While the classic golden-visa destinations close their doors one after another, Brazil has quietly remained one of the most accessible investment-residence options in the world — with thresholds a fraction of Europe's, permanent-track residence, and a real economy behind the investment. For families from markets where traditional destinations are narrowing, and for Western investors diversifying where they can live, Brazil is the plan B that actually works as a plan A. Here is how the routes function under Resolution CNIg no. 13/2017.
The three routes
1. Business investment
Residence through direct investment in a Brazilian company — your own new venture or an existing business — currently from R$500,000, supported by a business plan showing real activity and, over time, employment or economic contribution. The company becomes the anchor of your Brazilian life: it can invoice, hire, own assets.
2. The innovation track
The threshold drops to R$150,000 — roughly US$30,000 — for investment in qualifying innovation, technology and research ventures, typically connected to recognised incubators, accelerators and technology parks. It is the least-known and most cost-effective door into Brazilian residence for entrepreneurs, and the qualifying ecosystem matters as much as the amount: we structure these files with local counsel and the right institutional connections.
3. Real estate
Residence through a qualifying property purchase — currently from R$1,000,000, with a reduced threshold for properties in the North and Northeast regions. The property must be held in your name with the investment properly documented and registered; urban, built real estate is the standard case.
What the residence gives you — and your family
Investor residence covers the investor's immediate family, leads to renewals tied to maintaining the investment, and opens the standard paths that follow residence in Brazil: permanent status and, in time, eligibility for naturalisation. Brazil taxes residents on worldwide income — which is exactly why the residence decision and the tax decision must be made together. We do not give tax or investment advice: we execute the immigration side with vetted local lawyers and coordinate with trusted referred tax specialists so the two decisions are made as one.
How the process runs
- Strategy first: which route fits your capital, your appetite and your timeline — settled in an Initial Consultation before anything is committed.
- Structure and invest: company formation or property acquisition with local counsel, the investment registered correctly — the step where technical mistakes are expensive.
- File and follow: the residence application to the Ministry of Justice, responses to any exigências (requests for clarification), and follow-up to approval, registration and residence cards.
Where files go wrong
The patterns we see: investments wired before the structure was right; capital not registered in the form the authorities recognise; business plans written for investors rather than for the examining authority; and real-estate purchases that miss a qualifying condition discovered too late. All preventable — in order.
How we help
VOA structures and files Brazilian investor-residence cases end to end with vetted local lawyers, from route selection to residence cards, with scope and fee agreed in writing before signature. Start with an Initial Consultation, or read more about how we work in Brazil.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to live in Brazil full-time?
Residence must be genuinely maintained, and renewals look at the investment's continuity — but Brazil's presence expectations are workable for internationally mobile families. What your passport strategy and your tax position each require can differ; we plan both horizons honestly with you and the referred specialists.
Can the investment be in any business?
The standard route requires real, documented economic activity; the reduced threshold applies only to qualifying innovation and technology ventures. Whether a given venture qualifies is a legal and institutional question — exactly what we verify before you commit capital.
Does my family get residence too?
Yes — spouse and dependent children are covered alongside the investor, and we prepare the family's files as one project.
Is this a path to citizenship?
Residence through investment opens the ordinary naturalisation path — generally four years of residence, with Portuguese-language ability and a clean record; shorter tracks exist for those with a Brazilian spouse or child. We never promise outcomes; we build the position from which they follow.