Visitor entry with an electronic visa (e-Visa, visitor visa): US citizens were visa exempt from June 2019 under Decreto 9.731/2019. Decreto 11.692/2023 revoked the waiver, and after three postponements of the start date (October 1, 2023, then January 10, 2024, then April 10, 2024) the visa requirement took effect on April 10, 2025, and remains in force. The e-Visa covers tourism, business, transit, sports and artistic activities; paid work in Brazil is not allowed on a visitor stay. A bill to restore the waiver passed the Senate in March 2025 but had not become law when this page was verified.
Country page
Living in Brazil long term
US passport holders no longer enter Brazil visa free: since April 10, 2025, short visits run on an electronic visitor visa valid 10 years, good for 90 days at a time and 180 days in any 12 months. Long stays are built on residence authorizations under the 2017 Migration Law: digital nomads qualify with USD 1,500 a month of foreign income, retirees with the ability to transfer USD 2,000 a month, and investors with R$ 500,000 into a Brazilian company or R$ 700,000 to R$ 1,000,000 into urban real estate depending on the region. Most routes start on fixed terms of 1 to 4 years and convert to an indefinite term, and naturalization takes 4 years of residence, cut to 1 year with a Brazilian spouse, partner or child.
Numbers on this page apply to holders of a US passport. Page last verified: 2026-10-15
Rules change. Confirm the current rules with the official source or the consulate for Brazil before you apply, pay a fee, or book travel around a date in this table.
Every route, with the math
Scroll sideways for the full table. The route name stays in view.
| Route | Income required | Investment required | Total cost | Processing time | Days allowed | Renewal rules | Tax residency trigger | Years to permanent residency | Years to citizenship | Last verified | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visitor entry with an electronic visa (e-Visa, visitor visa) Tourist allowance | No income threshold is published. The application requires proof of means of subsistence, such as bank statements, and proof of onward or return travel. | Not applicable | USD 80.90 e-Visa fee, paid online on the official portal. The US Embassy in Brazil confirms the USD 80.90 fee and the 10 year validity for US citizens. A paper visitor visa issued at a consulate carries a different fee under the Foreign Ministry consular fee table. | The official e-Visa portal states that consular posts may take up to 10 business days to analyze a completed application, and advises applying 2 months before travel. | Up to 90 days per entry. The e-Visa issued to US citizens is valid for 10 years with multiple entries. | The stay can be extended once at a Federal Police office, up to a maximum total of 180 days in any 12 month period, under the visitor stay rules in Decreto 9.199/2017. The visa itself is not renewable; a new one is needed when the 10 year validity ends. | A visitor becomes a Brazilian tax resident on the 184th day of presence within any 12 month period (Decreto 3.000/1999, Articles 16 to 18). The 180 day annual stay cap normally keeps visitors just under that line. | Does not lead to residence. A visitor who qualifies on another basis applies for a residence authorization instead; visitor status is not itself a residence basis. | Visitor stays do not count as residence for naturalization. The 4 year residence requirement in Law 13.445/2017, Article 65 runs on residence authorization. | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Digital nomad residence (Resolution CNIg/MJSP 45/2021, visa VITEM XIV) Digital nomad | Means of subsistence from a foreign paying source of at least USD 1,500 per month, OR bank funds of at least USD 18,000 (Resolution 45/2021, Article 5). The work must be performed remotely for a foreign employer or foreign clients. | Not applicable | R$ 168.13 residence authorization processing and assessment fee (GRU revenue code 140066) plus R$ 204.77 for CRNM issuance (GRU revenue code 140120), R$ 372.90 in total, per the Federal Police fee schedule. Where the visa is issued at a Brazilian consulate abroad, a consular fee under the Foreign Ministry consular fee table is charged instead of the in-country assessment fee. | Resolution 45/2021 sets no decision deadline. Consular issuance after a complete file is reported at 2 to 6 weeks (reported). | Residence for up to 1 year per grant (Resolution 45/2021, Article 4). | Renewable