Brazil · Country guide

Moving to Brazil from the US

Visas, residency routes, citizenship and tax for Americans moving to Brazil, with the law behind each rule.

Source-checked21 sources, 14 officialHow we check

Today's rate: $1 = 5.65 reaisUpdated 14 Nov 2026

CapitalBrasília

Visa-free (US)No: an eVisa is needed (up to 90 days)

Residency income from$1,500 a month (digital nomad)

CitizenshipAfter 4 years of residence

Tax on foreign incomeYes, from your 184th day, paid monthly

Dual citizenshipYes

Brazil in brief

Visa needed again: since April 10, 2025, US citizens need an eVisa, about $81.
Visits: up to 90 days at a time, and no more than 180 days a year.
Remote workers: a digital nomad visa needs $1,500 a month from abroad, or $18,000 in the bank.
Retirees: a retiree visa needs $2,000 a month transferred to Brazil.
Citizenship: 4 years of residence, and you can keep your US passport.
Tax starts on day 184: then Brazil taxes your worldwide income, paid monthly.

About Brazil

Brazil is huge and mostly tropical, held together by one language, Portuguese. It runs from the Amazon rainforest to the beaches of the northeast and the big, busy cities of São Paulo and Rio.

Sunset over Rio de Janeiro's Botafogo bay full of boats, with Christ the Redeemer on the hill behind. — Rio de Janeiro at sunset

Pastel colonial houses and a blue baroque church in the Pelourinho old town of Salvador, Bahia. — Colorful Pelourinho, Salvador

A bowl of black-bean feijoada beside a plate of rice, collard greens and orange slices, with toasted manioc flour. — Feijoada lunch in São Luís

The pink Amazon Theatre in Manaus with its colorful tiled dome, seen from a cobbled square. — Amazon Theatre in Manaus

By the numbers

203.1 millionPeople, 2022 census

About 12× TexasLand area

88%Live in cities

35 yearsHalf are younger

26World Heritage sitesNeeds review

$10,700GDP per person

Needs reviewThe count is from the state news agency; confirming it on the official list.

Regions

The north: Amazon rainforest and frontier life; Manaus.
The northeast: Afro-Brazilian culture in Salvador and a beautiful coast; also the driest, poorest region.
Central west: Pantanal wetlands, savanna, big farms and modernist Brasília.
The southeast: São Paulo and Rio, the economic heart, plus colonial towns in Minas Gerais.
The south: Valleys, plains, gaucho culture and European influence; Florianópolis and Porto Alegre.

Culture and daily life

Language: Portuguese; English is mostly heard in big hotels and tourist areas.
Food: The national dish, feijoada, is a black-bean stew with pork and beef, served with rice, greens and orange.
Religion and holidays: 57% Catholic and 27% evangelical; Carnival, 40 days before Easter, is the biggest festival.

Economy and politics, briefly

Prices: inflation was about 4.6% over the year to mid-October, just above the official target's 4.5% ceiling. The real has weakened from about 5.0 per dollar in 2023 to about 5.6.
Politics: President Lula won a fourth term in the October 25, 2026 runoff against Flávio Bolsonaro.

Sources (14)

Cities in Brazil

Where our city guides are planned. Hover a city to find it on the map.

All Brazil guides

Every rule with its legal source.

Entry and visaseVisa needed: up to 90 days, 180 a year Residency2 routes: digital nomad and retiree Citizenship4 years of residence; dual citizenship allowed TaxesWhat retirees and remote workers pay

Free tools

Count your days in BrazilTourist days used and left, the tax-residency test, and the US 330-day count.Social Security and Medicare in BrazilPayments, direct deposit, agreements and what Medicare covers.

Still being checked

Digital nomad rules: read from an unofficial copy; the official text and any later change are to confirm.
Consulate fees: the visa fee for US citizens and the current consulate checklist.
Nomad future: no route to indefinite residence; whether nomad years count toward citizenship.
Retiree renewal: how to renew, and any step to indefinite residence, aren't set yet.
Applying in Brazil: the document list and apostille rules for the in-country route.
Retiree rules: whether they've changed since 2019, and the consulate fee for US citizens.

Compare Brazil

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