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Brazil Country Profile

Passport
For more details visit Brazil Passport Ranking
  • Passport Grade
    B+
  • Passport Ranking
    55/198
  • Passport Score
    144.6/198
  • Visa-free Countries
    147
  • Visa-required Countries
    51
  • Access to the World's GDP
    43%
  • Access to the World's Surface Area
    49%
  • Access to the World's Population
    38%
  • Access to the Unesco Sites
    73%
Citizenship and Naturalization
Birthright citizenship (Jus Soli)
  • Birthright citizenship (Jus Soli)
    Yes
    Unrestricted: Any child born in the country automatically becomes a citizen.
Naturalization - Standard Conditions
  • Minimum residency period
    4 to 8 years
    Must hold PR for 4 years. Some residency permits start as PR right away. But most permits you need to hold for 2-4 years before applying for PR.
  • Physical presence requirement
    On average, 9 months a year. Also, cannot leave for longer than 30 days at a time
  • Language test
    Yes, Portuguese
  • Need to renounce original citizenship?
    No
  • Can minor children naturalize?
    Children between the age of 10 and 18 cannot naturalize
  • Can naturalized parents pass citizenship to a child born abroad?
    Yes
  • Can you lose naturalization due to prolonged absence/ naturalization elsewhere?
    No / Yes
Naturalization - Your Spouse is a Citizen
  • Living IN the country: Residency/marriage requirement
    1 year / 0 years
    May apply immediately after marriage, assuming residency requirement of 1 year is met.
  • Living ABROAD: Marriage requirement
    Not allowed
  • Language test
    Yes, Portuguese
  • Need to renounce original citizenship?
    No
Naturalization - Other Beneficial Provisions
  • Your child is a citizen
    1 year
    May apply immediately after having a child with a Brazilean citizen or giving birth in Brazil (jus soli), assuming you have resided there for 1 year.
  • Citizens of specific countries
    1 year
    1 year for citizens by birth of Portuguese-speaking countries (Angola, Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, Portugal, Sao Tome and Principe, and Timor-Leste).
"–": The provision has not been analysed.
Taxation
For more details visit Cost of Living
  • Taxation Type
    Residence-based
A tax resident of a country with a RESIDENCE-BASED tax system pays taxes on their WORLDWIDE income. However, if you lose tax residency status there (e.g., by moving out), the country will generally stop taxing you.
Schiff Sovereign's Take on Brazil
We think the following famous saying describes the country well: “Brazil is a country of the future. And it always will be.”

The latter part speaks to the fact that Brazileans, so far, have not been able to realize the country’s potential.

One of the reasons for this is its mind-boggling bureaucracy. Simple procedures such as getting a driver’s license, opening a company or a bank account, or getting a visa stamped often becomes a feat-like accomplishment.

And to run a business in Brazil, you need to be VERY patient. Better yet, you must be a saint. Otherwise, you’ll be overwhelmed by its mountains of bureaucracy and taxation.

At the same time, Brazil doesn't disappoint on the personal front. It is a big, incredibly diverse and energizing place. People of every skin color, race or belief will fit in well in Brazil.

Every one of Brazil’s regions has its own flavor, too. In most nations, it’s enough to visit one or two towns to get a general idea about the country. Not so in Brazil.

Porto Alegre and Florianopolis have a strong European heritage. Rio and Sao Paulo are very cosmopolitan cities with a great mixture of people and cultures. And further up north, in Fortaleza and Recife, you start to feel a distinct Caribbean vibe. 

We like Brazil as a place to have a baby. Your child automatically becomes a citizen in Brazil. And the child’s parents can immediately claim permanent residency in the country, and later also count on expedited naturalization, after one year of residency instead of the standard four. 

And in early 2022, Brazil announced its own version of the Nomad Visa, allowing people to live in the country for a full year while avoiding most of its dreaded bureaucracy.
Schiff Sovereign's Rolodex
Service Providers available in Brazil
  • Immigration (residency, citizenship)
  • Tax advice (attorneys and/or accountants)
  • Corporate services (company formation, etc.)
  • Natal services (for jus soli countries)
Obtain access to our Rolodex by signing up for Sovereign Confidential Join Sovereign Confidential Today

Sovereign Global Explorer

Benefiting from over a decade of our team’s boots-on-the-ground experience, Global Explorer is where your international journey begins.
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Brazil Overview
  • Region
    North and South America
  • Capital City
    Brasília
  • Largest City
    São Paulo
  • Currency
    Brazilian real
  • Languages
    Portuguese
  • Population
    215.3 million (7th)
  • Life Expectancy
    75.9 years (111th)
  • GDP (Nominal)
    $1.9 trillion (12th)
  • GDP/Capita
    8800.306846 (94th)
Useful Data
For more details visit Cost of Living
  • Cost of Living
    Very cheap (2/7)
  • Climate
    Very comfortable (1/5)
  • Safety
    Very Dangerous (6/7)
  • Pollution
    Average (3/5)
  • English Proficiency
    Low (4/5)

