Retirement · Brazil

Retire in Brazil: the retirement visa and buying a home

Sources checked on November 9, 2026 · Antológica, buyer's agent in Curitiba (CRECI/PR J11051)

Short answer

Yes. Brazil gives residence to a retiree, or to someone receiving a survivor's pension, who proves a monthly transfer of at least US$ 2,000 to Brazil (Normative Resolution 40/2019). There is no minimum age. The first term is up to 2 years, then a renewal or an indefinite term. Buying a home is not required, and foreigners can buy freely.

General information, not legal or tax advice. Consulates set their own checklists and fees, and rules change; have an immigration lawyer and an accountant review your case before you move.

The retirement visa: what the rule says

The rule is Normative Resolution 40/2019 of Brazil's National Immigration Council, published on November 27, 2019. Consulates issue it as the VITEM XIV temporary visa. It replaced the old retiree rule, Resolution 45/2000, which some guides still describe.

Point	What the rule says
Who qualifies	A retiree, or a beneficiary of a survivor's pension.
Income	Proof of a monthly transfer to Brazil of at least US$ 2,000, in foreign currency. Other regular income, such as rent or investments, can make up the difference.
Age	The resolution sets no minimum age. What it asks for is proof that you are retired or receive the pension.
Health insurance	Health insurance valid in Brazil is part of the visa application.
First term	Up to 2 years.
After that	A renewal for up to 2 more years, or a change to an indefinite term, proving that you are still retired and can still transfer US$ 2,000 a month.
Property	Not required. Owning property in Brazil does not by itself give a right to a visa; only the investment route uses property.

Sources: RN CNIg 40/2019; RN CNIg 30/2018, annexes XXVII and XXVIII (added by RN 41/2019); Migration Law 13,445/2017, art. 35.

Some guides add a required amount for each dependent. The resolution has none: a spouse or child applies for a family-reunion visa (VITEM XI) linked to the retiree's visa, as Brazilian consulates explain.

How to apply

From abroad, apply at the Brazilian consulate for where you live. The resolution lists your passport, the visa form, the consular fee, health insurance valid in Brazil, proof of travel to Brazil, a criminal-record certificate, and proof of your pension and of your capacity to transfer US$ 2,000 a month. Each consulate publishes its own checklist and fee; some also ask for a bank letter and a CPF.
Already in Brazil, for example as a visitor? You can apply for the residence permit directly to the Ministry of Justice, with the same proof (RN 40/2019, art. 4).
Within 90 days of arriving with the visa, register with the Federal Police and get your migrant ID card, the CRNM (Decree 9,199/2017, art. 64). Some consulates tell applicants 30 days: registering in the first month avoids any doubt.
Before your term ends, ask for the renewal or for the indefinite term, with fresh proof of your pension.

Get your CPF, Brazil's taxpayer number, early: you need it to open a bank account, rent and buy property. Consulates issue it.

Retirement visa, investment, Mercosur or digital nomad?

Route	Who it is for	What you must show	First term
Retirement (RN 40/2019)	Retirees and survivor's-pension beneficiaries	US$ 2,000 a month transferred to Brazil	Up to 2 years, then renewal or indefinite
Real estate investment (RN 36/2018)	Anyone	R$ 1,000,000 in urban property, your own money from abroad (up to 30% less in the North and Northeast)	4 years, then indefinite
Mercosur (Decree 6,975/2009)	Nationals of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay	No income or investment test	2 years, then indefinite
Digital nomad (RN 45/2021)	Remote workers for a foreign employer	US$ 1,500 a month, or US$ 18,000 in the bank	Up to 1 year, renewable for another year

Sources: the resolutions and the decree in each row, read on November 9, 2026.

Retired with savings rather than a pension of US$ 2,000 a month? The investment route may fit better: a single apartment of R$ 1 million or more in Curitiba can be the basis of the permit.

Health care

Public health: the Migration Law guarantees immigrants access to public health services, without discrimination by nationality or migration status (Law 13,445/2017, art. 4, VIII). Brazil's public system is called SUS.
Private health plans: health insurance valid in Brazil is required for the visa, and most retirees keep a private plan. For plans signed since January 1, 2004, the last age bracket starts at 59: after that there are no more price increases for age, only the yearly adjustment, and the price of the last bracket cannot be more than six times the first (ANS, the health-plan regulator).

Your pension and Brazilian taxes

With a temporary visa, such as the retirement visa, you become a Brazilian tax resident on the day you complete 184 days in Brazil within 12 months. From then on, a pension received from abroad is taxed in Brazil every month, through the carnê-leão, and in the yearly income tax return.

Tax already paid abroad can be credited in Brazil only where there is a tax treaty or reciprocity with the paying country. The Receita Federal recognizes reciprocity with the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany. Plan this with an accountant before you move.

Source: Receita Federal, income tax questions and answers 2026, questions 114, 142 and 173.

Why retirees look at Curitiba

Quality of life: first among Brazil's 27 state capitals in the 2026 Social Progress Index (71.29; the national average is 63.40).
Safety: an estimated 13.2 homicides per 100,000 in 2024, against 23.4 for Brazil (Atlas da Violência 2026). Like any large city, it has neighborhoods and hours that call for care.
Climate: mild, at about 930 m above sea level. Annual mean 17.8 °C; July, the coldest month, averages 13.8 °C; February, the warmest, 21.4 °C (INMET climate normals).
Flights: direct to Buenos Aires, Santiago and Lima, and from Lisbon; São Paulo is about one hour away by air.
The trade-off: no beach. The Paraná coast is about 110 km by road.

Buying a home as a retiree

No visa is needed to buy: a foreigner buys urban property in Brazil with a CPF.
A ready apartment lets you move in at once. Off-plan is paid in installments during construction and delivered later.
Taxes and fees add to the price; our page on buying costs has the Curitiba figures.
The pages below list Curitiba apartments by budget in US dollars, at today's exchange rate.

Frequently asked questions

What is the income requirement for the Brazil retirement visa?

Proof of a monthly transfer to Brazil of at least US$ 2,000, in foreign currency, from a pension or a survivor's pension; other regular income, such as rent or investments, can make up the difference (Normative Resolution 40/2019).

Is there a minimum age for the Brazil retirement visa?

No. The resolution sets no minimum age. It asks for proof that you are retired, or receive a survivor's pension, and can transfer at least US$ 2,000 a month.

Can US citizens retire in Brazil?

Yes. The retirement visa has the same rule for every nationality: proof of a monthly transfer of at least US$ 2,000. Once you are a Brazilian tax resident, the Receita Federal lets US income tax on that income be credited in Brazil, by reciprocity.

Do I need to buy property to retire in Brazil?

No. The retirement visa is based on income, not property. Buying a home is a separate choice, open to any foreigner with a CPF. Only the investment route (R$ 1 million in property) uses a purchase as the basis of residence.

Is the Brazil retirement visa permanent?

Not at first. The first term is up to 2 years. After that you ask for a renewal or for an indefinite term, proving that you are still retired and can still transfer US$ 2,000 a month.

Can my spouse come with me?

Yes. A spouse, partner or child applies for a family-reunion visa (VITEM XI) linked to your retirement visa. The resolution sets no separate income amount for dependents.

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Official sources

Each rule above was checked against these primary sources on the date at the top of the page.