once for an equal period of up to 1 year, on fresh criminal record certificates and proof the nomad conditions continue (Resolution 45/2021, Article 6). The basis runs out after 2 years in total; staying longer means switching to another residence basis. | Becomes a Brazilian tax resident on the 184th day of presence within any 12 month period (Receita Federal rules in Decreto 3.000/1999, Articles 16 to 18, and IN SRF 208/2002). Working for a Brazilian employer is not allowed on this basis, so the earlier employment trigger does not apply. | The nomad basis has no conversion to an indefinite term. Holders who want to stay switch to another basis, such as work, family reunion or investment. | 4 years of residence in total (Law 13.445/2017, Article 65), so a nomad must combine this basis with another residence basis to reach it. Reduced to a minimum of 1 year with a Brazilian child or a Brazilian spouse or partner (Article 66). | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Retirement residence (Resolution CNIg 40/2019, visa VITEM XIII) Retirement | The applicant must be a retiree or a beneficiary of a survivor pension with the capacity to transfer to Brazil, in foreign currency, at least USD 2,000 per month. Other regular income sources may be counted to reach the amount (Resolution 40/2019, with the document annexes in Resolution 30/2018 as amended by Resolution 41/2019). | Not applicable | R$ 168.13 residence authorization processing and assessment fee (GRU revenue code 140066) plus R$ 204.77 for CRNM issuance (GRU revenue code 140120), R$ 372.90 in total, per the Federal Police fee schedule. Where the visa is issued at a Brazilian consulate abroad, a consular fee under the Foreign Ministry consular fee table is charged instead of the in-country assessment fee. | No decision deadline is published in Resolution 40/2019. Applications are analyzed by the Ministry of Justice (prior authorization for the visa) or by the Federal Police (in-country residence). | Residence for 2 years per grant. | Renewable while the person remains a retiree or pension beneficiary able to transfer at least USD 2,000 per month (Resolution 30/2018, Annex XXVII, as amended by Resolution 41/2019). | Becomes a Brazilian tax resident on the 184th day of presence within any 12 month period (Receita Federal rules in Decreto 3.000/1999, Articles 16 to 18, and IN SRF 208/2002). | No minimum waiting period is fixed in the resolution. Conversion to an indefinite term may be requested on proof that the retiree status and the USD 2,000 monthly transfer capacity continue (Resolution 30/2018, Annex XXVIII, as amended by Resolution 41/2019). | 4 years of residence (Law 13.445/2017, Article 65), reduced to a minimum of 1 year with a Brazilian child or a Brazilian spouse or partner, or for relevant service to Brazil or recognized professional, scientific or artistic capacity (Article 66). Communicating in Portuguese is required. | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Investor residence through real estate (Resolution CNIg 36/2018) Investor | Not applicable. The category is tested on the investment amount, not on the holder's income. | Acquisition of urban real estate in Brazil with the buyer's own funds from abroad: at least R$ 1,000,000, or at least R$ 700,000 for property located in the North or Northeast regions (Resolution 36/2018, Article 2). The property may be built or under construction, and co-ownership shares can count toward the minimum. | R$ 168.13 residence authorization processing and assessment fee (GRU revenue code 140066) plus R$ 204.77 for CRNM issuance (GRU revenue code 140120), R$ 372.90 in total, per the Federal Police fee schedule. Where the visa is issued at a Brazilian consulate abroad, a consular fee under the Foreign Ministry consular fee table is charged instead of the in-country assessment fee. | No decision deadline is published in Resolution 36/2018. The Ministry of Justice analyzes the prior residence authorization and may verify the investment in person. | Residence for 4 years per grant (Resolution 36/2018, Article 3, as amended by Resolution CNIg/MJSP 46/2021). | After the 4 year term, the residence is altered to an indefinite term on proof the investment conditions are maintained (Resolution 46/2021, Article 5). A shorter initial grant can be renewed up to the point of conversion. The investor must be physically in Brazil at least 14 days in every 2 year period to avoid losing the residence (Article 6). | Becomes a Brazilian tax resident on