Brazil Digital Nomad Visa Guide (2026)
Brazil's digital nomad visa is Visto Temporário XIV, published by consulates as VITEM XIV. Conselho Nacional de Imigração Resolution No. 45 of 9 September 2021 created the category. It is for an immigrant with no employment link in Brazil whose professional activity can be done remotely. Consular pages require means of subsistence from a foreign paying source of at least USD 1,500 a month, or bank funds of at least USD 18,000. Initial residence is up to one year. You cannot use this visa to work for a company in Brazil. After entry, holders must register with the Federal Police. London and Lisbon consulates, updated in 2026, give 90 days from arrival for that registration.
This guide is for remote employees and freelancers who want a lawful year in Brazil rather than stacking visitor stamps. US citizens already need a visitor eVisa for tourism. VITEM XIV is a different, longer product.
The problem it solves is living in Rio or São Paulo on tourist math. Visitor stays are typically up to 90 days per entry, with a common 180-day year cap after extension. A nomad visa is the remote-work overlay, not a tourist extension by another name. Apply through the consulate that covers your residence, or through SCI where that post has moved temporary visas online.
You will get the official name, income test, documents, Federal Police registration, a 2026 worked example, and refusal traps. For the visitor clock, see how long US citizens can stay in Brazil.
Key facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Official name | Visto Temporário XIV (VITEM XIV), digital nomad |
| Legal basis | CNIg Resolution No. 45 of 9 September 2021 |
| Stay | Initial residence of up to 1 year |
| Income or funds | USD 1,500 a month from a foreign payer, or USD 18,000 in bank funds |
| Brazilian employer | Not allowed |
| Health insurance | Must be valid in Brazil for the whole stay |
| After arrival | Register with the Federal Police (London and Lisbon: within 90 days) |
| In-country option | Ministry of Justice may grant residence authorization if you are already in Brazil and meet the documents |
| Official pages | London consulate, Lisbon consulate, Federal Police registration, CNIg RN 45/2021 |
What VITEM XIV is (and is not)
A digital nomad, in the consular definition, is a person who can work for a foreign employer while in Brazil, using information technology to perform the job remotely. If you work for a company in Brazil, this visa cannot be requested.
It is a temporary visa, not Brazilian citizenship, not a tourist eVisa, and not a local employment permit. Lisbon's page states the initial residence period is up to one year. Consular posts do not all publish a second-year rule in the same sentence. Confirm any extension or renewal with the Federal Police or the consulate that will handle your file. Do not treat a blog "renewable once" line as a substitute for the post in front of you.
VITEM XIV is also not a visa-run reset. If you only need three weeks in Bahia, a visitor visa or visa exemption (where your passport still has one) is the lighter product.
Who it applies to
The category is for immigrants without an employment link in Brazil whose work can be done remotely. Typical fits:
- Employees of a foreign company who can do the job from Brazil
- Contractors with a foreign service agreement who can show the same remote-work fact
UK, US, Canadian, Australian, and EU passports can apply where the local Brazilian consulate accepts the file. As of 1 September 2026, the London consulate states that temporary visas for nationals exempt from visitor visas are issued electronically through the Integrated Consular System (SCI). Other posts still use appointments plus originals. Follow the post that has jurisdiction over your residence.
Family members are not automatically included on the same VITEM XIV stamp. Ask the consulate whether dependents file a separate family or accompanying category. Do not assume a partner can enter as a tourist and stay the full year on your nomad visa.
Income and funds: USD 1,500 or USD 18,000
Every major consular checklist we verified uses the same pair:
- Pay or subsistence of at least USD 1,500 a month from a foreign paying source, or
- Bank funds of at least USD 18,000
London asks for a payslip at or above USD 1,500, or bank statements for the last three months proving USD 18,000. Lisbon requires all three nomad proofs together: a notarized remote-work declaration, a foreign employment or service contract, and the income or funds evidence.
Use the foreign-source test. Brazilian payroll defeats the category.
Worked example: Sam's 2026 Lisbon file
Sam, a US product designer, invoices a New York agency USD 4,200 a month. On 10 March 2026 Sam gathers a notarized declaration that the work is remote, the agency contract, three months of statements, health insurance valid in Brazil, a police certificate, and a passport with two blank pages. Sam applies at a Brazilian consulate as a VITEM XIV digital nomad, not as a visitor. The visa is issued for up to one year of residence. Sam lands in São Paulo on 2 May 2026 and books Federal Police registration well inside the 90-day window. The visitor 90/180 tourist math is the wrong clock once this visa is in force. The CRNM appointment is the one that completes residence registration.
Documents consulates actually list
Posts vary, but the repeating core is:
- Online visa form (RER) from the Brazilian SCI / e-consular system, printed and signed
- Valid passport with blank pages (London: at least two)
- Recent photo to the post's size rules
- Police check, often from every country of residence in the last 12 months, apostilled where required
- Health insurance valid in Brazil for the entire stay
- Notarized employer letter stating name, functions, and that all duties can be performed remotely in Brazil
- Employment or service contract
- Applicant declaration of ability to work remotely through information and communication technologies
- Proof of USD 1,500 a month or USD 18,000 in funds
- Birth certificate or other proof of parents' full names where the post wants it for later Federal Police registration
London notes that the birth certificate is highly recommended so Federal Police registration does not stall on a name mismatch. Yellow fever vaccination follows ANVISA rules if you recently travelled through listed countries.
Fees are set by post and nationality. Confirm the live fee table. Do not copy a dollar figure from another country's consulate.
