Residency pathway
Residency through business investment
Investing in a Brazilian company can support an application for residence authorisation while building a working economic presence in the country.
In short
CNIg Normative Resolution 13/2017 allows an individual who invests, with their own funds of foreign origin, in a Brazilian company to apply for residence authorisation, provided the project has potential to generate jobs or income. An Investment or Business Plan is required. Unlike the real estate pathway, residence here is granted for an indefinite term.
Who this pathway suits
- Entrepreneurs wanting to start or expand operations in Brazil
- Investors who prefer a shareholding to property assets
- Groups with an existing European business seeking a Brazilian base
- Innovation and technology founders, for whom a reduced-amount rule applies
What becomes possible
- Residence authorisation for an indefinite term from the grant
- Effective business presence, with a CNPJ and its own operations
- Access to the Brazilian market with a formalised corporate structure
- Basis for including family members, assessed case by case
- After the required residence period, possible access to naturalisation
General requirements
- Investment in foreign currency of at least R$ 500,000 in a Brazilian company
- Alternatively from R$ 150,000 for innovation, basic or applied research of a scientific or technological nature, where at least one specific condition in the rule is met
- Mandatory submission of an Investment or Business Plan with a three-year execution period
- A project with potential to generate jobs or income in the country — a criterion examined as a priority
- Foreign capital duly paid in and registered with the Central Bank
- Subsequent evidence of execution of the plan, filed within 90 days of the end of the granted period
Economic and personal context
This pathway demands more than capital: it demands an economic project that stands up. The Investment Plan must describe the sector, location, target market, development strategy and the hiring plan for the first three years, with roles, salaries and training investment. It is a strategic document, not a formality — and the review gives priority precisely to the potential to generate jobs or income.
How it works, step by step
- 01
Initial assessment and structure design
We analyse your business objective, the intended sector and the most suitable corporate structure, considering legal and tax aspects.
- 02
Incorporation or entry into the company
With legal and accounting partners, we coordinate incorporation or your entry as a shareholder in an existing company.
- 03
Investment or Business Plan
We prepare with you the plan required by the rule: business definition, purpose of the venture, and job or income generation over the first three years.
- 04
Capital contribution and registration
Capital enters through authorised financial institutions, with the declaratory registration of foreign direct investment at the Central Bank.
- 05
Residence authorisation application
We gather the corporate documents, evidence of foreign investment and the plan, and file the application.
- 06
Federal Police registration and CRNM
Once granted, registration is completed and the CRNM issued. We then support the evidencing of the plan’s execution.
Documents usually required
- Residence authorisation application form
- Valid travel document
- Registered articles of association with foreign capital paid in
- Evidence of foreign investment: declaratory registration of foreign direct investment in the Central Bank system and the exchange contract from the receiving bank
- Investment or Business Plan under the rule
- Company CNPJ and investor CPF
- Criminal record certificates from countries of residence over the last five years, apostilled and translated
- For those already in Brazil: copy of the CRNM, the company’s tax return, RAIS for the last three years and the FGTS receipt with the employee list
Spouse and family
Spouses, partners and children are generally included through the family reunification rules, with their own documents. As the investor’s residence is for an indefinite term, family planning can be done with greater predictability — though each situation requires individual analysis.
Registration and the CRNM
Residence authorisation, migration registration and the CRNM are distinct stages of the same path, and it is worth telling them apart.
The residence authorisation is the act by which the Ministry of Justice and Public Security recognises the right to reside. Registration is then carried out with the Federal Police. Only afterwards is the CRNM — Carteira de Registro Nacional Migratório — issued, the migrant’s identification document in Brazil.
The CRNM is not a synonym for the residence authorisation: it is the document evidencing the registration that follows from it. In practice, it is the CRNM that lets you open accounts, sign contracts and prove your status in the country.
What happens after approval
- Registration with the Federal Police and issuance of the CRNM
- Actual execution of the Investment or Business Plan
- Evidence of the plan’s execution, filed within 90 days of the end of the granted period
- Maintaining the company’s corporate, accounting and employment obligations
- The Ministry may carry out checks on the company’s physical existence and activities
How PlanBrazil supports you
- We coordinate the initial assessment and the corporate structure design
- We conduct the legal review with our lawyer partner
- We prepare with you the Investment or Business Plan required by the rule
- We coordinate, with accounting partners, the tax and employment obligations
- We coordinate, with authorised financial institutions, the capital contribution and its Central Bank registration
- We organise documents, apostilles and sworn translations
- We support the residency procedure, registration and issuance of the CRNM
Frequently asked questions
How does the term differ from the real estate pathway?
For investment in a company, the rule provides residence for an indefinite term. For real estate, initial residence is four years and may then be converted to an indefinite term.
Is there a reduced amount for startups?
Yes. The rule allows investment from R$ 150,000 for innovation, basic or applied research of a scientific or technological nature, provided the venture meets at least one stated condition — such as being in a technology park, being incubated or graduated, having received government innovation support, having been a finalist in a government startup programme, or having been backed by an accelerator in Brazil.
Do I have to hire employees?
The plan must set out the hiring plan for the first three years, with numbers, roles and salaries. The potential to generate jobs or income is examined as a priority, and execution must be evidenced later.
Can I invest in an existing company?
Yes. The rule applies both to newly formed companies and to existing ones receiving the foreign investment.
What happens if the plan is not fulfilled?
Continuity of residence is conditioned on evidencing the plan’s execution. The Ministry considers the economic context and the purpose of the activity, but non-fulfilment may jeopardise the authorisation.
Legal basis
Related services
Assess your business project in Brazil
In a no-obligation initial conversation, we analyse your business objective and check whether this pathway fits your case.