the 184th day of presence within any 12 month period (Receita Federal rules in Decreto 3.000/1999, Articles 16 to 18, and IN SRF 208/2002). | 4 years: the length of the initial term itself, after which the residence is altered to an indefinite term if the investment is maintained (Resolution 46/2021, Article 5). | 4 years of residence (Law 13.445/2017, Article 65), reduced to a minimum of 1 year with a Brazilian child or a Brazilian spouse or partner, or for relevant service to Brazil or recognized professional, scientific or artistic capacity (Article 66). Communicating in Portuguese is required. | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Investor residence through a Brazilian company (Resolution CNIg 13/2017, visa VITEM IX) Investor | Not applicable. The category is tested on the investment and the business plan, not on personal income. | Investment of the applicant's own funds from abroad into a Brazilian company, new or existing, of at least R$ 500,000, under an investment or business plan with a 3 year execution horizon aimed at generating jobs or income. For innovation, basic or applied research, or scientific or technological projects, the floor can be between R$ 150,000 and R$ 500,000 if the company meets the conditions in Resolution 13/2017, Article 3, such as government innovation funding, a technology park location, incubator status or a startup accelerator (Resolution 13/2017, Articles 2 and 3). | R$ 168.13 residence authorization processing and assessment fee (GRU revenue code 140066) plus R$ 204.77 for CRNM issuance (GRU revenue code 140120), R$ 372.90 in total, per the Federal Police fee schedule. Where the visa is issued at a Brazilian consulate abroad, a consular fee under the Foreign Ministry consular fee table is charged instead of the in-country assessment fee. | No decision deadline is published in Resolution 13/2017. The Ministry of Justice analyzes the investment plan before the visa is issued or the in-country residence is granted. | Residence for an indefinite term from the grant (Resolution 13/2017, Article 7, as amended by Resolution CNIg/MJSP 49/2024). | No renewal cycle: the term is indefinite. Continuity is conditioned on proving to the Ministry of Justice that the jobs foreseen in the investment plan were generated (Resolution 13/2017, Article 7, sole paragraph, as amended in 2024). | A holder of indefinite residence is treated as a Brazilian tax resident from arrival under the Receita Federal rules for permanent visa holders (Decreto 3.000/1999, Article 17), and in any event on the 184th day of presence within any 12 month period. | This route is itself a grant of indefinite residence; there is no waiting period. | 4 years of residence (Law 13.445/2017, Article 65), reduced to a minimum of 1 year with a Brazilian child or a Brazilian spouse or partner, or for relevant service to Brazil or recognized professional, scientific or artistic capacity (Article 66). Communicating in Portuguese is required. | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Work residence with a Brazilian employer (Resolution CNIg 02/2017, visa VITEM V) Work | No minimum salary is set in Resolution 02/2017. Pay is set in the Brazilian employment contract under the CLT, and the employer must justify the hiring to the Ministry of Justice. | Not applicable | R$ 168.13 residence authorization processing and assessment fee (GRU revenue code 140066) plus R$ 204.77 for CRNM issuance (GRU revenue code 140120), R$ 372.90 in total, per the Federal Police fee schedule. Where the visa is issued at a Brazilian consulate abroad, a consular fee under the Foreign Ministry consular fee table is charged instead of the in-country assessment fee. | No decision deadline is published in Resolution 02/2017. The employer files the prior residence authorization request with the Ministry of Justice through MigranteWeb before the consulate issues the visa. | Residence for up to 2 years per grant (Resolution 02/2017, Article 4). | Renewable for further periods of up to 2 years while the employment tie continues, under the renewal procedure in Resolution 30/2018. The Resolution 30/2018 alteration procedure also allows a change to an indefinite term on proof the qualifying basis continues; Federal Police grant notices publish such alterations for this basis. | Tax resident from the start of the Brazilian employment contract (Decreto 3.000/1999, Article 17), and in any event on the 184th day of presence within any 12 month period. | No fixed year count is set in