After you land: Federal Police registration
The visa in your passport is not the end of the process. You must register as a temporary visa holder with the Polícia Federal and obtain the Carteira de Registro Nacional Migratório (CRNM) when that card is issued.
London and Lisbon, both updated in 2026, give 90 days from entry for that registration. Older consular pages still say 30 days. Use the deadline your issuing post printed, and treat 90 days as the current London and Lisbon instruction, not as a right to wait until day 89.
The Federal Police page for temporary-visa holders lists:
- Electronic request through the PF system
- Valid travel document
- Original visa form
- Proof of payment of the CRNM fee (revenue code 140120; the page lists R$204.77, confirm the live amount)
- Other documents if the officer asks, including apostilled foreign civil records
Missing the registration window can put you out of regular status even if the visa sticker still looks valid. Book the appointment as soon as the system lets you.
Lisbon adds that a person already in Brazil may be granted residence authorization by the Ministry of Justice and Public Security if the required documents are presented. That is an in-country path, not a promise that every Federal Police office will convert a tourist stay.
How VITEM XIV interacts with tourist days and tax
Until the nomad visa is issued and you enter on it, visitor rules still apply. US citizens need a visitor eVisa for ordinary tourism, as the US Embassy in Brazil confirmed when visitor visas returned. UK visitor entry remains visa-exempt for many short trips, but that is not VITEM XIV.
Spending most of a year in Brazil can create Brazilian tax residency under domestic tests that commonly include 183 days. A nomad visa does not waive Receita Federal rules. US citizens still file IRS returns. See the 183-day rule explained.
Do not assume remote work for a US company is invisible to Brazilian tax. Get advice before you cross a long stay.
Common mistakes
Applying as if it were a visitor extension. VITEM XIV is a temporary residence visa with a remote-work file, not a longer tourist stamp.
Working for a Brazilian company. Consular pages disqualify that fact pattern.
Showing only a lump-sum deposit when the post asked for monthly pay. London accepts either monthly pay or USD 18,000 in statements. Bring the format your post listed.
Skipping Federal Police registration. The 90-day clock on London and Lisbon pages is a hard administrative step.
Using tourist insurance that expires in 30 days. The policy must cover the whole stay in Brazil.
Assuming Staywise or any app will file the packet. Staywise tracks days. It is not a visa agency.
How to track Brazil nomad days without a spreadsheet
The one-year residence end date, the 90-day Federal Police window, and any leftover visitor days from earlier in the year are three different clocks. Staywise (the visa compliance app for digital nomads) counts days across countries automatically and sends overstay alerts at 7, 3, and 1 day. Passport details stay on your device. Only travel dates and countries sync. Available on iOS.
Staywise does not apply for VITEM XIV, book Polícia Federal appointments, or give legal advice. Free trial, then annual subscription. See App Store for current pricing.
For tool comparisons, see Best Visa Tracker Apps for Digital Nomads (2026) and How to Track Your Days in Multiple Countries.
Download Staywise on the App Store
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Brazil's VITEM XIV visa?
VITEM XIV is Brazil's temporary visa for digital nomads. Consulates grant it to people with no Brazilian employment whose work can be done remotely for a foreign employer or client, under CNIg Resolution No. 45 of 2021. Initial residence is up to one year. You still need health insurance valid in Brazil and, after arrival, Federal Police registration. It is not a tourist eVisa and not a licence to take a Brazilian payroll job.
What income do I need for Brazil's digital nomad visa?
Official consular checklists require means of subsistence from a foreign paying source of at least USD 1,500 a month, or bank funds of at least USD 18,000. London accepts a qualifying payslip or three months of statements at the USD 18,000 level. Lisbon wants the income or funds proof plus a remote-work declaration and a foreign contract. Confirm the live list at the consulate that will process your file.
How long can I stay in Brazil on VITEM XIV?
Consular pages state an initial residence period of up to one year. Whether you can extend or renew from inside Brazil is a Federal Police and Ministry of Justice question for your case. Do not plan a third year on an unsourced "renewable once" claim. Read the visa you actually receive and the CRNM validity date. Visitor 90-day stamps are a different clock and do not add a silent extra year.
Do I have to register with the Federal Police?
Yes if you hold this temporary visa and intend to reside. London and Lisbon instructions updated in 2026 give 90 days from entry to register and to complete the immigrant registration process, including the CRNM fee when it applies. Bring the original visa form and a valid passport. Missing registration can put you out of status even while the sticker still looks valid. Book the appointment as soon as the Federal Police system allows it.
Can I work for a Brazilian company on VITEM XIV?
No. Consular pages state that if you work for a company in Brazil, this visa cannot be requested. The category is remote work for a foreign employer or foreign clients using information technology. Local Brazilian employment needs a different visa. Mixing the two is a common refusal reason. Freelance work billed to a Brazilian company is the same problem as a local payroll job.
Related guides
- Japan Digital Nomad Visa Guide (2026)
- How long can US citizens stay in Brazil
- What is a digital nomad visa?
- The 183-day rule explained
- Best Visa Tracker Apps for Digital Nomads (2026)
- How to Track Your Days in Multiple Countries
About Staywise
Staywise is the visa compliance app for digital nomads. Built by nomads for nomads, it tracks your days across every country automatically, alerts you before overstays, and keeps passport details on your device for privacy. The in-app AI assistant answers visa questions in plain English. Available on iOS.
Important: This content is informational and does not constitute legal, tax, or immigration advice. Visa rules, tax regulations, and entry requirements change frequently and vary by individual circumstances. Always verify current requirements with official government sources or a qualified professional before making travel decisions. Staywise tracks your days and surfaces compliance information, but final responsibility for compliance rests with the traveler.