Buying a home in Brazil

Hi, Milowanders,

There's an active thread where it would be a good idea to copy and paste your post here:

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.p … 11#4221480

You may get some good advice, and get it faster.

That's quite a challenge you've set yourselves:  property transactions here, especially involving international funds transfers and third-country nationals, don't lend themselves easily to a "limited time frame." 

It's true that you cannot open a Brazilian bank account in your own name unless you have a Migrant (formerly "Foreigner") ID Card, for which you would need to have permanent residency.  It's not necessarily true, however, that the Bank of Brazil will stop your funds transfer:  the Brazilian banking authorities are hypersensitive to potential money laundering and corrupt payments, but your attorney (if you have one) or the real estate agent handling the transaction can shepherd your transfer through the regulatory maze, especially if the funds are coming out of your account in your home country, your seller has a Brazilian bank account where the funds are going to end up, and s/he can satisfy the bank that there's an actual house, and that you're going to own it at the end of the process.  We just bought an apartment and there was no hold-up with the transfer -- but it DID require some "shepherding", even though I am a permanent resident, with an existing relationship at the bank (Banco do Brasil, as it happens) that was receiving the funds.

Good luck!  And I think you'll find that other thread a helpful place to post.