Resolution 02/2017. Indefinite residence comes through the alteration procedure in Resolution 30/2018 once the holder shows the residence basis continues; until then, renewals run in periods of up to 2 years. | 4 years of residence (Law 13.445/2017, Article 65), reduced to a minimum of 1 year with a Brazilian child or a Brazilian spouse or partner, or for relevant service to Brazil or recognized professional, scientific or artistic capacity (Article 66). Communicating in Portuguese is required. | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Family reunion residence (Interministerial Ordinance 12/2018, visa VITEM XI) Other | No income threshold is set in Ordinance 12/2018 for the sponsor or the applicant. Eligibility turns on the family tie: spouse or partner, children, stepchildren, parents and grandparents, siblings under the conditions in Article 6, or having a Brazilian child. | Not applicable | R$ 168.13 residence authorization processing and assessment fee (GRU revenue code 140066) plus R$ 204.77 for CRNM issuance (GRU revenue code 140120), R$ 372.90 in total, per the Federal Police fee schedule. Where the visa is issued at a Brazilian consulate abroad, a consular fee under the Foreign Ministry consular fee table is charged instead of the in-country assessment fee. | No decision deadline is published in Ordinance 12/2018. The family member's grant depends on the sponsor's residence being granted first or at the same time. | The term matches the sponsor's residence: where the sponsor holds a fixed term, the family member's expiry date coincides with the sponsor's (Ordinance 12/2018, Article 6, paragraph 2). | Renewed or re-granted alongside the sponsor's status while the family tie continues. After 4 years of residence on family grounds, a new residence authorization is granted for an indefinite term if the person shows means of subsistence and a clean criminal record (Decreto 9.199/2017, Article 160). | Becomes a Brazilian tax resident on the 184th day of presence within any 12 month period (Receita Federal rules in Decreto 3.000/1999, Articles 16 to 18, and IN SRF 208/2002). Family residents may work in Brazil; starting a Brazilian employment contract triggers tax residence from the start of the contract. | 4 years of residence on family grounds, then an indefinite term under Decreto 9.199/2017, Article 160. Where the sponsor is a Brazilian citizen, Federal Police service guidance grants the indefinite term from the outset (reported). | 1 year of residence is enough when the applicant has a Brazilian spouse, partner or child (Law 13.445/2017, Article 66); otherwise the standard 4 years (Article 65). | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Study residence (Decreto 9.199/2017, Article 146, visa VITEM IV) Study | Proof of means of subsistence is required, but neither Decreto 9.199/2017 nor Interministerial Ordinance 7/2018 sets a fixed amount. Regular courses must have a minimum load of 15 class hours per week (Ordinance 7/2018). | Not applicable | R$ 168.13 residence authorization assessment fee (GRU revenue code 140066) plus R$ 204.77 for CRNM issuance (GRU revenue code 140120) per the Federal Police fee schedule; where VITEM IV is issued at a consulate abroad, the consular fee under the Foreign Ministry fee table applies to the visa instead. | No decision deadline is published in Decreto 9.199/2017 for study residence. Registration is handled by the Federal Police unit for the place where the student lives. | Residence initially for up to 1 year per grant (Decreto 9.199/2017, Article 146, paragraph 2). | Renewable annually until the course, internship or exchange ends, on proof of enrollment, academic progress and means of subsistence (Article 146, paragraph 3). One further renewal of up to 12 months after completion is allowed to collect the diploma (Ordinance 7/2018, Article 9). | Becomes a Brazilian tax resident on the 184th day of presence within any 12 month period (Receita Federal rules in Decreto 3.000/1999, Articles 16 to 18, and IN SRF 208/2002). | Study residence has no conversion path of its own. Students who want to stay switch to another basis, such as work or family reunion. | 4 years of residence (Law 13.445/2017, Article 65), reduced to a minimum of 1 year with a Brazilian child or a Brazilian spouse or partner, or for relevant service to Brazil or recognized professional, scientific or artistic capacity (Article 66). Communicating in Portuguese is required. | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