Sovereign Global Explorer

Benefiting from over a decade of our team’s boots-on-the-ground experience, Global Explorer is where your international journey begins.
Explore Now
Found a mistake /
Have a suggestion ?
Please let us know if you spot any inaccuracies on this page or have a suggestion on how to make it even more useful.
Report Here
PREMIUM REPORTS
Brazil inside Schiff Sovereign resources
Resource TitleProductTypeDate
No Tax, All Gain: Crypto Havens of 2024Sovereign ConfidentialSMCAlert23-Apr-2404/23/24
The Best Countries for Birth TourismSovereign ConfidentialSMCAlert06-Nov-2311/06/23
September 2023 SC Q&ASovereign ConfidentialSMCQ&A28-Sep-2309/28/23
The Roundup of Common Residency Options in Latin AmericaSovereign ConfidentialSMCBlack Paper06-Sep-2309/06/23
May 2023 SC Q&ASovereign ConfidentialSMCQ&A30-May-2305/30/23
TA Monthly Call Recording: Brazilian Residency Options, Naturalization Requirements, Taxation and Other Topics with Diego Beyer Sovereign Total AccessTAMonthly Calls26-May-2305/26/23
Next TA Service Provider Monthly Call: Send in Your Questions about Brazilian Residency, Citizenship, and MoreSovereign Total AccessTAMonthly Calls02-May-2305/02/23
February 2023 SC Q&ASovereign ConfidentialSMCQ&A27-Feb-2302/27/23
Real Estate Investment Yields Residency in These South American CountriesSovereign ConfidentialSMCAlert06-Feb-2302/06/23
Residency in Brazil Part II: Retirement Visa ProgramSovereign ConfidentialSMCAlert06-Sep-2209/06/22
August 2022 SMC Q&ASovereign ConfidentialSMCQ&A29-Aug-2208/29/22
“Food Secure” Countries in the World — One Might be Right for YouSovereign ConfidentialSMCMonthly Letter15-Aug-2208/15/22
July 2022 SMC Q&ASovereign ConfidentialSMCQ&A28-Jul-2207/28/22
Residency in Brazil Part I: Digital Nomad VisaSovereign ConfidentialSMCAlert25-Jul-2207/25/22
A Roundup of Naturalization Rules & Timelines in the AmericasSovereign ConfidentialSMCBlack Paper27-Jun-2206/27/22
March 2022 SMC Q&A (Live Call Recording)Sovereign ConfidentialSMCQ&A31-Mar-2203/31/22
January 2022 SMC Q&ASovereign ConfidentialSMCQ&A28-Jan-2201/28/22
December 2021 SMC Q&ASovereign ConfidentialSMCQ&A29-Dec-2112/29/21
The Ultimate Plan B Guide: How To Be Free in an Unfree WorldSovereign ConfidentialSMCBlack Paper24-Nov-2111/24/21
Where In The World Are Vaccine Mandates Unconstitutional?Sovereign ConfidentialSMCAlert05-Nov-2111/05/21
Consider These Two Latin American Countries for Your Child’s BirthSovereign ConfidentialSMCAlert24-Sep-2109/24/21
Here Are 15 Factors to Consider Before Your International MoveSovereign ConfidentialSMCMonthly Letter15-Jun-2106/15/21
The Sovereign Man Starter GuideSovereign ConfidentialSMCBlack Paper09-Feb-2102/09/21
Obtain these foreign residencies without leaving your home countrySovereign ConfidentialSMCMonthly Letter15-Dec-2012/15/20
How to turn opportunities into freedom - from someone who has done itSovereign ConfidentialSMCAlert05-Aug-2008/05/20
April 2020 SMC Q&ASovereign ConfidentialSMCQ&A30-Apr-2004/30/20
The Sovereign Man Global Passport Ranking: 2018 EditionSovereign ConfidentialSMCBlack Paper05-Jul-1807/05/18
Have a baby in this country and get a passport within two yearsSovereign ConfidentialSMCCase Study25-Jun-1806/25/18
Sovereign Man Country Rankings: The Right Country for YOU, with Simon's insightsSovereign ConfidentialSMCBlack Paper06-Apr-1704/06/17
Getting residency (and a potential passport) in Brazil via marriage just got easierSovereign ConfidentialSMCAlert28-Oct-1410/28/14
Become a citizen by having a baby in BrazilSovereign ConfidentialSMCAlert15-Jan-1301/15/13

Articles featuring Brazil

Trends & News

Brazil builds its own fiber optic network to avoid the NSA

November 11, 2014 Santiago, Chile This past week Brazil announced that it will be building a 3,500-mile fiber-optic cable to Portugal in order to avoid the grip of the NSA. What’s more, they announced that not a penny of the $185 million expected to be spent on the project will go to American firms, simply […]
Second Residency

Brazil’s Retirement Visa program 2023: A closer look at its requirements and benefits

There are ample reasons why expats love Brazil: Boasting a tropical climate, friendly locals and a low cost of living, it is an excellent retirement destination – for North Americans, in particular. In today’s episode, we take a look at the benefits of the country’s Retirement Visa program. (And yes, it can lead to a […]
Trends & News

My absurd story of financial misery in Brazil

[Editor’s note: Sovereign Man team member Peter Keusgen, lead editor of our private investment service, is filling in while Simon is en route to New York City today.] I’m sitting in a café in an upscale part of Sao Paulo, Brazil, a short walk from the Renaissance Hotel, watching the news come in about the […]
Trends & News

Lifestyle arbitrage: Meet the 600 single Brazilian women trapped in a small town with no men

September 8, 2014 Sovereign Valley Farm, Chile When Ferdinand Magellan and his men arrived in the harbor of Rio de Janeiro in 1519, throngs of naked native women swam out into the surf to greet them. Having spent the previous months battling through the brutal waters of the Atlantic, this was certainly a welcome sight. […]

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