How to buy property in Brazil as a foreigner: the complete, honest guide.

1. Can you really own it?

Yes, and this surprises people more than anything else. A foreigner can buy a house, an apartment, a lot or a commercial unit in a Brazilian city in their own name, with essentially the same rights as a Brazilian. You do not need to live here, hold a visa or set up a company. The property is registered to you, and you can sell it, rent it or leave it to your heirs.

There are two exceptions worth knowing. Rural land has limits and approvals for foreigners, and so does land near Brazil’s international borders, which is nowhere near Ceará. Neither affects the apartments, houses and condominium lots most of our clients buy.

And on the beach?

Yes, you can own on the beachfront too. Much of the land along the sea and navigable rivers is what Brazil calls terreno de marinha, “Navy land”. You still own your home like any other, but the federal government keeps a share of the land, which means two extra costs: a one-time fee when the property changes hands (the laudêmio, 5% of the value of the land, not of the whole building) and a small yearly charge (the foro). The documents show whether a property is affected, and we tell you before you make an offer, not after.

2. Decide what you are buying for

Before you look at a single listing, decide what the property has to do for you. It sounds obvious, but it changes everything: the neighbourhood, the building, whether to buy new or resale, and even which floor.

• A winter home. You want the life: the beach at the door, the Beira Mar at sunset, a building that is easy to lock and leave.
• Rental income. You want a property tenants or guests ask for every week of the year, in a building that allows the kind of rental you plan.
• Growth. You want to buy early in an area on the way up, often off plan, and sell or rent once the area has arrived.
• All three. This is what most of our clients do: use it for a few weeks, rent it the rest of the year, and sell when the numbers are right.

Most buyers come for a first visit of about three days: the city, the coast to the west and the coast to the east. Others choose by video call. Either way, insist on seeing what similar properties actually rented for and actually sold for, not just asking prices. That is how you avoid the “gringo price”.

3. Get your CPF

The CPF (Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas) is the Brazilian tax number. You need one to sign a purchase, pay the taxes, register the deed and open a bank account. It is yours for life, and the same number works for any property anywhere in Brazil.

The CPF itself is free. From home, you apply through the Brazilian consulate that serves your area. It is simple, and we help you along the whole way, from the forms to the day your number arrives. If you are a couple, each of you needs your own.

4. Choose your people

In a foreign country, the people you choose matter more than the property you choose. Get the people right and they will help you get the property right.

A licensed broker

In Brazil only brokers licensed by CRECI, the brokers’ council, may sell real estate. Ask any broker for their licence number and check it with the council. Ours are CRECI 616J for the company and CRECI 4852 F for me. In over thirty years, not a single complaint has been filed against our firm at the council.

Your own lawyer

I always tell my clients: have your own lawyer review the contract. Not ours, yours. A good real estate lawyer in Brazil usually charges around 1% of the price, sometimes a flat fee. We can introduce you to lawyers we have trusted for years, or you can bring your own. Ask for a written due-diligence report on the property and the seller.

Five questions to ask any broker

• What is your CRECI number, and how long have you held it?
• What did similar properties actually sell for in this area this year?
• Who pays your commission, and do you have any stake in this project?
• Does this building allow short-term rentals, in writing?
• Who will look after the property after I sign, and who will sell it one day?

If the answers are vague, keep looking.

5. The purchase, step by step

This is how a resale purchase works, from offer to ownership. For a new building bought from a developer, see the next section.

1. Make an offer

   Offers are usually made in writing, by email or WhatsApp, through your broker. Prices in Brazil are quoted in reais and there is often room to negotiate, especially for a buyer who can pay quickly. We tell you what we think a property is worth before you offer, and why.

2. Check the property and the seller

   This is where buyers are protected. Title insurance is uncommon in Brazil, so protection comes from checking before you pay. The registry record (matrícula) shows who really owns the property and whether there is any mortgage, lien or claim against it. Certificates on the seller show whether they face lawsuits or debts that could reach the property. Unpaid condominium fees and property tax are checked too, because in Brazil those debts follow the property, not the owner.

3. Sign the purchase agreement

   The agreement (compromisso de compra e venda) sets the price, the payment dates, the documents the seller must deliver and the penalties if either side walks away. It is in Portuguese, so have every clause explained to you in English before you sign, and have your lawyer review it. You usually pay a deposit at this stage.

4. Send the money

   Funds arrive by ordinary international wire to a bank in Brazil, in your name or, for a deposit, sometimes directly to the seller. The bank converts it to reais and issues an exchange contract. Keep it. More on this in section 7.

5. Pay the transfer tax

   Before the deed, the city’s transfer tax (ITBI) is paid: in Fortaleza, 2% when paid before the title transfer, against 3% if left until after. On Navy land, the federal laudêmio is paid too. We prepare the forms and tell you the exact amounts in advance.

