Brazil Retirement Visa | An Incomplete Guide

What is retirement visa?

Retirement visas are a type of passive income visa that has been popular worldwide since the 1980s. Typically, they are issued to retirees who have sufficient retirement funds or stable income.

In general, global retirement visas have the following characteristics:

1. Applicant Qualifications: Typically, retirement visas require applicants to be retirees, reach a certain age, or have retirement funds.

2. Restrictions on Employment: Visa holders are usually not allowed to work locally.

3. Path to Permanent Residency: After residing in the destination country for a certain period, retirement visa holders can often apply for permanent residency or even citizenship.

If you’re interested in retirement visas or passive income visas, you might want to read our informative article: ‘Global Passive Income Visa | An Incomplete Guide‘.

Brazil Retirement Visa:

Brazil issues a retirement visa called the Temporary Visa VITEM XIV to overseas retirees. This visa requires applicants to meet certain age requirements (men over 65 years old, women over 60 years old) and have a monthly pension of at least 2000 USD.

Additionally, applicants for this program must meet basic conditions such as being in good health, having no criminal record, committing not to engage in paid work in Brazil, and having sufficient financial resources to support themselves and their families in Brazil.

Application Process:

The application process for Brazil’s retirement visa is somewhat different from similar programs in other South American countries. You need to apply online first and then mail the materials to the Brazilian consulate.

The specific steps of this program include:

1. Online Application: Applicants need to fill out the application form on the Ministry of the Interior’s official website according to the guidelines. After uploading the form, you will receive an application number. At this point, you need to upload all required documents online and print the RER (Visa Request Form Receipt).

Required documents include:

• Identification documents: Including a valid passport with more than two blank pages and a passport-sized photo with a white background.

• Retirement visa application form.

• No criminal record certificate: You need to provide a no criminal record certificate issued by the law enforcement agency in your current place of residence.

• Proof of income: You need to provide proof of a retirement income of at least 2000 USD per month and the ability to transfer at least 2000 USD per month to your Brazilian bank account.

• Proof of health insurance purchase: You need to purchase private health insurance that covers Brazil.

2. Pay the Visa Fee: In this step, you need to pay a 60 USD visa fee according to the instructions on the Ministry of the Interior’s official website.

3. Mail the Materials: After completing the online application, you can mail the hard copies and the printed RER to the nearest Brazilian consulate or schedule an appointment to submit them.

4. Visa Issuance: After waiting 10 to 15 working days, you will receive a notification of whether your visa is approved by logging into your account on the Ministry of the Interior’s website.

Dependents:

The Brazilian retirement visa is issued only to main applicants; you cannot bring your spouse or children with you when you enter the country. However, you can apply for family reunion visas or other short-term residence visas for your family to join you in Brazil.

Visa Validity:

The Brazilian retirement visa is valid for up to 2 years and can be continuously renewed under the same conditions upon expiration.

Holders of the retirement visa who have legally resided in Brazil for 2 years and meet other requirements are eligible to apply for permanent residency in Brazil.

Although there is no explicit minimum residency requirement, it is recommended that you stay in Brazil for more than 183 days each year if you wish to apply for permanent residency.

Brazilian permanent residents who have legally resided in Brazil for 4 years and meet the Portuguese language proficiency standards can apply for citizenship.