Brazil Digital Nomad Visa Checklist

This is shared on a best-effort basis and seeks to address the main requirements of the Brazil Digital Nomad Visa for self-applicants.

Reviewed by Luciano Oliveira — Brazil–US attorney, LL.M., licensed in Brazil, Texas, and California · Last reviewed: July 2026.

Checklists breed false confidence, so here is the honest frame: this is general information, current as of the review date — document lists vary by consulate and change without notice, and none of this is legal advice.

The documents, one by one (2026)

The list below tracks Resolution CNIg/MJSP 45/2021 plus what we see accepted in practice. Consulates publish their own variations — check yours against this baseline (in-country MigranteWeb filings follow the standardized central list).

1. Valid passport

Valid for your intended stay; consulates commonly ask for blank visa pages. A signed copy travels with several of the other items.

2. Visa application form (or MigranteWeb filing)

Consular route: the online form generates a receipt you sign and present. In-country route: the application is lodged through MigranteWeb instead — different door, same evidence.

3. Photo

Recent, passport-style, per your consulate’s spec — the classic reason files bounce on day one.

4. Proof of remote work

The heart of the file: an employer letter or service contracts showing you work for employers or clients outside Brazil, in a role performable remotely. Name the employer, the role, the arrangement and the compensation — because of what happens next.

5. Income or funds proof

Route one: bank statements showing at least US$1,500/month landing in your account from a foreign paying source. Route two: US$18,000 in available funds. The strongest files make route one boring: statements and employer letter telling the same story.

6. Criminal record certificate

From your country of residence, apostilled — and remember background checks age quickly, so sequence this one late, not early. US applicants: the FBI check + DC apostille chain is covered in our moving-from-the-US checklist.

7. Health insurance — consular route only

Applying through a consulate? A policy valid in Brazil is on the list — when it’s required and when it isn’t. Applying from inside Brazil? In our practice, this requirement does not apply — one of the in-country route’s quiet advantages.

8. Sworn translations

Documents not in Portuguese need tradução juramentada in Brazil for the in-country and registration stages — our documents team runs the apostille-and-translation chain end to end.

The reconciliation that decides files

From our files: analysts reconcile your bank statements against your proof of remote work — same employer name, same amounts, same account, no mystery deposits doing the qualifying work. Files fail on mismatches more often than on missing documents. On the US$18,000 route, that reconciliation matters far less; the funds carry the argument. Full context in the digital nomad visa guide.

Checklist FAQ

What should the employer letter actually say?

Who you are to the company, that the role is performed remotely for an employer outside Brazil, and compensation consistent with your bank statements — the letter exists to be reconciled, so write it to reconcile.

How many months of bank statements do I need?

Practice varies by consulate and reviewer; several recent months is the common request. Treat any fixed number you read online as that source’s experience, not a rule — and bring more than the minimum.

Do my documents need apostilles and translations?

Foreign public documents (like the criminal record) need an apostille from the issuing country, and documents not in Portuguese need sworn translation in Brazil for the stages that happen here. Sequence matters: apostille first, translate after.

Second caveat, briefly: your consulate’s published list wins any conflict with this page — and lists change. July 2026 is this page’s date; check yours.

For better chances of approval and a more efficient application, we recommend you engage an immigration lawyer specializing in Digital Nomad Visa Applications in Brazil, such as our immigration attorneys.

Still got questions? We can help. Book a consultation with our bilingual immigration attorneys now!