Brazil, at your own pace.
Brazil runs one of the broader residency systems in South America, with separate tracks for work, study, family, retirement, and investment.
When rules change mid-way, the date your application is filed is what often decides which rules apply to you. Where are you right now?
Pick by how you live
11 routes, grouped by what Brazil's system asks of you day to day — not by which visa is most talked about. Every figure below is what Immimaps has verified against Brazil's official programme rules.
Your income comes from employers or clients outside the country. You don't want a local employer, and you don't need one.
A pension or other steady income from outside the country, and no plan to take a local job.
Most of these sums are shown, not spent.
On most remote-work and retirement routes, the figure is proof of means — it sits in your own account until it's checked, and nothing is transferred. Routes where money genuinely moves are marked below.
routes ask you to show a balance or income — once it's checked, it stays yours.
routes place capital that is exposed until the hold period or conditions are met.
What keeping the visa actually asks of you
Brazil Family Reunification Visa (VITEM XI) is renewed rather than granted once. Expect each renewal to check the route's conditions again, so keep the same proof ready.
Counted from each route's own rules. Some routes lead to permanent residence or citizenship and some don't; the route cards below say which.
Pick a route, see the real commitment
Every official figure below is what Immimaps has verified for that route against Brazil's official programme rules — not a marketing minimum. Service fees are what independent firms publish for the route, shown only once five or more are on file.
Proof of means of subsistence required at initial application and again at permanent residence conversion. No minimum amount specified — any of these documents accepted: employment contract, pay slips, pension receipt, company stake/contract, professional council registration, freelance/self-employed registration, income declaration, investment proof, bank statement, or self-declaration of sufficient means (Art. 3 VII and Art. 8 §2, Portaria 40/2023).
Built for remote workers paid by a company or clients based outside Brazil — income earned inside the country doesn't count toward eligibility.
The route for joining a spouse, parent, or child already living in Brazil — the Brazilian sponsor takes on formal financial responsibility for the applicant.
A separate track for citizens of Mercosur and associated South American countries, built on regional agreement rather than investment or family ties.
R$1,621 shown as proof of means — nothing is transferred.
Suits founders or acquirers of a Brazilian company, not passive investors — the business plan has to show it will create jobs or income, and that commitment gets reviewed later.
R$150,000 placed as capital, exposed until the 3 years hold period ends.
R$700,000 placed as capital, exposed until the 4 years hold period ends.
The most straightforward investment route for people planning to buy property, though the qualifying region and property type are specific — check them closely before shopping for a home.
For retirees living on a pension or similar income paid from outside Brazil — the income has to arrive as a regular transfer, not a one-off.
Applicants must meet ONE of three qualification paths: (1) A postgraduate degree (especialização, mestrado, or doutorado) in a relevant field; OR (2) A relevant university degree (bacharelado or similar) plus at least 1 year of relevant professional experience; OR (3) At least 2 years of professional experience in the relevant field plus a minimum of 9 years of formal education. All education and experience documents must be apostilled and sworn-translated into Portuguese by a certified translator (tradutor juramentado).
What each route costs, stage by stage
Added up from the official figures on file for each route — split into money spent for good, money locked and returned later, and money shown but never transferred. Not a modelled estimate.
Brazil CPLP Residency▾
At application
Decision — reported: 2 months.- Spent for goodOfficial fees: R$204.77, paid to the government for the initial application.
Brazil Digital Nomad Visa (VITEM XIV)▾
At application
Decision — reported: 1 month.- Spent for goodOfficial fees: $75 – $290, paid to the government for the initial application.
- Shown, never leaves you$1,500 shown as proof of means every month — nothing is transferred.
2 ways to qualify — shown: the cheapest. Alternatives: $1,500 (shown) / $18,000.
Brazil Family Reunification Visa (VITEM XI)▾
At application
Decision — reported: 1 month.- Spent for goodEstimated government fees, shown not graded: $105 – $290, paid to the government for the initial application.
Brazil MERCOSUL Residency Agreement▾
At application
Decision — reported: 1 month.- Spent for goodOfficial fees: R$372.90, paid to the government for the initial application.
Brazil Student Visa (VITEM IV)▾
At application
Decision — reported: 2 months.- Spent for goodGovernment fees on file: $40 – $535, paid to the government for the initial application.
- Shown, never leaves youR$1,621 shown as proof of means every month — nothing is transferred.
Figures in more than one currency; not added together.
Golden Visa Business General▾
At application
Decision — reported: 4 months.- Spent for goodOfficial fees: R$373, paid to the government for the initial application.
- LockedR$500,000 placed as capital — recoverable in principle, exposed in practice.
Golden Visa Business Innovation▾
At application
Decision — reported: 2 months.- Spent for goodOfficial fees: R$373, paid to the government for the initial application.
- LockedR$150,000 placed as capital — recoverable in principle, exposed in practice.
Golden Visa Real Estate Incentivized▾
At application
Decision — reported: 5 months.- Spent for goodOfficial fees: R$373, paid to the government for the initial application.
- LockedR$700,000 placed as capital — recoverable in principle, exposed in practice.
Golden Visa Real Estate Standard▾
At application
Decision — reported: 4 months.- Spent for goodOfficial fees: R$373, paid to the government for the initial application.
- LockedR$1,000,000 placed as capital — recoverable in principle, exposed in practice.
Retirement Visa and Residency Pathway▾
At application
Decision — reported: 2 months.- Spent for goodGovernment fees on file: R$372.90, paid to the government for the initial application.
- Shown, never leaves you$2,000 shown as proof of means every month — nothing is transferred.
Figures in more than one currency; not added together.
Temporary Work Visa (VITEM V)▾
At application
Decision — reported: 1 month.- Spent for goodOfficial fees: $100 – $290, paid to the government for the initial application.
The order Retirement Visa and Residency Pathway follows
No confirmed rule change has been flagged for Brazil since it was last checked against the official portaldeimigracao.mj.gov.br portal on 2026-08-29. Immimaps keeps watching official immigration sources and will list dated changes here as soon as one is confirmed.
Check the portaldeimigracao.mj.gov.br portal directly →The cost calculator separates money spent for good from money that's only shown or locked up.
Open the cost calculatorUpload it and Immimaps checks it against what Brazil's official programme actually requires, and reads the contract clause by clause. Free, no account.
Check my documentEvery official figure on this page is checked against Brazil's official immigration sources. Service fees are what independent firms publish for a route — not an official figure, and never any one firm's price. Immimaps does not publish success rates, approval odds or any probability score — here or anywhere else.
Don’t take a life-changing move on someone else’s word.
Immimaps is not an agency and takes no placement fees. We show the real figures on every route, show the working, and tell you what it actually costs.
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