Brazil Digital Nomad Visa | An Incomplete Guide

What is digital nomad visa?

“Digital nomads” represent a lifestyle trend that has gained prominence in the 21st century. With the advancement of information technology, an increasing number of professionals—such as IT workers, media personnel, language teachers, and freelancers—have broken free from traditional office settings. They now have the ability to work remotely from any location worldwide with internet access. This concept of remote work gained significant traction, especially before and during the pandemic.

Once liberated from office constraints, some remote workers choose to embrace a unique lifestyle: they carry their bags and travel to various destinations while continuing to work remotely. These individuals, known as “digital nomads,” experience a blend of exploring new cultures and working from different corners of the world.

To attract digital nomads and promote tourism and emerging industries, governments in at least 65 countries and regions worldwide have introduced specialized digital nomad visas. These visas typically have the following characteristics:

1. Applicants must be remote workers with stable monthly income and cannot be employed locally.

2. Digital nomad visas are essentially extended travel visas, often valid for one year and allowing residence for up to two to four years in the destination country without the option for permanent immigration.

However, in some Latin American and Southern European countries—such as Portugal, Spain, Uruguay, and Ecuador—digital nomads can eventually obtain local permanent residency or even naturalization after accumulating a certain length of stay.

For more information on digital nomad visa programs, explore the details in our “Global Digital Nomad Visas | An Incomplete Handbook” on this websites.

Brazil Digital Nomad Visa:

Starting from January 2022, Brazil offers a digital nomad visa application channel for digital nomads and freelancers. This is a non-immigrant visa valid for one year and can be renewed at least once. The main economic requirement is that applicants need to have a stable remote work income of around 1500 USD per month.

Remote workers can also choose to apply for the Brazilian digital nomad visa by depositing 18,000 USD in a local bank without withdrawing it.

Apart from the economic requirements, the other requirements for this visa are very simple: you only need to be at least 18 years old, have no criminal record, be in good health, and purchase health insurance that covers Brazil.

Application Process:

The Brazilian digital nomad visa cannot be applied for online and requires an in-person application at a local consulate.

The application process is as follows:

1. Make an Appointment with the Embassy: Download and fill out the digital nomad visa application form online, upload it, and then make an appointment to submit the visa application at the nearest Brazilian consulate.

2. Submit the Visa Application: You can submit the application documents either by mail or in person at the nearest Brazilian consulate by appointment.

The required documents vary slightly by consulate, but generally include at least the following:

• Applicant identification documents: Including a passport with more than six months validity and two blank pages, one passport-sized photo taken within the last six months, birth certificate, marriage certificate, and other documents proving the relationship between primary and secondary applicants.

• Application form: You need to fill out an application form and include a letter expressing your intention to go to Brazil.

• Proof of remote work: Provide a work contract with your employer or proof of freelance work to demonstrate that you can work remotely with resources outside of Brazil.

• Proof of income: Provide proof of a stable remote work income of over 1500 USD per month or a deposit of 18,000 USD in a Brazilian bank.

• No criminal record certificate: All adult primary and secondary applicants must provide documents from their local law enforcement agency proving no serious criminal record.

• Health insurance: Purchase private health insurance valid in Brazil for each primary and secondary applicant.

All documents from outside Brazil need to be notarized, and all non-Portuguese documents must be translated into Portuguese.

3. Visa Issuance: Processing time varies by consulate, generally taking 2 to 4 weeks.Once the visa is issued, you can arrange your travel to Brazil.

4. Apply for a Residence Card: After entering Brazil, if you plan to stay long-term, you must register at a nearby Brazilian police station within 90 days and apply for a residence card and foreigner identity card.

The processing fee for the digital nomad visa is around 100 USD, and the fee for the Brazilian foreigner identity card is around 200 USD.

Note that if you reside in Brazil for 183 days or more in a single calendar year, you will automatically become a Brazilian tax resident and will need to report your digital nomad income for taxation.

Dependents:

When applying for Brazilian digital nomad visa, the main applicant’s spouse and financially dependent children can obtain the visa as dependents.