- Dr. Carlos Zoéga Coelho, Senior Partner at Zoéga Coelho & Advogados
SHF: What exactly is Brazil’s Investor Visa and how much do I have to invest?
Dr. Zoéga: Brazil’s Investor Visa grants permanent residency status to the foreign national.
The idea is, quite simply, to stimulate not only investment in the country, but also to stimulate job growth. You have to set up a company and try to make a profit. The minimum investment to qualify is R150,000. At the end of three years you will be required to report to the Polícia Federal and prove that you have been running a business. Your visa is dependent on your economic activity.
SHF: How do you go about applying for Brazil’s Investor Visa? What is the first step?
Dr. Zoéga: The entire process of application can be conducted before you even come to Brazil. You can choose a lawyer to whom you give full Power of Attorney to act on your behalf. Your lawyer then files the application for you.
For the application you will need the following documents:
- Passport
- Birth certificate (if you are single)
- Wedding certificate (if you are married)
These documents must be certified at a consulate in the applicant’s home country and then, translated by an official translator in Brazil. Finally, the documents will need to be certified at a local cartorio or notary. You will also need the full names of the applicant’s parents.
SHF: Okay, so say I hire you as my lawyer. I give you Power of Attorney so that you can file my application. Once I’ve given you all the necessary documents what happens next?
Dr. Carlos Zoéga: You need a CPF number.
The CPF identifies you before the Brazilian Tax Authorities. If you are not in Brazil, as your lawyer, I would obtain a CPF number for you. With your CPF in hand, I would then officially present your documents to the Commercial, Tax, and Brazilian Immigration Authorities.
SHF: So once I have a CPF number I can open a business in Brazil? Is that how it works??
Dr. Carlos Zoéga: In many cases foreigners open their own business, yes. But it is also possible to become a partner in an already existing Brazilian business. It all depends.
Many people just want to have and run their own business and that’s just fine. If so, a lawyer can open the business for them.
SHF: The investment is R150,000, right? Is that for the investor’s whole family, or does each family member have to invest that amount?
Dr. Carlos Zoéga: R150,000 is the MINIMUM amount. You can invest more if you wish.
Once the visa is granted, it includes all family members. So, let’s say the father makes the investment and obtains the visa. His wife and his children all qualify for the visa. Brazilian law ensures that families are allowed to stay together, so if the father becomes a permanent resident, then his family is also granted permanent resident status.
SHF: So, it’s really R150,000 minimum investment for a whole family?
Dr. Carlos Zoéga: Correct. Your family’s visa is an extension of yours.
SHF: What other information will I have to provide if I want to set up my own business?
Dr. Carlos Zoéga: You would have to tell me the amount of capital to be invested, the percentage of the capital each partner will hold, the name of your company, and the type of activity the company will exercise.
SHF: How is the company actually set up and how long does it take?
Dr. Carlos Zoéga: You (or your lawyer) will file an article of incorporation before the JECESC (the Junta Comercial). After filing the articles of incorporation the name of the company will be protected and exclusive to you.
Congratulations! You now have your own Brazilian business.
A CPNJ number will be issued to identify your company before the Brazilian Tax Authorities.
The next step is to open a bank account for your business.
SHF: After my new business has its own bank account I can send the investment money into the country, right?
Dr. Carlos Zoéga: Correct. The investment will have to go through the Banco do Brasil. You will need a special code called an RDE-IED/SISBACEN before you transfer the money. After you get this registration number you can send the money directly into your company’s bank account.
Once the money is in the account you (or your lawyer) can apply for the investor’s visa using the articles of incorporation for your business and your CPNJ as proof of your investment. The Policia Federal will require you to present a short report about the nature of your company and job generation estimate.
After the application is processed the Brazilian consulate in your home country will issue the visa. You will present it at the airport next time you enter the country and then you will have 30 days to appear at the Policia Federal and register and request your ID card called an RNE.
This is the end of Brazil’s Investor Visa: Part I. In the second part of this article, we will continue our discussion of the Brazilian Investor Visa, and talk about what restrictions govern it, and how to make sure you don’t lose it. There are some important decisions that the visa applicant will have to make when setting up the actual business and these will be considered next month. If you have any additional questions about Brazil’s Investor Visa, please write us and ask Dr. Carlos Zoéga directly.
