🇧🇷 Investor Visa or Real Estate Visa: What Is the Best Way to Move to Brazil in 2025?

Are you a foreign national looking to move to Brazil through investment? Brazil offers two main visa options for individuals with capital to invest:

• The Investor Visa (via business creation or investment)

• The Real Estate Visa (via the purchase of urban property)

Both visas lead to residency in Brazil, but which one is best for you? Here is a detailed comparison based on Brazilian immigration rules and real case experience — updated for 2025.

Business Investor Visa Brazil: For Entrepreneurs

✅ Key Advantages

• Grants permanent residency immediately

• Offers a faster path to Brazilian citizenship

• Full control of your own company in Brazil

• Option to bring your family through family reunification visas

Requirements

• Create a Brazilian company, with you as the sole owner or partner

• Invest at least BRL 500,000 (around USD 90,000–100,000) into the company

• Submit a structured business plan, ideally including the creation of at least 2 jobs within 3 years

• Transfer of funds must come from abroad into the company's Brazilian bank account

Important Considerations

• Brazilian authorities monitor whether the business is active and compliant with the approved plan

• You must maintain operations, pay taxes, and hire the local staff as promised

  
  
  
  

Real Estate Visa Brazil: For Passive Investors

✅ Key Advantages

• Simple, direct process with fewer legal steps

• No business management required

• Ideal for retirees, remote workers, and real estate investors

• You can open a non-resident bank account to make the transfer legally

Requirements

• Purchase a residential urban property in Brazil (already built or under construction by a certified developer)

• Property must be under your personal name, not a company

• Minimum investment:

  • BRL 1,000,000 (~USD 200,000) in the South/Southeast (e.g., São Paulo, Rio, Florianópolis)

  • BRL 700,000 (~USD 140,000) in the North/Northeast regions

• A declaration confirming the receipt of funds must be issued by the Brazilian bank that received the money, stating that the funds were transferred from abroad for the purpose of real estate investment.

Important Considerations

• This visa initially grants temporary residency for 4 years

• You must maintain ownership of the property and have a clean criminal record

• After 4 years, you can apply for permanent residency

• A full legal due diligence review of the property is highly recommended — our firm handles this process for you

Required Documents for Both Visas

• Valid passport

• Criminal background check

• Civil documents (e.g., birth and marriage certificate)

• All foreign documents must be apostilled or legalized, and officially translated into Portuguese

• In countries not part of the Hague Apostille Convention (like Pakistan), documents must be legalized at the Brazilian consulate

Family Inclusion: Can You Bring Your Spouse and Children?

Yes! Once your visa is approved and your residency is registered in Brazil, you can apply for a family reunification visa for your spouse and children.Required documents include a legalized or apostilled marriage certificate and other standard documents.

When Can You Apply for Brazilian Citizenship?

You can apply for Brazilian citizenship after 4 years of permanent residency.This timeline may be reduced to 1 year if you marry a Brazilian citizen or have a Brazilian child.Requirements:

• Clean criminal record

• Proof of proficiency in the Portuguese language

• Demonstrated integration into Brazilian society

  
  

📊 Investor Visa vs. Real Estate Visa – Summary Table

Criteria	Investor Visa	Real Estate Visa
Type of Residency	Permanent from the start	Temporary (4 years) → Permanent
Minimum Investment	BRL 500,000 (~USD 90,000–100,000)	BRL 700,000 to BRL 1,000,000
Job Creation Requirement	Yes (recommended: at least 2 jobs)	No
Business Involvement	Required	Not required
Bureaucracy Level	More complex	Simpler
Ideal for	Entrepreneurs	Passive investors / retirees
Processing Time	45 - 60 days	45 - 60 days

Why Work with Us?

We are a Brazilian law firm specialized in immigration for foreign investors, with over 10 years of experience. Our team supports you at every step:

• Company formation or real estate legal review

• CPF registration, CNPJ, and bank account setup

• Assistance with your business plan

• Full visa application preparation and follow-up

• Family reunification and post-arrival support (Federal Police registration, resident ID/RNM, etc.)

To contact our lead expert for international immigration and investment matters, please email: iurevieira@pontesvieira.com.br