The visa · Brazil
Brazil
Brazil has had a purpose-built digital nomad visa (VITEM XIV) since 2021, granted for a year and renewable, with an income floor of US$1,500 a month or US$18,000 in the bank. Most short-stay nomads instead use the visitor stay, which is 90 days extendable to 180 in a year for EU, British and many other passports, while Americans, Canadians and Australians have needed an e-visa since April 2025. The thing to know before applying is that tax residency arrives automatically after 183 days of presence in any 12 months, and Brazil taxes worldwide income with no treaty with the United States and a British treaty still awaiting entry into force.
- Nomad visa · September 2026YesRoutes4Bases1
- Rio De Janeiro9 pieces
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The routes
Researched 6 September 2026 · rules as of September 2026 · as published, not legal advice
Nomad visa
Digital Nomad Visa (VITEM XIV)
Visto Temporário XIV – Nômade Digital (Resolução Normativa CNIg nº 45, September 2021) / Temporary Visa XIV – Digital Nomad
Employees and freelancers paid from outside Brazil who want a lawful stay of one to two years without a Brazilian employer.
- Income floor
- Proof of income from a foreign-source payer of at least US$1,500 a month, or available bank funds of at least US$18,000, as set by the CNIg resolution and repeated on consular pages
- Duration
- Residence period of up to 1 year; the resolution allows one renewal for an equal period, so 2 years on paper. Law firms report in 2026 that third-year renewals have been granted in practice, described as discretionary
- Cost
- Consular fee varies by nationality and post; law-firm and applicant reports put it at roughly US$100 to US$300. In-country residence authorisation via the Ministry of Justice is reported at under US$40, plus the Federal Police CRNM card fee reported at R$204.77
- Processing
- Consulates are reported to issue in 2 to 6 weeks with complete files, with a spread of 2 weeks to 3 months; the in-country route is reported at about 60 days; the Federal Police card takes a further 4 to 8 weeks
- Eligibility
- Any nationality; no employment relationship with a Brazilian entity; professional activity must be performable remotely; clean criminal record certificate; health insurance valid in Brazil for consular applicants (reported as not required on the in-country route)
- Work rights
- Remote work for foreign employers or clients only, as published; work for a Brazilian employer is excluded and reported as a refusal ground
- Dependants
- Not provided for in the resolution itself; spouses and children are reported to apply as dependants or via family reunion, each with their own documents and fee
- Leads to
- No direct conversion to permanent residence, as published; law firms report holders switch to other routes (family, retirement, investment, employment) to stay longer
- Apply
- Brazilian consulate abroad via the e-consular portal, or in-country through the Ministry of Justice residence-authorisation system (MigranteWeb), then registration at the Polícia Federal within 90 days of entry (30 days after an in-country grant, per consular pages)
Documents Valid passport and completed e-consular visa form · Declaration by the applicant that the work can be performed remotely by information and communication technology · Employment contract or service contract with a foreign employer or clients, or proof of ownership of a foreign company · Proof of income of at least US$1,500 a month or bank funds of at least US$18,000 (bank statements showing monthly inflows) · Health insurance valid in Brazilian territory · Criminal record certificate from the country of residence, apostilled and, for Federal Police registration, sworn-translated into Portuguese · Proof of transport into Brazil (consular applicants) · Birth certificate, apostilled and translated, for the Federal Police registration
Temporary stay
Visitor stay, extended to 180 days
Visto de Visita (VIVIS) / visa-exempt visit under the Quadro Geral de Regime de Vistos
Nomads staying up to six months in a year who keep their employer and tax base abroad and do not need a residence card.
- Income floor
- none published; border officers may ask for means of subsistence and onward travel
- Duration
- Up to 90 days per entry, extendable once at the Polícia Federal to a total of 180 days in any 12-month period for exempt nationalities and e-visa holders
- Cost
- No fee for exempt nationalities; e-visa US$80.90 for United States, Canadian and Australian citizens; extension fee payable to the Federal Police by GRU slip (amount not verified here)
- Processing
- Immediate at the border; e-visa reported at 48 to 72 hours, officially up to 10 business days; extension granted on the spot or by appointment at the Federal Police
- Eligibility
- Depends on nationality under the visa table; no paid activity from a Brazilian source; intention to leave within the permitted stay
- Work rights
- Visitor rules allow no paid activity from a Brazilian source; remote work for a foreign employer is not addressed in the published visitor rules and is widely reported as tolerated, which is why the nomad visa was created
- Dependants
- Each person enters on their own passport under the same rules
- Leads to
- no
- Apply
- At the border for exempt nationalities; e-visa through the VFS Global portal for US, Canadian and Australian citizens; extension at any Polícia Federal immigration office before day 90
Documents Passport valid for the stay · Return or onward ticket and proof of means, if asked · E-visa approval printed or on phone for US, Canadian and Australian citizens
Long stay
Retirement and rentier visa (VITEM XIV, RN 40)
Visto Temporário XIV – Aposentado / Beneficiário de Pensão (Resolução Normativa CNIg nº 40/2019)
Retirees and pensioners with a stable foreign pension who want an open-ended residence in Brazil.
