Brazil residence permit through buying property
A 4-year residence permit for buying urban property worth BRL 1,000,000 (≈$200,000) or more. If the investment is kept, the status is then changed to indefinite.
In October 2025 Brazil handed the setting of the conditions for investor residence to a joint act of the ministers of justice and foreign affairs. For now the Ministry of Justice still refers to the earlier resolution RN 36/2018 as in force, and this page follows it. Check the conditions as of the date you apply.
How Brazil's residence permit for buying property works
Owning property in Brazil does not by itself give the right to live there — the migration law says so directly. The right comes from a separate basis: a residence permit for an investor, issued by the Ministry of Justice.
The rules for buyers are set by resolution RN 36/2018. The property is bought in your own name and with your own money transferred from abroad. The first permit is granted for 4 years; after that the status is changed to indefinite if the investment is kept.
No property picked yet? Tell us what you need and we will come back with options that fit the programme.
What property qualifies
- Urban property — completed or under construction
- An amount of BRL 1,000,000 (≈$200,000) or more
- In the states of the North and North-East regions the threshold may be lowered by no more than 30% — to BRL 700,000 (≈$140,000)
- Several properties may be bought if together they reach the amount
- In joint ownership each co-owner invests the full amount
- Only the part of the price above the threshold may be financed with a loan
- The buyer is an individual: property held by a company does not qualify
The ministry may inspect the investment on site.
How to get Brazilian residence for your family
The family receives a family reunification permit after the investor. Their applications can be filed together with yours, but they are granted after your permit. Who is included:
- A spouse or partner
- Children
- Parents, grandparents and grandchildren
- Adult brothers and sisters — only if they depend on you financially
While your permit is fixed-term, your family's expires on the same day. Once your status becomes indefinite, your family also gets indefinite status. Family members may work.
How to keep the status
- Keep the investment: if the basis ends, the permit is lost — both fixed-term and indefinite
- Spend at least 14 days in Brazil in every two years, counting from registration with the Federal Police
- Apply for indefinite status after 4 years. Missed the deadline — you can get a new 4-year permit if the investment is kept
With a fixed-term permit the migrant card expires together with the permit. With indefinite status it is issued for 9 years.
Does Brazilian residence lead to citizenship
Indefinite residence is Brazil's equivalent of permanent residence. It is applied for once the 4 years are over: you show the investment has been kept and add a copy of the migrant card and criminal record certificates from the places you lived.
For naturalisation the law requires 4 years of residence, Portuguese and a clean record. Only time with indefinite residence counts towards it, and you have to actually live in the country: owning property does not prove residence. The period is cut to one year, for example if you have a child or spouse who is a Brazilian citizen.
What the service includes
| Checking the property and the documents against resolution RN 36/2018 | |
| Preparing the file and submitting the application through the MigranteWeb system | |
| Support up to registration with the Federal Police and issue of the migrant card | |
| The price of the property— billed separately | |
| State fees: BRL 168.13 for reviewing the application and BRL 204.77 for the migrant card— billed separately | |
| Apostille and sworn translation of documents— billed separately | |
| The consular visa fee— billed separately |
Documents and programme requirements
- 1Urban property in Brazil worth BRL 1,000,000 (≈$200,000) or more — completed or under construction
- 2Bought in your own name, with your own money transferred from abroad
- 3A statement from an institution registered with the Central Bank of Brazil confirming the international transfer of funds for the purchase
- 4An extract from the property register: the property is yours and free of encumbrances
- 5A passport and a Brazilian CPF tax number
- 6Criminal record certificates for the last 5 years — when applying from inside Brazil
- 7Apostille and translation of foreign documents by a sworn translator in Brazil
How the process runs
4–9 weeks- Step 1We check the property before the deal: urban zone, no encumbrances, the developer's documents for a building under construction.
- Step 2You get a CPF tax number and transfer the money from abroad through an institution registered with the Central Bank of Brazil.
- Step 3You register the purchase and get an extract from the register. For a property under construction the preliminary sale contract is registered.
- Step 4You pay the BRL 168.13 fee and apply to the Ministry of Justice through MigranteWeb. Review takes up to 30 days, up to 60 if documents are requested.
- Step 5From abroad: you get an investor visa at the consulate and register with the Federal Police within 90 days of arrival. If you applied from inside Brazil, you register within 30 days of the decision being published.
- Step 6You give biometrics and receive the CRNM migrant card. The fee for the card is BRL 204.77.
Frequently asked questions
Does buying property in Brazil give the right to live there?
For how long is Brazilian residence for property granted?
Can the property be bought with a mortgage?
How long do I need to spend in Brazil to keep the permit?
Can I apply while already in Brazil?
What state fees have to be paid?
Sources
- Resolução Normativa nº 36/2018 (CNIg) as amended by RN 46/2021 and RN 49/2024 — investment in property
- Resolução Normativa nº 01/2017 (CNIg) as amended by RN 51/2025 — general list of documents
- gov.br — service «Obter autorização de residência para fins laborais e de investimentos»: fee and timelines
- gov.br — service «Registrar-se como estrangeiro no Brasil»: registration deadlines and card fee
- Lei nº 13.445/2017 — Brazil's migration law
- Decreto nº 9.199/2017 — regulations implementing the migration law
- Decreto nº 12.657/2025 — changes to how the conditions for investor residence are set
