Residency pathway
Other residency possibilities
Not every situation fits the investment pathways. The Migration Law provides other grounds that may suit your case.
In short
Brazilian law provides many grounds for residence authorisation beyond investment — among them remote work for a foreign employer (digital nomad), professional activities, study, medical treatment, and humanitarian or personal grounds. The right pathway follows from your specific situation. The digital nomad ground is governed by CNIg Resolution 45/2021 and lasts up to one year, renewable for the same period.
Who this pathway suits
- Professionals working remotely for employers outside Brazil
- People with a specific professional activity in the country
- Students and researchers
- Personal or family situations outside the other pathways
What becomes possible
- Legal residence on a ground matching your actual activity — for digital nomads, for up to one year, renewable for the same period
- Possibility of moving to another pathway later as your situation evolves
- Access to Brazilian documents and to civil life in the country
- A basis for long-term planning, including asset planning
General requirements
- Requirements vary by ground: each has its own rule
- Digital nomad: a declaration that the professional activity can be carried out remotely, plus an employment or services contract evidencing the link to a foreign employer
- Digital nomad: monthly income of at least US$ 1,500 or available bank funds of at least US$ 18,000
- Digital nomad: health insurance valid in Brazil, required for the visa application at a consulate
- Civil documentation and criminal record certificates, apostilled and translated
- Meeting the general procedural requirements of Normative Resolution 01/2017
Economic and personal context
These pathways are often the first step for people still getting to know Brazil. Many clients start here and, as their link with the country consolidates, move to an investment pathway — which offers more stability and integrates better into an asset strategy. It is worth choosing the initial ground with that evolution already in mind. For digital nomads there is one practical point: stays of up to 90 days are possible as a visitor, under the rules applying to your nationality. The residence authorisation becomes relevant once the intended stay goes beyond that.
How it works, step by step
- 01
Diagnosis of the situation
We analyse your activity, your ties and your objectives to identify which grounds apply.
- 02
Choosing the ground
We compare the possible grounds by requirements, terms and the evolution you intend in the medium term.
- 03
Documents and filing
We organise the documents required by the specific rule, with apostille and sworn translation, and file the application — at a Brazilian consulate if you are abroad, or through the Ministry of Justice’s MigranteWeb system if you are already in Brazil.
- 04
Federal Police registration and CRNM
Once granted, we support migration registration and issuance of the CRNM. The deadlines are short: 90 days from arrival for those entering on a temporary visa, and 30 days from publication of the decision for those granted the authorisation while already in Brazil.
Documents usually required
- Residence authorisation application form
- Valid travel document
- Ground-specific documents — for digital nomads, a remote work declaration, a contract with a foreign employer and evidence of income or funds
- Declaration of no criminal record in any country over the previous five years, required for applications filed from Brazil
- Proof of parentage, apostilled and translated
- Criminal record certificates from countries of residence over the last five years
- Proof of payment of the fee (GRU)
Spouse and family
The possibility of including family members varies by the ground chosen. Some pathways offer a solid basis for family reunification; others are limited. This is an important criterion when choosing the ground and should enter the decision from the start.
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
- Observing the terms and conditions specific to the ground — for digital nomads, renewal must be applied for before expiry, through MigranteWeb
- Periodic assessment of whether moving to another pathway is advisable
- Planning a possible transition to an investment pathway
How PlanBrazil supports you
- We coordinate the diagnosis of your situation and the applicable grounds
- We conduct the legal review with our lawyer partner
- We organise documents, apostilles and sworn translations
- We support the procedure, registration and issuance of the CRNM
- We assess with you a future transition to an investment pathway, where it makes sense
Frequently asked questions
Does the digital nomad pathway allow work for Brazilian companies?
The rule is designed for remote work provided to a foreign employer. Activities with an employment relationship in Brazil follow their own rules and must be assessed separately.
What minimum income is required of a digital nomad?
Monthly income of at least US$ 1,500 or, alternatively, available bank funds of at least US$ 18,000. Both forms of evidence are accepted by the rule.
How long does digital nomad residence last?
Up to one year, renewable for the same period. Renewal is applied for before expiry, through the MigranteWeb system.
Do I need the authorisation for a short stay?
For up to 90 days you may enter as a visitor, meeting the requirements applying to your nationality. The residence authorisation becomes relevant once the intended stay goes beyond that.
How long do I have to register with the Federal Police?
Those entering on a temporary visa have 90 days from arrival. Those granted the residence authorisation while already in Brazil have 30 days from publication of the decision, at the Federal Police unit for their address. Registration is mandatory and is what produces the CRNM.
Can I change the ground later?
Changing ground is possible in many situations, but depends on individual analysis and new documentation. It helps to choose the initial ground with the intended evolution in mind.
Do these pathways lead to naturalisation?
What counts for naturalisation is the actual length of residence in the country, not the specific ground. Even so, each situation requires individual analysis.
Legal basis
Related services
Find out which pathway fits your case
In an initial conversation, we analyse your situation and identify the applicable grounds.