Brazil Golden Visa (VIPER) – Permanent Residency in Brazil through Real Estate Investment
Brazil has one of the top 12 largest economies, an unmatched level of happiness among its residents, and is simply the most beautiful country in the world. For those reasons and plenty of others, you might be interested in immigrating to Brazil. But you need to have a legal right to reside in the country for an extended period of time before you can do that. One way to get that right is by investing in Brazilian real estate. The Brazil investor visa known as the “Golden Visa” gives you the right to permanent residency in Brazil. Learn more about the immigration requirements, which are covered below.
Brazil’s Real Estate Golden Visa (VIPER): An Overview
The goal of Brazil’s golden visa program is to attract foreign dollars into the economy. To that end, the country requires interested parties to use external resources to invest in a property that costs at least R$1,000,000.00 – which is just under USD200,000 as of the time of writing.
Here are a few key things to know about this investor visa program known as VIPER:
- The property must be located in an urban area
- You can qualify by purchasing two or more properties that cost at least R $1,000,000.00 together
- Co-ownership is allowed as long as each co-owner invests the minimum amount
- You can spend up to 30% less on the property and still qualify if you purchase in certain areas of the country
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Brazil Permanent Residency Benefits
The reason why people want to become permanent residents in Brazil, or even secure Brazil citizenship by investment, is to be free of the inconveniences faced by tourists in Brazil. Some of the benefits included:
- Brazilian ID card for foreigners
The CRNM is a Brazilian ID card exclusive to foreign citizens residing in Brazil. This card will allow foreign citizens to open a bank account, apply for a driver’s license, and many other benefits. - Staying in Brazil for as long as you want.
Most foreign citizens can stay only for up to 180 days in Brazil. - Entering and leaving the country as many times as needed
Don’t worry about facing Brazilian immigration anymore. As a permanent resident, there is also no limit to how many times you can enter and leave the country. - Access to utilities and other services
Many utility companies and service providers will not provide service unless you have a Brazilian ID. The CRNM is virtually accepted by all utility companies and service providers. - Access to the Brazil Citizenship
Last but not least, the Brazil Viper visa allows you to apply for Brazilian Citizenship. While there is no Brazil citizenship by investment per se, holders of the Brazil permanent residency card can apply for Brazil citizenship after four years as permanent residents!
Brazil is a great place to live if you love sandy beaches, tropical scenery, and a joyful and welcoming population. If you think that the country’s Golden Visa through real estate investment is right for your family, then there’s no time like the present to begin this process. But it can be really overwhelming when you’re first diving into something like this, and you’ll likely have a million questions while you’re starting out.
Getting a Brazilian Golden Visa (VIPER) Universal investment visa is our recommended path to secure permanent residency in Brazil as well as Brazilian citizenship. These are the main steps involved:
Find the Property
It begins by finding a property you like in an urban location and ensuring it meets the minimum investment amount which is USD 140,000 . Properties in the North and Northeast of the country will qualify for just 70% of the USD 140,000
Due Diligence
Once you’ve done that, make sure to have your attorney conduct due diligence on the property before committing to it. This should include:
Purchase
It can be tough and risky to handle all this from another country – especially if you don’t speak Portuguese. You must secure professional help to structure the deal and send the payment properly. Note that the money remittance to Brazil alone may take multiple weeks and a lot of paperwork.
Residency Application
After you’ve made the purchase, you’ll need to submit the proof of purchase and funds transferred into the seller’s bank account to be issued by a Brazilian bank, along with many other documents.Your attorney will file the so-called VIPER application through a system called MigrantWeb developed by the Brazilian authorities.
Residency Visa Stamping
When the validation is complete, you will receive a four-year temporary residence permit.
Upgrade to Permanent Residency
If you’re still the owner of the property after four years, then you may apply to become a permanent resident.
Citizenship
And once you’ve lived in Brazil as a permanent resident for four years, you can apply for Brazilian naturalization.
- Step 1
- Step 2
- Title of property with registration
- Negative certificate of real liens
- IPTU negative certification
- Clearance on sellers
- Step 3
- Step 4
- Step 5
- Step 6
- Step 7
- an Investment of $100,000 to $200,000(R$ 500 000 BRL to R$ 1 000 000)
Investment can take any form (includes buying a piece of land or property) - Residency for Full Family (include all your dependents)
Flexible. No residency requirements (you only need to visit once every two years for PR) - Citizenship & Passport 4 Years
(citizenship for future dependents)
We have listed below some of the frequently asked questions we receive regarding the Golden Visa in Brazil. However, it is impossible to cover everything in depth here. Please contact our advisors for further details.
Brazil Golden Visa FAQ’s
What is a Brazilian Investor visa?
A “permanent visa”, such as the investment visa, allows a foreigner to live and work in Brazil. You will be treated like an ordinary Brazilian except for voting and political rights- Are the investor visa holder’s family entitled to come to Brazil?
The resident alien is also allowed to bring his or her family and come and go as he or she wishes. - Is there a minimum stay period?
A minimum stay period in Brazil is one entrance to Brazil every other 2 years, in order to maintain his or her residency status before the Brazilian authorities. - Where are the investment monies transferred?
The investment and transferring of funds must be made into the account of your Brazilian Company or another Brazilian company if you wish - What can be done with these monies once they are in the company’s account?
The company can then invest the monies at its convenience, including real estate, bank investments, stocks, etc. You can choose your own investment, but it must be done in the name of your company. Most foreigners, usually those who are already purchasing real estate, take advantage of it. But you can invest in stocks and even savings accounts, where interest rates and dividends are much higher than those applied and seen in other countries - How long is the investor visa valid for?
You get permanent residency status.
Who has to file the application?
The person who wants to become a Brazilian citizen must apply themselves. If a person under the age of 18 wants to naturalize then the parents or legal guardians must file the application.