| Permanent residence (residence authorization for an indefinite term) Other | Depends on the underlying basis. Conversion routes generally require proof that the original basis continues, and the family route conversion requires proof of means of subsistence (Decreto 9.199/2017, Article 160). | Not applicable as a standalone test. Investment based indefinite residence uses the amounts in the two investor routes on this page. | R$ 168.13 residence authorization assessment fee (GRU revenue code 140066) plus R$ 204.77 for CRNM issuance or reissue (GRU revenue code 140120), per the Federal Police fee schedule. | No single official deadline is published. Conversion applications are decided by the Federal Police or the Ministry of Justice depending on the basis, and grants are published in the Diario Oficial da Uniao. | Indefinite. The status has no expiry date; only the CRNM identity card is reissued over time. | Never renewed as a status. Indefinite residence can be lost, among other causes, by absence from Brazil for more than 2 consecutive years (Decreto 9.199/2017, Article 135). | A person holding indefinite residence is a Brazilian tax resident under the Receita Federal rules (Decreto 3.000/1999, Articles 16 to 18), and worldwide income is taxable. Brazil and the United States have no general income tax treaty in force. | This route is the grant of indefinite residence itself. | 4 years of residence in total from the first residence grant (Law 13.445/2017, Article 65), reduced to a minimum of 1 year with a Brazilian child or a Brazilian spouse or partner (Article 66). | 2026-10-15 | Official source |
Route notes
Digital nomad residence (Resolution CNIg/MJSP 45/2021, visa VITEM XIV): Apply in Brazil through MigranteWeb to the Ministry of Justice, or at a Brazilian consulate for the VITEM XIV visa; consular applicants must also present health insurance valid in Brazil. After arrival on the visa, register with the Federal Police within 90 days; after an in-country grant, register within 30 days of publication in the Diario Oficial da Uniao. Spouses and children are not automatic dependents on this basis and generally use the family reunion route.
Retirement residence (Resolution CNIg 40/2019, visa VITEM XIII): Eligibility was widened by Resolution 41/2019: beneficiaries of a deceased person's pension qualify, and income beyond the pension itself, such as rent or investment income, can be counted toward the USD 2,000. The residence does not by itself authorize work for a Brazilian employer.
Investor residence through real estate (Resolution CNIg 36/2018): The funds must be the investor's own and come from abroad. Rural property does not qualify; the property must be urban. Residence is not tied to living in the property or in the region where it sits.
Investor residence through a Brazilian company (Resolution CNIg 13/2017, visa VITEM IX): Because the residence is indefinite from the start, the 4 year naturalization residence clock runs from the grant. The incoming investment is registered through the Central Bank foreign capital registration system when the funds enter Brazil.
Work residence with a Brazilian employer (Resolution CNIg 02/2017, visa VITEM V): The process is employer driven: the Brazilian company requests prior authorization, the consulate issues VITEM V, and the worker registers with the Federal Police within 90 days of entry. The residence ties the holder to the sponsoring employer named in the authorization.
Family reunion residence (Interministerial Ordinance 12/2018, visa VITEM XI): A person who already holds residence by family reunion cannot sponsor another family member under this route (Ordinance 12/2018, Article 6, paragraph 1). Family residents are not barred from working in Brazil.
Study residence (Decreto 9.199/2017, Article 146, visa VITEM IV): Paid work compatible with the course load is allowed (Decreto 9.199/2017, Article 146, paragraph 6). The institution must tell the Federal Police within 30 days if the student leaves it (paragraph 5).
Permanent residence (residence authorization for an indefinite term): Under the 2017 Migration Law there is no separate permanent visa: residence is a single authorization granted for a fixed term or an indefinite term. Direct indefinite grants include the company investor route. Most other bases start on a fixed term and convert: real estate investors after 4 years, and retirees and other fixed term residents through the alteration annexes of Resolution 30/2018 on proof the basis continues.