Have you ever thought about moving to Brazil? Here are all the ways to obtain permanent residency/ citizenship/ naturalization in Brazil in 2023.
A little about Brazil
Capital city: Brasília
Population: 214 million (estimated in 2021)
Area: 8,514,877 km2
Official language: Portuguese
Average life expectancy: 69 years for men, 76 years for women
GDP: $1.6 trillion (2013)
GDP per capita: $8538
Currency: BRL
International organizations: UNASUR, WTO, Mercosur, G-20, and others.
Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world by area and the seventh largest by population.
In the context of 2023 and the news background
The year 2022 became a period that fundamentally changed the lives of many people. In this volatile time, many are looking for ways to diversify risks and find paths to a free life without barriers in terms of tourism, banking compliance, and social life.
Brazil represents a leading economy in the Latin American region, a member of BRICS, and a strong trading and political partner of China.
Brazilian passport ranks 21st in the world according to VisaIndex, allowing visa-free access to 170 countries, visiting the Schengen area without a visa, and obtaining long-term visas in the United States and Japan.
Tourist visa stay in the country: 90 + 90 days (extension).
Brazil does not prohibit its citizens from having dual citizenship. Legal reference: Article 35 of Law №13445 of 24.05.2017 and Articles 42 and 151 of Decree №9,199 of 2017.
Buying property
To purchase property in Brazil, the estimated time to obtain a passport is approximately five to six years, and the investment amount in real estate starts from R$ 1,000,000 (approximately $200,000 at the time of writing).
The process involves buying a property (which can be during the construction phase), transferring funds through a SWIFT payment according to the real estate purchase contract, obtaining a temporary residence permit (TRP) for two years after purchase (not required to be in the country), obtaining the next TRP for two years (not required to be in the country), and obtaining permanent residency after one year of living in the country, which enables application for Brazilian citizenship.
Unlike the UAE or Thailand, simply owning property in Brazil allows you to obtain citizenship of this country within 5–6 years, which is a significant advantage. In the post-COVID era, real estate in Brazil is growing at a rate of 4–6% per year, and the southern region of Brazil, particularly Florianopolis Island, is even more lucrative due to the exclusivity of land on the island and the favorable economic atmosphere in the state of Santa Catarina and Florianopolis.
Naturalization through family reunification
Legal reference: Paragraph 113, Law 6.815/80
Time to obtain a Brazilian passport for a child — instantly
Time to obtain a Brazilian passport for parents — within one and a half to two years, within one year after childbirth, it is necessary to be in Brazil, it is possible to leave for up to three months during this year, but not more than 90 days. Parents receive a Brazilian permanent residency permit for 10 years immediately after childbirth. Children under ten years old also have the opportunity to obtain a Brazilian passport. Grandparents have the right to obtain a Brazilian temporary residency permit for up to 10 years.
One of the passports of such young Brazilians can be seen on the Brazil Consulting Instagram account.
Marriage with a Brazilian citizen
Legal reference: Paragraph 113, Law 6.815/80
If you are married to or have married a Brazilian citizen, you can expect to obtain a passport of this country in approximately one and a half to two years. Same-sex marriages are allowed in the country. Within the first year of marriage, you can leave the country for no more than 90 days and for no more than 30 days per trip.
Residency for business investors
Legal reference: Normative Resolution 84/09 of the National Immigration Council
Brazil also has a developed system of granting residency for investment with a minimum investment of $200,000. A business plan and accompanying economic justification must be presented at the start of the business. The government commission determines the feasibility, and residency is granted for both the investor and their family for three years.
Digital Nomad Visa
Legal reference: Resolution №45/2021
It is necessary to prove a monthly income of $1,800 or have $18,000 in a bank account. The temporary residence permit is granted for one year and can be renewed for the same period. A contract with an employer allowing remote work is required.
Student Visa
If you are studying Portuguese or other subjects, you can obtain a student visa. The first step is to enroll in an educational institution. Then a temporary residence permit is granted for one year and can be extended if necessary and if the student’s academic performance is sufficient.
Working for a Brazilian Company
The work visa option for Brazil is intended for people with good experience and education who wish to work for a Brazilian company.
If a Brazilian company wants to hire an accredited foreigner, it can apply for a work visa on behalf of the foreigner, taking into account a number of requirements.
First, the foreign worker must have at least one year of professional experience with a Bachelor’s degree, or two years with at least 9 years of school education, or 3 years in artistic or cultural professions that do not depend on formal education. Foreign citizens with a master’s degree or higher may not have work experience.
There are also several requirements for the Brazilian company:
The company must show that 2/3 of the workforce are Brazilians, meaning that no more than 1/3 of the workforce can be foreign workers.
The same applies to wages, i.e., 2/3 of the total wage bill must be paid to Brazilian workers.
The foreign worker’s salary must be equal to or higher than their salary abroad.
The company must prove that it cannot fill the vacancy with Brazilian employees.
After all requirements are met, the company will apply to the Ministry of Labor and Employment. After the visa issuance is approved, the worker must obtain it at a Brazilian consulate abroad. Even if they are already in Brazil with a tourist visa, they will still have to leave the country for at least 1–2 days. Travel to neighboring countries with Brazil is possible.
The visa is issued for two years, and after two years, if the worker has not changed jobs or committed a crime, the visa can be extended for another two years. At the end of the fourth year, the worker can turn this visa into a permanent one.
Under the terms of the work visa, foreigners can bring their spouse and children to Brazil, but family members cannot work until the foreigner’s visa becomes permanent.
The work visa is a long process of obtaining citizenship; you will have to wait four years to obtain permanent residency.
Naturalization based on settlement census
The approximate time to obtain a Brazilian passport is 5 years.
By simply being in the country for more than 5 years based on the entry stamp, you have grounds to apply for a Brazilian passport based on settlement.
Legal references:
1) Constitution of Brazil (1988)
Chapter 3, Paragraph 12, Section 2 of the Brazilian Constitution defines the basic requirements for obtaining citizenship for native-born and naturalized Brazilians. All children born on Brazilian territory except for children of diplomats receive citizenship.
2) Law 6.815/80 (1980)
The law provides for two types of naturalization: extraordinary, after 15 years of continuous residence in Brazil, and ordinary, after 4 years or even less depending on certain parameters (presence of a Brazilian spouse, child born on Brazilian territory, special merits before the state, etc.).
3) National Immigration Council of Brazil (Conselho Nacional de Imigração)
The council is responsible for all immigration activities in Brazil, including establishing norms for procedures and making decisions about situations not covered by standard law.
4) Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil
Several departments in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including the Consular Department and the Immigration Department (participate in processing and issuing visas)
5) Ministry of Justice of Brazil: Foreigner Affairs Department (Departamento de Estrangeiros)
6) Federal Police of Brazil (Polícia Federal do Brasil)
Our website: https://brazilconsulting.info/
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