Brazil · Startup Visa
Brazil Startup Visa: Innovation Investor Route
Brazil has no program branded as a startup visa, yet its investor rules include a reduced threshold for founders. An individual who invests at least BRL 150,000 in innovation or scientific and technological research can obtain residence and a VITEM IX visa.
- Startup route
- Innovation investor residence (CNIg Normative Resolution 13/2017)
- Minimum capital
- BRL 150,000 for innovation; BRL 500,000 otherwise
- Permanent residence
- Residence granted for an indefinite term
- Citizenship
- 4 years of residence, plus Portuguese
Residence authorization for investment in innovation (CNIg Normative Resolution 13/2017, Art. 3)
Normative Resolution 13 of the National Immigration Council (CNIg), dated December 12, 2017 and amended by Resolution 49 of 2024, lets the Ministry of Justice and Public Security authorize residence for an individual who invests their own foreign-source funds in a Brazilian company. The general threshold is BRL 500,000, but Article 3 allows prior residence authorization for investments from BRL 150,000 up to that amount when the entrepreneur settles in Brazil to invest in innovation or in basic or applied scientific or technological research. The investment must be proven with a foreign exchange contract from an institution authorized by the Central Bank of Brazil, and the ministry may inspect the business on site.
- Innovation minimum
- BRL 150,000 (below the BRL 500,000 general rule)
- Legal basis
- CNIg Normative Resolution 13/2017, amended in 2024
- Proof of funds
- Exchange contract from a Central Bank-authorized bank
- Visa
- VITEM IX temporary visa after prior authorization
- Processing fee
- BRL 168.13 residence authorization fee
- Residence term
- Indefinite, subject to business plan checks
- Leads to
- Ordinary naturalization after 4 years of residence
Requirements
- Invest at least BRL 150,000 of your own foreign-source funds in innovation or scientific or technological research.
- Prove the inflow with a foreign exchange contract showing foreign direct investment.
- Present an investment or business plan with potential to create jobs or income in Brazil.
- Supply the general documents required by CNIg Normative Resolution 01/2017.
- Accept possible on-site checks by the Ministry of Justice and Public Security.
How to apply
- Set up or invest in the Brazilian company and bring the funds in through an authorized institution.
- File the prior residence authorization request on the MigranteWeb system.
- After approval, apply for the VITEM IX visa at a Brazilian consulate.
- Enter Brazil and register with the Federal Police to receive the CRNM.
- Later, file proof that the business plan is being carried out within the deadline.
Residence authorization for investment in a Brazilian company (CNIg Normative Resolution 13/2017)
Investors without an innovation project use the general rule of the same resolution, which applies to individuals investing at least BRL 500,000 of their own foreign-source funds in a Brazilian company. The investment must back a project with potential to generate jobs or income, described in an investment or business plan. Applicants abroad request prior residence authorization so that a consulate can issue the temporary visa, while people already in Brazil can ask for residence directly. Continuation depends on proving the plan is being carried out, with the evidence filed up to 90 days before the granted period ends, and the ministry may weigh the economic context.
- Minimum
- BRL 500,000 of the investor's own foreign-source funds
- Plan
- Investment or business plan with job or income potential
- Inside Brazil
- Residence can be requested without leaving
- Renewal proof
- Filed up to 90 days before the period ends
- Fees
- BRL 168.13 processing plus BRL 204.77 for the CRNM
- Leads to
- Indefinite residence, then naturalization
Requirements
- Invest at least BRL 500,000 of your own funds of foreign origin in a Brazilian company.
- Document a project with potential to generate jobs or income in Brazil.
- Show the inflow through a foreign exchange contract from an authorized institution.
- Provide the general documents required by CNIg Normative Resolution 01/2017.
How to apply
- Incorporate or invest in the company and complete the foreign exchange operation.
- Apply on MigranteWeb for prior authorization, or for residence if already in Brazil.
- Obtain the VITEM IX visa at a consulate when applying from abroad.
- Register with the Federal Police after arrival.
How Brazil's investor resolutions fit together
Three CNIg resolutions govern investment-based residence. Resolution 13/2017 covers individuals investing in companies, including the BRL 150,000 innovation threshold. Resolution 11/2017 covers administrators, managers, directors and executives sent to run a company that receives foreign investment, and Resolution 36/2018 covers real estate purchases. Resolution 49 of June 25, 2024, published in the official gazette on August 22, 2024, updated all three to match Brazil's new foreign exchange framework under Law 14.286/2021, chiefly by changing how the investment must be proven.
Applications go to the labor immigration coordination of the Ministry of Justice and Public Security through the MigranteWeb system, using a digital certificate. A company can file, and for residence requested inside Brazil the immigrant can also file. The federal services portal estimates a decision within 30 days for complete files and up to 60 days when the ministry asks for more documents, with both periods extendable. Consulates issue the VITEM IX visa only after the prior authorization exists.
Questions and answers
Does Brazil have a startup visa?
Not under that name. The closest equivalent is residence for investment in innovation under CNIg Normative Resolution 13/2017, which accepts investments from BRL 150,000 when the founder settles in Brazil to invest in innovation or scientific or technological research. Approved founders enter on the VITEM IX temporary visa for investors.
How much does a founder need to invest in Brazil?
At least BRL 150,000 for an innovation or research project, or BRL 500,000 for investment in any other Brazilian company. The money must be the investor's own funds of foreign origin, brought in through an institution authorized by the Central Bank of Brazil and documented with a foreign exchange contract.
Can investor residence be requested from inside Brazil?
Yes. Resolution 13/2017 allows the Ministry of Justice and Public Security to grant residence to an investor who is already in Brazil, provided the same documents are filed. Investors abroad instead request prior residence authorization, which a consulate needs before it can issue the VITEM IX temporary visa.
What happens if the startup does not follow its business plan?
Continuation of residence depends on proving that the investment or business plan is being carried out, with the evidence filed up to 90 days before the granted period ends. The ministry can inspect the company and, in exceptional cases, take into account the economic context and the activity's continuing potential to create jobs or income.
Official sources
- Resolução CNIg/MJSP nº 49, de 25 de junho de 2024www.gov.br
- Investidor/Investment - Temporary Visa IXwww.gov.br
- Obter autorização de residência para fins laborais a imigranteswww.gov.br
- Resoluções Normativas (CNIg)www.gov.br
Reviewed October 2026. Immigration rules change often. Confirm the current requirements with the official authority or a licensed adviser before applying.
Your path in Brazil.
Startup visa
Prior authorization for a BRL 150,000+ innovation investment, then VITEM IX
02Temporary residence
Register with the Federal Police and receive the CRNM migrant card
03Permanent residence
Indefinite term under RN 13, conditional on executing the business plan
04Citizenship
Ordinary naturalization after 4 years; 2- and 1-year reductions exist