6. Sign the deed and pay the balance

   A notary draws up the public deed (escritura pública). The balance, usually around 90% of the price, is paid on the day the deed is signed, once every document has been checked. Escrow is also available if you prefer. You do not have to be here: you can sign through a power of attorney (see below).

7. Record the deed: now you are the owner

   The deed is recorded at the property registry (Registro de Imóveis). In Brazil it is recording the deed, not signing it, that makes you the owner. Do not skip it or postpone it. We follow it to the end and send you the updated registry record with your name on it.

8. Take the keys, and the bills

   Utilities, condominium fees and the property tax move into your name. If you will not be here, we can receive the property for you, inspect it, furnish it and put it to work.

Signing from abroad: the power of attorney

Many of our clients never come for the signing. They give a power of attorney (procuração) to someone they trust. In Brazil there are two kinds, public and private. For buying and selling property you need a public one, made at a notary. You can do it at a Brazilian notary while you are here, at a Brazilian consulate, or at a notary at home with an apostille and a sworn translation. Make it specific: name the property and the powers, and nothing more.

6. Buying off plan

Buying a new apartment from the developer, before or during construction, is how many of our clients have done best. You buy at launch prices, pay in stages, and the building gains value as it goes up. It is also where you need the most care.

How the payments work

You usually pay a down payment, then monthly instalments during construction, sometimes with larger payments every six or twelve months. Before completion, instalments are adjusted each month for construction inflation (the INCC index, published by the Fundação Getulio Vargas). That is an adjustment, not interest: in normal conditions it keeps your instalment roughly level in dollars.

At completion you take the keys. Many developers then let you pay the rest in monthly instalments over several years, without a bank and without a credit check, foreigners included. After the keys, instalments are usually adjusted by an inflation index plus monthly interest. You can pay ahead at any time to cut both. There is no balloon payment at the end, as with some mortgages: when the last instalment is paid, you are done.

What to check in the contract

• The delivery date and the grace period. Brazilian contracts commonly allow a delay of up to 180 days. Beyond that, the buyer is entitled to compensation. Read the clause.
• The financing terms after the keys. The index, the interest rate and the term must be written in the contract. If they are not, the developer does not have to offer them. Bad terms also hurt you when you resell, because the next buyer inherits them.
• The patrimônio de afetação. Brazilian law lets a developer ring-fence each project, so the money paid for one building cannot be used on another, and buyers are better protected if the developer runs into trouble. Ask whether the project has it.
• The incorporation registration. A developer may only sell units once the project is registered at the property registry. Ask for the registration number.

Selling before the keys

You do not have to take title to sell. You can transfer your contract to a new buyer (an assignment of rights): they pay you what you have paid plus your profit, and take over the remaining balance with the developer. The developer then deeds the property directly to them. This is how many of our clients have bought early and sold on.

A word on the bare shell

New apartments in Brazil are handed over bare: often no kitchen cabinets, wardrobes, light fixtures or air conditioning. Budget for it. We furnish at three levels, from essentials for long-term tenants to fully ready for holiday guests.

7. Sending money in, and taking it out

This is the question I am asked most, so here is the plain answer.

Coming in

You send an ordinary international wire from your bank to a bank in Brazil. When it arrives, the receiving bank converts it to reais and issues an exchange contract (contrato de câmbio) showing how much foreign currency came in, the rate and how many reais you received. The transaction is reported to Brazil’s Central Bank. The bank will ask what the money is for and may ask for the purchase agreement, so we send the documents before you wire.

Send money only by bank wire, in your own name. That is the official way, and it is what protects you later.

Going out

When you sell, the exchange contracts from your purchase are your proof that the money came from abroad. With them, and with the capital gains tax paid, the proceeds can be wired back to your home country.

You may have heard stories of people who “can’t get their money out of Brazil”. In my experience they have one thing in common: the money did not come in the official way. Sometimes it was cash brought in a suitcase. Sometimes someone in Brazil paid the seller and was paid back abroad, or a payment went through a credit card. It is not always done in bad faith, but none of it leaves a record at the Central Bank, and without that record the money has no official way out.

In all my years doing this, I have not seen a single client who brought money in the official way, by a wire in their own name, have any trouble taking it out.

The currency

Prices are in reais, so your cost in dollars or euros moves until the day you pay, and so does the value of your sale. That works both ways: when the real is weak, a foreign buyer’s money goes further. We tell you which dates matter so you can plan your transfers.

