Digital Nomad Visa, proof of income vs proof of savings

10/10/24 So, it clearly states numerous places online that proof of income exceeding $1500 a month, or savings in excess of $18k is sufficient. Yet, when I contacted the consulate in Houston, they said that proof of savings alone is not sufficient. Can anyone speak to this? They weren't very helpful in explaining and were actually a bit rude. -@seriouscatsoserious

The original regulation is ambiguous on this point, and so is the guidance provided on the website of the Houston Consulate, which is dated "26/08/22".  Apparently the Ministry of Foreign Relations has issued subsequent more detailed guidance, because the website of the Chicago Consulate, which is one of the better ones at updating its site and is dated "23/08/2024", clarifies that the banking information complements but does not substitute for the paycheck information.  (https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/consulado- … -vitem-xiv )

If you are in Houston's consular district, all you can do is email them, politely point out that their website says that banking information can be used instead of paychecks, and ask whether you can apply on that basis.  Good luck.

@abthree Thanks for this very informative reply. After reading the Chicago site, my interpretation is different. Their language makes it seem like the $18000 in the bank may be requested in ADDITION to the $1500 a month requirement. I really hope that's not the case. Do you know if the various consulates in the US have the same loose/varied attitude towards enforcement that the government entities in Brazil do?

10/10/24 @seriouscatsoserious.  My reading of the Chicago site is the same as yours:  that the monthly income information is required, and that the savings information can be presented/ requested additionally if the income information needs further support.  That seems consistent with what the Houston Consulate told you, regardless of their website not being updated.

If you live in Houston's service area, I don't think that another Consulate will process your application.   Skipping the visa process at the Consulate, coming to Brazil as a tourist, and applying directly to the Federal Police for a residency authorization is possible, but harder than it would be with the visa.  The threads about renewing Digital Nomad status for a second year will give you a good idea of the issues that you'd face.

@abthree So, is it strongly recommended to get a longer term visa before arriving? Was thinking maybe to stay as a tourist for 6 months to make sure things are working out first. I've been to Brazil multiple times, but I've never actually lived there long term.

@lalajaja i have a Permanent Brazilian Resident Visa that allows me to stay until the end. Having said that, I live very comfortable with my Brazilian wife of 24 years in her large compound on money that I have as well as my monthly social security of $1,435 a month. I try not to touch the money set aside and live off of the SS. This is after having paid cash to build my house on her property as well as buy her a new chevrolet. I help her with the monthly cost of our two caretakers as well as the electricity. I say all this because regardless of the rules I could not imagine being here, regardless of having already paid for everything and being debt free WITHOUT a monthly income. Although medical costs are reasonable i have been to the hospital a few times which did lower my saved amount. I love my life here, but i could not imagine being here and running out of money.

Roddie in Retirement🕵

10/13/24 @abthree So, is it strongly recommended to get a longer term visa before arriving? Was thinking maybe to stay as a tourist for 6 months to make sure things are working out first. I've been to Brazil multiple times, but I've never actually lived there long term. -@lalajaja

Whenever a person qualifies for a particular status (e.g., family reunion, Digital Nomad, Retiree) and there's a choice between getting the appropriate visa in advance from a Brazilian Consulate in the home country and registering with the Federal Police on arrival, or coming as a visitor and going through the entire Authorization for Residency with the Federal Police, I always recommend that people arrive with the appropriate visa.  The reasons are:

1. the documentation process at the Consulate is much simpler:  they want to same documents, but Consulates do not normally require apostilles and do not require Sworn Translations. 
2. Consulates are used to dealing with host country documents, so they'll recognize a wide range of them with few questions;
3. the process at the Federal Police for a foreigner with the right visa is much easier than for a foreigner with a tourist visa.
4. in the unlikely event that a visaholder DOES run into a problem with the Federal Police, s/he will probably have more time to resolve it than is the case with a tourist visa.

Sometimes, there's no way around the Federal Police process because there's no visa available, like if you have a fiancée in Brazil and want to marry her here, but you're not married yet -- Brazil doesn't have a "Fiancé(e) Visa", you'd need to request family reunion after the wedding.  The residency on the basis of property investment that @Peter Itamaraca has written about as a "Golden Visa" also has no Consulate equivalent, and has to be applied for here.  In cases like this, you want to make sure that you arrive with ALL required documents and apostilles, and don't waste time, because the applications have to be accepted before the tourist visa expires.

Staying as a tourist for six months and then making up your mind will present you with two problems that will probably be insurmountable:  (1.) The Federal Police want Criminal Background Checks to be no more than 90 days old, so even if you arrive with all the correct documents, the Background Check may be rejected if you present it 180 days after arrival; (2.) after 180 days you'll need to leave Brazil, so there will be no time to request residency. 

@abthree Thanks for that info. That's really helpful. I guess I might as well apply for the retirement visa first in that case. Need to fight my procrastinating nature, haha.

@lalajaja Just to put in the familiar two cents, I was in @abthree"s #2. They did not make me leave, but I had a world of trouble and was physically barred from coming back to Brazil. Also, for #1, my really lousy immigration attorney took so long that I had to return to the USA and have the FBI Background check done again.

