Investment Requirements to Obtain Visa to Brazil

In order to make an investment in Brazil, foreign companies or businesspeople have to obtain a Brazilian visa. Here you will find information about the investment requirements to obtain it in Brazil.

Although Brazilian corporate law has no formal minimum capital investment requirement, in practice, the immigration authorities require a minimum investment for nonresidents. The investment can be either cash, transfer of technology or capital goods.

In order to increase the foreign investments in the country, it was created the Brazilian residence and citizen program to foreign investors by the Conselho Nacional de Imigração, known as CNI, which is the National Immigration Council.

Requirements for Permanent Visa

Permanent visa is linked to the foreign investors and to the company they will invest in. This is only available for investments designated to already existing or new Brazilian companies that will have foreign direct money as part of their capital.

The permanent visa can be offered to foreigners who invest in productive activities and to foreigners that plan to stay in Brazil indefinitely to manage their investments. Activities regarding passive investments, such as buy a house, land or stocks, don't qualify for getting visa.

Amounts of money lower than the mandatory initial transfer of BRL 150.000,00 will be submitted to CNI. The Council will then examine visa requests, in order to authorize or not the acquisition, using the following criteria.

• the number of jobs generated in Brazil.
• the region of the country where the investment will be applied and its value.
• which economic sector will benefited from the investment and from the contribution to the growth on productivity or new technology.

The value investment requirements are also subjected to the value added that it will cause. If the company commits to generate at least ten new jobs in a two-year period, even if it does not present the value of investment required above, the company can sponsor for a permanent visa.