- Income floor
- Monthly transfer to Brazil of at least US$2,000 from a pension, plus US$1,000 a month for each dependant as reported; whether non-pension passive income qualifies on its own is disputed between law firms (one says it may only top up a pension, another says other stable means are accepted)
- Duration
- Visa issued for up to 1 year; initial residence period of 2 years, then renewable for an indefinite period as reported
- Cost
- Consular fee by nationality; Federal Police CRNM fee on registration
- Processing
- Consular processing similar to other VITEM categories; not separately published
- Eligibility
- Proof of pension or retirement from the paying authority; criminal record certificate; apostilled and sworn-translated documents
- Work rights
- Designed for pension income; local employment not addressed on the pages opened
- Dependants
- Spouse and dependants may be included with the extra US$1,000 a month each as reported
- Leads to
- Indefinite residence after the initial 2-year period as reported, and the time is reported to count toward naturalisation
- Apply
- Brazilian consulate abroad, then Polícia Federal registration within 90 days of arrival
Documents Valid passport · Pension or retirement certificate from the paying authority · 6 to 12 months of bank statements showing the transfers · Criminal record certificates from countries of residence in the last 5 years · Birth and marriage certificates for dependants, apostilled and translated
Investor
Investor visa (VITEM IX)
Visto Temporário IX – Investidor (Resoluções Normativas CNIg nº 13/2017 e nº 36/2018)
The minority of nomads who buy property or put capital into a Brazilian company and want a residence that does not depend on renewals.
- Income floor
- Investment of at least R$500,000 in a Brazilian company, R$150,000 in a qualifying startup, or property of R$1,000,000 (R$700,000 in the North and Northeast regions)
- Duration
- Residence with a review of the investment; renewal and indefinite residence depend on maintaining the investment, as published by consulates
- Cost
- Consular fee by nationality; Federal Police registration fee
- Processing
- Not separately published; law firms report several months including Central Bank registration of the capital
- Eligibility
- Capital must enter Brazil through the Central Bank; property must be urban and fully paid; business plan for company investments
- Work rights
- May run the invested business; not a remote-work route
- Dependants
- Family reunion available for spouse and children
- Leads to
- Leads to indefinite residence if the investment is maintained; counts toward naturalisation
- Apply
- Brazilian consulate abroad or in-country residence authorisation; Polícia Federal registration within 90 days
Documents Proof of the investment registered with the Central Bank or the property deed · Business plan for company investment · Criminal record certificate · Valid passport
Without a visa, by passport
The stay you get on arrival, and whether working remotely on it is tolerated
- EU / EEA / SwitzerlandVisa-exempt, 90 days, extendable to 180 in any 12 monthsRemote work for a foreign employer is not addressed in the visitor rules and is widely reported as tolerated; paid work from a Brazilian source is forbidden
- United KingdomVisa-exempt, 90 days, extendable to 180 in any 12 monthsSame as above: reported as tolerated, not published as permitted
- United StatesE-visa required since 10 April 2025, US$80.90, valid 10 years, 90 days per stay and 180 per yearE-visa is a visit visa; remote work for a foreign employer is grey, local work forbidden
- CanadaE-visa required since 10 April 2025, US$80.90, valid 5 years, 90 days per stay and 180 per yearSame grey status as other visitors
- AustraliaE-visa required since 10 April 2025, US$80.90, valid 5 years, 90 days per stay and 180 per yearSame grey status as other visitors
- IndiaVisa required, applied for at a consulate; the e-visa portal serves only US, Canadian and Australian citizensVisit visa holders may not take paid work from a Brazilian source; remote work not addressed
- South AfricaVisa-exempt, 90 days, extendable to 180 in any 12 monthsReported as tolerated for remote work, not published as permitted
- JapanVisa-exempt, 90 days, extendable to 180, under the mutual exemption restored on 30 September 2023Same grey status as other visitors
- TurkeyVisa-exempt, 90 days, extendable to 180 in any 12 monthsSame grey status as other visitors
- Argentina and other Mercosur statesEntry on national ID card, 90 days, extendable; separate Mercosur residence route availableMercosur nationals can obtain temporary residence with work rights instead of relying on the visitor stay
- New ZealandVisa-exempt, 90 days, extendable to 180 in any 12 monthsSame grey status as other visitors
- BrazilCitizens; no immigration rules applyReturning Brazilians regain tax residency on the day they return, as the Receita Federal publishes
Tax
When the country starts counting you as its taxpayer
- Residency trigger
- Tax residency starts on the date of entry for holders of a permanent visa or of a temporary visa tied to an employment contract with a Brazilian entity. For anyone else on a temporary visa or visitor stay it starts on the 184th day of physical presence, consecutive or not, within any 12-month period. Nationals of Mercosur states, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia and Peru become resident when a work relationship or permanent residence begins.
