at up to 27.5%; from 2026 income up to BRL 5,000 a month, about $1,100, is exempt. Rental income is taxed, and dividends at 10% from 2026. More on the Brazil taxes page.

Comparison with other routes

Property makes sense for those who want to invest in the Brazilian market anyway: status comes with the asset. If the goal is only relocation, the nomad visa is cheaper.

Where the lower threshold applies

The BRL 700,000 threshold applies to property in Brazil's North and Northeast. The Northeast covers Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe and Bahia, almost the whole Atlantic coast from Fortaleza to Salvador. The North covers the Amazon states. In Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, the South and the Centre the threshold is BRL 1,000,000. The property must be in an urban zone: rural plots and farms do not qualify.

What we do

We check the property and developer, obtain the tax number, arrange the correct transfer, register the deal, prepare and file the residence application, and support Federal Police registration and the switch to indefinite status. We fix our fee in writing after a free consultation.

Advantages of the programme

How to get the residence permit by buying property

FAQ