Great news! Brazil just launched this year a Digital Nomad Visa – the first South American country to do so 🎉 If you’re a remote worker, freelancer, or entrepreneur, and you’d like to enjoy Brazil for longer than the 90-day tourist visa allows it: the new Brazilian Digital Nomad Visa is made for you! ✅

🇫🇷 living in 🇧🇷 for 4 years

Hi there, I’m Milo! I am French 🇫🇷 and I’ve been living in Brazil for more than four years now 🇧🇷 I had four different kinds of Brazilian visas already… and all of them required a special kind of torture to go through 😩

Let me be your guide in the administrative jungle of Brazil! 🧙🏻‍♀️

Quick summary ⤵️ click or scroll down for details

Information up to date in June 2022.

How do I qualify for the Digital Nomad Visa?

Who can qualify for the VITEM XIV (Brazilian Digital Nomad Visa)?

  • remote workers (i.e. you’re working remotely for a company outside Brazil)
  • freelance workers (i.e. you’re a contractor for companies outside of Brazil)
  • entrepreneurs (i.e. you have your own company/you’re self-employed)
  • in both cases, you earn more than 1,500 USD/month OR you can prove you have at least 18,000 USD in savings (convert into your preferred currency)

How can I apply for the visa?

To apply for the visa, you need to first collect all the documents listed below. Once you’ve gathered all of them, you’ll have to book an appointment at your local Brazilian consulate or embassy (depending on the country/city). This appointment is in person, it cannot be done online.

DocumentMore information
valid passportYour passport must be valid for six months beyond your date of entry + it needs to have two consecutive white pages available in it
one passport photoThe photo must be recent, against a white background, in the local standard specifications (3.5 x 4.5 cm)
birth certificateMost countries have an easy free online process to ask for this document: type on google “birth certificate” in your local language and it will prompt you to a government website where you can ask for it – and sometimes in English. Make sure your passport name matches your birth certificate name ⚠️
the visa online application formHere’s a direct link to the form. You will have to fill it with basic information (name, parents’ names, passport number, etc) and add the documents mentioned below as scans
the contract of international health insurance you contracted
Make sure the insurance you buy is covering the country of Brazil and COVID-related issues. You can find some by googling it. Here’s the one I used to cover one of my visas – a few accidents I had made it 100% worth it 😅
the receipt of payment of the visa feesThis is a part of the visa online application form: at some point in the process, it will ask you to pay by card a fee. It costs $100 / 100€ for most countries.
the proof of free criminal record from your country of originMost countries have an easy free online process to ask for this document: type on google “criminal record” in your local language and it will prompt you to a government website. The form is simple: names, date of birth, address, etc. Most times, it will offer you an English version of the document.
Police checks are valid for up to 3 months from the date of issue ⚠️
legal proof of your digital nomad statusHere are examples of documents you can provide:
– employment contract (if you work remotely)
OR
– contract of incorporation (if you have your own company)
OR
– declaration of self-employment (if you’re a freelancer: here, it depends on the available legal statuses available in your country – for example, auto-entrepreneur in France, micro-entrepreneur in the USA, etc)
OR
– if you do not have any of these documents, I encourage you to establish your micro-business (in Europe, it doesn’t cost anything or it costs a minor fee)
a declaration attesting to your digital nomad status
Here’s a Google Doc template you can copy and modify with your info ☺️
(yes, the declaration is as simple as that)
the proof that you can sustain yourself in BrazilHere are examples of documents you can provide:
– a proof that your company is paying you at least 1500 USD/month (for example, a payment slip)
OR
– show a minimum of 18,000 USD in your bank account (bank statement + document showing the conversion of the day in USD if your bank account is in a different currency)

In both cases, and if your revenues are in a different currency, make sure to include a document (from an official banking website for example) showing the conversion of the day in USD
Make sure to check the documents required from your local consulate as it might differ from one to another – but overall, this is what you can expect.

When should I apply for the visa?

As soon as you can!

Question: What if I plan to go next year?
↪️ It doesn’t matter. The 1-year duration only starts from the moment you step foot on the Brazilian territory. For example, if you get your visa in December 2022, you will have until December 2023 to use it. After that 1 year period, your visa won’t be valid anymore and you’ll have to apply for a new one.

Question: Can I get it at the last minute?
↪️ Highly, highly, highly, not advisable. The Brazilian administration is well-known for taking their time and nitpicking at any error they will find in your application. Depending on your city, it can get up to one month to get another appointment at the local Brazilian consulate 😰

Question: When should I get it then?
↪️ I highly advise you to get it as soon as possible. Once you get this huge stressor out of the way, you’ll be free to focus on other major details like accommodation or flights.

Where should I apply for the visa?

👉 At your local Brazilian consulate. Here’s a link to the official list of Brazilian consulates throughout the world. Find yours!

How long is the visa process?

Your local consulate will have up to two months to deliver your visa – but usually, it’s delivered in approximately one month.

So, let’s recap! Ideally, your calendar should look like this:

  • 5 months before departure: gathering all the documents and information needed to apply; getting an appointment at your local Brazilian consulate.
  • 4 months before departure: appointment at the Brazilian consulate; wait for the application to be processed OR go back to step one and try to get the missing documents/info.
  • 3 months before departure: one more chance to get your application accepted and processed OR receive your visa 🎉
  • 2 months before departure: Congrats! Time to plan your trip! ✈️

This is the ideal plan. If you apply one month before your departure – I actually believe it’s feasible too! I would only advise you to avoid the “Consulate stress” if you can.

Is it renewable?

👉 YES! It is renewable for one more year. So far, no information has been provided by the Brazilian immigration authorities to renew it for more years. In total, you can stay for two years on a Digital Nomad Visa in Brazil.

Can I travel outside of Brazil while on the visa?

👉 Yes, you can! You can easily go back to visit your country for Christmas or visit surrounding Latin American countries during your stay in Brazil, and come back with no issues! But remember that your visa period will start running as soon as you step foot in Brazil. For example: if you’re arriving in January 2023 and you decide to spend 3 months in Argentina, your visa expiration date (January 2024) will not be postponed because you “didn’t use” three months of the visa.

Video interview with a Brazilian immigration lawyer

Timestamps 👉 7:01, who can apply ; 9:10, where to apply ; 10:45, duration of the visa ; 11:24, the required documents to apply ; 16:28, his contact info if you’d like to get in touch with him ; 17:13, a renewable visa? ; 17:35, freelancers and unstable income ; 20:04, can you pretend you have 18k on your bank account? 👀 ; 42:45, taxation for digital nomads in Brazil.

I got my visa 🎉 What’s next?

  • Choose your departure date
  • Book your flight ticket
  • Book a short-term Airbnb to look for a long-term place to live in
  • Once you arrived, make sure to register at the Federal Police (all visas have to do this mandatory step) – I’m writing a step-by-step post right now! ☺️

Make sure to sign up to my newsletter as I’ll be posting soon about: what are the best neighborhoods to live in Rio ; how to get around in Rio (metro VS bus VS Uber VS taxi) ; top destinations to travel outside of Rio for the weekend – and more ☺️

Technology, Travel, Visa