- Special regime
- None for newcomers or nomads. Residents pay the progressive income tax with a top marginal rate of 27.5 per cent on worldwide income, and foreign-source pay must be declared and paid monthly through the Carnê-Leão. From 1 January 2026, under Law 15.270 of 26 November 2025, monthly taxable income up to R$5,000 is exempt and a tapering reduction applies up to R$7,350.
- Social security
- Employees of Brazilian entities and the self-employed working in Brazil contribute to the INSS; a remote worker paid only from abroad is not automatically enrolled, and treatment of foreign self-employment income is not published in nomad-specific guidance. Brazil has a social security totalisation agreement with the United States and with a number of other countries, under which a certificate of coverage from the home scheme can avoid double contributions.
- Treaties
- Brazil has around three dozen double-taxation treaties, none with the United States. The United Kingdom treaty was signed on 29 November 2022 and the UK made its implementing order in 2023, but the reports opened say it was still awaiting Brazilian ratification and entry into force. Where no treaty applies, Brazil allows a unilateral credit for foreign tax paid on the same income only where reciprocity exists, so a resident remote employee or contractor from a non-treaty country may pay in both places.
Practicalities
- Tax number (CPF)
- Free, issued by the Receita Federal; obtainable at a consulate abroad, online, or in Brazil at a Receita office, Banco do Brasil, Caixa or a post office. Residency is not required. Needed for SIM cards, banking, Pix, leases and most contracts.
- SIM registration
- Every line, including prepaid, must be registered to an identified person and operators key registration to the CPF, checked live against the Receita database. Carrier stores are reported to accept a passport for activation without a CPF; eSIMs are the reported fallback.
- Bank account
- Digital banks (Nubank, Inter, C6) open accounts in-app with a CPF, passport and Brazilian address; some reports say a CRNM residence card is usually required, others that Nubank accepts a CPF alone. Traditional banks generally require the CRNM.
- Health insurance
- The public SUS system is open to everyone in Brazil, but consular applicants for the nomad visa must show private insurance valid in Brazil for the whole stay; insurers that exclude Brazil or cap cover at 90 days are a reported refusal ground.
- Registration on arrival
- Temporary visa holders must register at the Polícia Federal within 90 days of entry to obtain the RNM number and CRNM card (fee reported at R$204.77); consular pages give 30 days for those granted residence in-country. Missing the deadline attracts a fine.
- Overstay penalties
- Decree 9.199/2017 sets a fine per day of excess stay, with a minimum of R$100 and a maximum of R$10,000 for individuals, plus deportation if the person does not leave or regularise. The fine may be converted into an equivalent reduction of the permitted stay on a future visit. Payment is due within 30 days of the decision.
Brazil: a two-year nomad visa, a 180-day visitor stay and a tax clock that starts on day 184
Where nomads base and why
Florianópolis is the most cited base, for its combination of fibre internet, relative safety and cost, followed by Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Recife. The 180-day visitor allowance for European, British, South African and Japanese passports means many stay a southern summer without a visa, then leave before the tax clock reaches 184 days.
The nomad visa matters to those who want to stay a full year or more, keep a lease in their own name and open a resident bank account. Since 2025 it also matters to Americans, Canadians and Australians, whose e-visa caps them at 180 days a year regardless of the ten- or five-year validity of the document.
What applicants report about the process
Consulates are reported to decide within two to six weeks when the file is complete, but spreads of two weeks to three months appear in applicant accounts, and criteria differ between posts. The slowest step is usually the apostille of the criminal record certificate at home, not the consulate itself.
The in-country route through the Ministry of Justice system is reported to take about 60 days and to apply more uniform criteria than consulates; the applicant remains lawfully present while it is pending and does not have to show health insurance. Refusals cluster around income proof that mixes Brazilian and foreign sources, bank statements without clear monthly inflows, insurance that excludes Brazil, and certificates older than 90 days.
After arrival the Federal Police appointment for the CRNM card adds four to eight weeks, during which the stamped visa serves as proof of status. The resolution allows one renewal, but law firms writing in 2026 report third-year renewals being granted, and warn that this is discretionary.
Money, banking and tax
The CPF is the key to daily life and is free and quick; a SIM, a Pix transfer, a lease and a bank account all hang off it. Digital banks are the practical route for foreigners, with the CRNM the document most often asked for beyond the CPF.
Anyone crossing 183 days of presence in a 12-month window becomes tax resident on day 184 and owes Brazilian tax on worldwide income through monthly Carnê-Leão payments. The 2026 exemption up to R$5,000 a month softens this for lower earners, but there is no nomad regime, no treaty with the United States, and the British treaty is still not in force according to the reports opened.
What is changing
The visitor regime tightened in April 2025 for Americans, Canadians and Australians after three postponements. The tax side changed in January 2026 with the new exemption band and a minimum tax on high incomes. The nomad visa rules themselves are unchanged since 2021, with the practical loosening on renewals reported rather than published.
Researched from gov.br · gov.br · gov.br · gov.br · modeloinicial.com.br · taxsummaries.pwc.com · www12.senado.leg.br · visaverge.com · blog.wego.com · legislation.gov.uk · the authority