Moving to Brazil from the US: The Legal Checklist, in the Right Order
Moving countries is a project, and most Americans run it in the wrong order — flights first, apartment second, and the legal spine of the move improvised at the end. This page is the order we wish every client had followed: what to decide, gather and file — and when — so the move carries you instead of chasing you.
Reviewed by Luciano Oliveira — Brazil–US attorney, LL.M., licensed in Brazil, Texas, and California · Last reviewed: July 2026.
A page like this loves lists, so here is the caveat before the first one: general information, not legal advice. Your pathway, your documents and your dates change the order — a licensed attorney can re-sequence it for your case.
Step 1 — Pick the pathway before you pick the flight
Everything downstream depends on this. Brazil has no general “move here” visa: you will live here through a specific doorway — a Brazilian spouse or partner, a Brazilian child, retirement income, remote work, employment, investment, study. Sorting them is the hub’s job, not this page’s: choose in the pathways guide, then come back — steps 2–6 are the same for almost everyone.
Step 2 — Gather the stateside documents while you are still stateside
The documents that sink timelines are the ones only the US can issue. Get them while you are there: your FBI background check (fingerprint-based, then apostilled in Washington, DC — and if you are already in Brazil when it is needed, we keep official FBI fingerprint cards in stock at our offices, one of the few firms that does); birth and marriage certificates in certified copies, each apostilled in its issuing state; and any divorce decrees or name-change orders, same treatment. Two rules of thumb from practice: documents age — background checks in particular are often accepted only while recent, so sequence matters more than enthusiasm; and every document in English will need a sworn translation (tradução juramentada) done in Brazil — budget for it. Our notary and documents team runs this chain end to end.
Step 3 — The entry itself: eVisa first
Since April 10, 2025, US citizens need a visa even to visit — for most, the online eVisa (up to 10 years, multi-entry). Details and requirements: the eVisa guide. If your pathway uses a consular visa instead (employment does; family visas can), that replaces this step — see applying inside Brazil vs at a consulate for how to choose.
Step 4 — Understand the two clocks before you land
Clock one: the visitor clock — 90 days, extendable, ceiling of 180 per migratory year; if you will apply for residency from inside Brazil, your application should be lodged while you are still lawful — it is possible to regularize after an overstay, but then you are paying fines and running a harder case (the rules). Clock two: the tax clock — take up residency, or spend more than 183 days here in any 12-month window (you become a resident the day you complete 184), and you generally become a Brazilian tax resident, taxable on worldwide income. For US citizens this lands on top of US filing obligations (the US taxes its citizens wherever they live), so the planning question is not whether to deal with taxes but when — ideally before the move, not at the first filing deadline. See residency and tax residency.
Step 5 — The first-90-days list once you land
Registration with the Federal Police (when your pathway requires it) and your CRNM card — how that works; your CPF (Brazil’s taxpayer number — you will need it for practically everything, from a phone plan to a lease; the CPF guide); and a Brazilian bank account, which becomes realistic once the CRNM and CPF exist. Sequence, again: each item unlocks the next.
Step 6 — The honest extras
Pets: dogs and cats travel on an international health certificate endorsed by the USDA plus current rabies vaccination — the rules are set by agriculture authorities, not immigration, so confirm current requirements with your airline and the USDA before booking. Belongings: household-goods shipping has its own customs regime and timing — decide on it after your visa strategy, not before (the container-before-visa move is the classic sequencing mistake). Expectations: Brazil’s bureaucracy is real, station practice varies, and the process rewards arriving humble and over-prepared — the mindset is part of the checklist.
Planning the move? We can help.
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Frequently asked questions
The questions Americans ask us most, answered the way we answer them in consultations.
Is it hard for a US citizen to move to Brazil?
Not in the way people fear: there is no cap to beat and no lottery to win, and several pathways work well for Americans. The real difficulty is sequencing — documents issued in the right order, apostilled in the right place, filed at the right time — which is a solvable kind of difficulty.
What is the “$2,000 rule” everyone mentions?
It is shorthand for the retirement pathway’s income requirement: roughly US$2,000 per month in typical retirement income — think Social Security, pensions, disability — transferred to Brazil. What qualifies (and what does not) is the heart of our retirement guide.
Can I keep working my US job from Brazil?
Often yes — Brazil has a digital nomad visa built for exactly that, and remote work also appears inside other pathways. Remember the tax clock, though: living in Brazil while earning US income is the classic case where both countries’ rules apply at once. Start with the digital nomad guide.
Do I need a lawyer for all this?
For a clean, simple case — not necessarily, and we have written an honest page on exactly that question. Where lawyers earn their fee is sequencing, complications, and the cases where a mistake costs months.
And one more caveat to close the checklist: rules and station practice change, and this page reflects the review date at the top. Before you act on any step — especially the dates — have a licensed attorney look at your specific case.
Ready to sequence your move right? We can help.
Or write to [email protected]