Roddie in Retirement🕵

10/14/24 @abthree Thanks for that info. That's really helpful. I guess I might as well apply for the retirement visa first in that case. Need to fight my procrastinating nature, haha. -@lalajaja

This. Brazil is relatively liberal and straightforward about the entry requirements for visitors or immigrants from the Anglosphere, the European Union, and several other countries that are similarly welcoming of Brazilians, but treats those requirements seriously. During the first days and weeks in-country it's essential for visitors planning a longterm stay to settle their legal status ASAP, because time lost on the front end usually can't be made up later.

So, it clearly states numerous places online that proof of income exceeding $1500 a month, or savings in excess of $18k is sufficient. Yet, when I contacted the consulate in Houston, they said that proof of savings alone is not sufficient. Can anyone speak to this? They weren't very helpful in explaining and were actually a bit rude. -@seriouscatsoserious

Consulates may not strictly adhere to the law and incorporate their own requirements. But if you apply for to Policia Federal within Brazil, the requirements are the same as those outlined in the 45/2021 regulation: a savings deposit of over $18,000 is sufficient, provided that all other requirements are met.

I couldn’t edit the previous comment, so please excuse any incorrect wording (I hope they "adhere to the law" haha). But you understand what I mean.

In the linked list of requirements, I believe the consulate may just intend to see that even if you plan to apply solely with your savings and your payroll is insufficient, they still want to check your payrolls. So they want you to include them. That's what I would hope for.

I don't know if they would outright reject it if the payroll is less than $1,500. For Policia Federal in Brazil it definitely is not a strict requirement. I just omitted my payrolls because it was easier and less documents to translate and had no problems.

10/13/24 @abthree So, is it strongly recommended to get a longer term visa before arriving? Was thinking maybe to stay as a tourist for 6 months to make sure things are working out first. I've been to Brazil multiple times, but I've never actually lived there long term. -@lalajaja
Whenever a person qualifies for a particular status (e.g., family reunion, Digital Nomad, Retiree) and there's a choice between getting the appropriate visa in advance from a Brazilian Consulate in the home country and registering with the Federal Police on arrival, or coming as a visitor and going through the entire Authorization for Residency with the Federal Police, I always recommend that people arrive with the appropriate visa. The reasons are:

the documentation process at the Consulate is much simpler: they want to same documents, but Consulates do not normally require apostilles and do not require Sworn Translations.
Consulates are used to dealing with host country documents, so they'll recognize a wide range of them with few questions;
the process at the Federal Police for a foreigner with the right visa is much easier than for a foreigner with a tourist visa.
in the unlikely event that a visaholder DOES run into a problem with the Federal Police, s/he will probably have more time to resolve it than is the case with a tourist visa.


Sometimes, there's no way around the Federal Police process because there's no visa available, like if you have a fiancée in Brazil and want to marry her here, but you're not married yet -- Brazil doesn't have a "Fiancé(e) Visa", you'd need to request family reunion after the wedding. The residency on the basis of property investment that @Peter Itamaraca has written about as a "Golden Visa" also has no Consulate equivalent, and has to be applied for here. In cases like this, you want to make sure that you arrive with ALL required documents and apostilles, and don't waste time, because the applications have to be accepted before the tourist visa expires.

Staying as a tourist for six months and then making up your mind will present you with two problems that will probably be insurmountable: (1.) The Federal Police want Criminal Background Checks to be no more than 90 days old, so even if you arrive with all the correct documents, the Background Check may be rejected if you present it 180 days after arrival; (2.) after 180 days you'll need to leave Brazil, so there will be no time to request residency. - @abthree

Anecdotally I can add that it's discretionary whether or not they allow a background check that has aged more than 90 days. I've heard that they may allow it if you haven't left the country. 180 days is a lot though. Further, if you're in process of getting a visa, as in within the system and being processed, I've heard you're allowed to stay.

10/23/24 Anecdotally I can add that it's discretionary whether or not they allow a background check that has aged more than 90 days. I've heard that they may allow it if you haven't left the country. 180 days is a lot though. Further, if you're in process of getting a visa, as in within the system and being processed, I've heard you're allowed to stay. - @seriouscatsoserious

It's a roll of the dice.  180 days in Brazil on a tourist visa is deceptive:  it seems like a very long time at the beginning, but all too short near the end, especially for someone who starts a government process late.  If you go this route, you can maximize your chances of success by arriving with all of your documents complete and perfect, getting your Sworn Translations right away, and starting the Residency Authorization process early, preferably before your first ninety days are up.

As for being allowed to stay if you're application is "in process", that's true -- if your application has been accepted for processing.  If you're still struggling to get it accepted when your time runs out, then the PF can call time on you.

@seriouscatsoserious

I work with visa issuance assistance and with proving the requirements, and applying them correctly leaves no room for error

Further, if you're in process of getting a visa, as in within the system and being processed, I've heard you're allowed to stay. - @seriouscatsoserious

Be careful with your interpretation here - your application MUST have been fully accepted, with all required documents received and nothing outstanding. In other words, you are probably going to be successful in your application.

So long as you are legally in Brazil at that time (eg on another visa that has NOT expired), then you are correct, you are granted the status of the visa being applied for while your application is considered. "Being in the process of applying" will not qualify you.