Dr. Carlos is Senior Partner at ZOÉGA COELHO & ADVOGADOS Rua Adolfo Melo, n.38, sala 202 – Centro 88015-090 Florianópolis/SC – Brasil Telefone: (55 48) 3223-4729 Fax: (55 48) 3322-0483
SKYPE: carloszoegacoelho
I would like to know how much would be the lawyer fee for the Brazil’s Investor Visa?
I am a Brazilian living in England at the moment and I have a foreigner investor as a partner.
Dear Mr Zoéga,
Could you please help me with this question?
My visa for staying here is now depending on my marriage
I want to start a bussines here and also grant for the investor visa
Cause otherwise my visa and my new company is too much depending on my marriage. If my wife gets an accident or wants to devorce me then I cannot stay in Brazil.
Is it possible to allready start the bussiness and grant for the investment visa later? So you prove after that you invested 150 Reais in your company?
Hope you can help me.
Best
Is it just as easy as investing R$150,000 and running a business, or do I also have to prove that I will create a certain number of jobs? If so, how many? To renew the visa, do I simply have to turn a profit or do I need to maintain a certain number of new jobs?
Thanks for the info, it’s a big help!
Hi Chelsea,
The idea behind the investors visa is to create jobs. In your initial business plan you have to state how many jobs you will create. The
authorities will check up on you every few years. But while you have to employ the stated number of Brazilians, you are not obliged to
turn a profit. For more information, please contact Dr, Carlos directly at carlos@zoegacoelho.com.br
Thanks for your comment.
Dan
I have this web site to share from the Las Angles Brazilian Conslate that says you can invest 50,000 USD is that true…is this the new amount or is the Conslate advertising incorrect info;;;
I have read this information on the Las Angles Brazilian Conslate that says you can Invest 50,000 USD is that correct!
Consulate General of Brazil in Los Angeles
http://www.brazilian-consulate.org
Share
Dear Joel, the current amount is actually R150,000. If you would like more information about the investors visa and assistance in obtaining one, please contact Dr. Zoega directly.
Dear Joel,
Must one ONLY bring $150,000 reales and set up a “company” of their own as you had described? And that is sufficient for the investor visa? For example IF one were to bring that amount and create a “company” and that company bought real estate here in Brazil, would this suffice?
What would the TOTAL expenses be more or less for legal services to set up the “company” and obtain the visa?
I have read on earlier websites before the law had been changed in 2009 that this was sufficient and there was NOT a 2nd requirement to “create jobs”.
IF one does not wish to run a full blown business, but just bring monies to Brazil and in the required amounts…is this sufficient to get the visa for the initial 3 years? In other words does bringing the money and opening a “company” suffice to initially get the visa and then one has time to “invest” the monies? And IF so, then upon the passage of 3 years and all one has done is purchase real estate in amounts larger than the minimum 150,000 there would be an “extension” granted? Or no?
Please advise as to answers to the above questions and thank you!
Dear Craig, I will send your question to Dr. Carlos. As I understand it, however, you really do
have to set up a business and employ some people. Still, some people purchase real
estate as part of their plan and if this fits the investment project you submit to the immigration authorities
then that’s fine.
Hi, the correct amount is R150,000.
Bom Dia Sr. Carlos:
I am seriously considering opening an export & export company in Brazil as individual investor, and I have a few questions for you.
1. If I want to work with your company about the visa-application process, how much service cost do I have to pay? (You could reply to my email.)
2. About the amount the investment, I heard that for opening a subsidiary company in Brazil, the minimum amount of money to invest is increased from R$ 15,000 to R$ 60,000, after August. For individual to open a company in Brazil, do we have to meet the same situation now?
Looking forward to your reply!
Best regards,
Byron
Dear Byron,
I have forwarded your message directly to Dr. Carlos. He should respond shortly. If not,
please let me know.
Thanks,
Dan Madera
The Bible Fund has been operating in Brazil as a nonprofit for some years. It has purchased Bibles in Sao Paulo and distributed the Bibles, free of charge, all over Brazil. Now somebody tells me I need a CPNJ number. Surely this is not required for nonprofits who do not do business in Brazil, but merely distribute Bibles as a charity. Your assessment, please. Thanks. Pastor John
It’s possible that you do. The best was to find out is to contact Dr. Carlos directly. He
will be able to advise you.
DM