8. What it really costs

When you buy

Transfer tax (ITBI)	Set by each city. In Fortaleza it is 2% if paid before the title transfer, and 3% if paid after. We make sure it is paid on time, at 2%.
Notary (deed)	On a set scale by value, roughly 1%.
Property registry	On a set scale by value, roughly 1%.
Laudêmio (Navy land only)	5% of the value of the land, not the building. Only for properties on Navy land.
Your lawyer (optional, recommended)	Around 1%, or a flat fee.
Broker’s commission	Normally paid by the seller.
Plan for	About 5% on top of the price. It usually comes in a little under, and we would rather you be pleasantly surprised.

With an off-plan purchase, these costs are paid only when the deed is made, usually after the last instalment. Until then there are no closing costs.

While you own it

• Property tax (IPTU). Charged by the city once a year, based on an official value that is usually well below the market price. Modest by North American and European standards.
• Condominium fees. Shared building costs: security, doormen, cleaning, pools, often water and gas. They are decided by the owners’ assembly, one unit one vote, and the accounts must be shown to every owner every month.
• Management. If we rent and look after the property, our fee is a percentage of the rent, agreed in writing before we start.
• Furnishing and upkeep. A one-time furnishing budget for a new apartment, and a small reserve for repairs.

When you sell

The broker’s commission, normally paid by the seller, and income tax on your gain (see section 10). If there is no gain, there is no tax.

9. Renting it out

You have two main options, and the right one depends on the property and on you.

• Long-term rental. A tenant on a yearly lease. Steady, simple, and very little empty time. Furnish with the essentials.
• Vacation rental. Nightly and weekly guests. More income in good months, more work, and some empty weeks. Furnish down to the sheets and cutlery.

We do not promise returns, and you should be wary of anyone who does. What we do is show you what similar properties in the same building or street rent for today, how full they are and what they cost to run, so you can make your own numbers.

If we manage it, you do not have to be here at all: we find and vet the tenants or guests, collect the rent, pay the bills, look after the upkeep and send you statements in English and the rent, net of tax.

10. Taxes, in plain terms

Brazil’s taxes on property are fewer and simpler than people expect. There is no extra tax for being a foreigner, and no wealth tax. This is what a non-resident owner pays:

• On rental income: 15% income tax, withheld before the rent is sent to you abroad (25% if you live in a country Brazil classes as a tax haven). Some expenses may reduce the amount taxed.
• On a sale: income tax on the gain only, the difference between what you paid and what you sold for. For non-residents it starts at 15% and rises in steps only on very large gains, above R$5 million. Purchase costs and documented improvements can be added to what you paid.
• Property tax (IPTU): see above.

Residents of Brazil pay under different rules and can, in some cases, sell without tax if they reinvest in another home. Many countries also let you credit tax paid in Brazil against tax at home. Have an accountant who works with foreign owners look at your own situation, here and at home. If we manage your rental or handle your sale, our accountant calculates and pays the Brazilian tax for you.

As a non-resident owner, you should also name a representative in Brazil for tax matters. We can introduce you to an accountant who does this.

Brazil is phasing in a tax reform between 2026 and 2033. Most small individual landlords are expected to stay outside the new taxes on rent, but this is a good example of why you confirm the rules at the time you buy.

11. Living here, residency and your heirs

Visiting

As a visitor you can stay up to 180 days in any twelve months, enough for a whole winter by the sea. Citizens of most European countries need no visa. Americans, Canadians and Australians apply online for an e-visa, which can be valid for up to ten years.

Residency through property

Buying a property does not by itself give you the right to live here, but it can support an application. An investment of R$700,000 in urban property here in the North and Northeast (R$1,000,000 elsewhere) qualifies for a residence permit. Several properties can be combined. The money must come from abroad through a bank, and financed amounts do not count. The permit is first granted for four years and can become indefinite if you keep the investment. The rules have conditions, so have an immigration lawyer confirm them for your case.

Leaving it to your heirs

Property in Brazil passes to your heirs under Brazilian procedure, and the state charges an inheritance tax (ITCMD) on it. A will made in Brazil, or a clear plan made with your lawyer when you buy, makes life much easier for the people you leave it to. It is worth an hour of your lawyer’s time.

12. The mistakes I see most

Over the years many foreigners have come to us after buying somewhere else, with someone else. Almost every problem I have seen came from one of these.

1. Paying someone who was not the owner.A buyer came to us after paying a middleman for two lots. The registry showed the “seller” had never owned them. A registry check costs very little. Not doing one can cost everything.
2. Buying for vacation rental in a building that bans it.The numbers looked great until the condominium rules said no stays under thirty days. Get the rules in writing first.
3. Signing off-plan terms without reading the financing clause.Interest after the keys, or no financing at all, can turn a good purchase into a hard one to sell.
4. Bringing money in the unofficial way.Cash, a friend paying on your behalf, a credit card: no wire in your name, no Central Bank record, and later no easy way to send the money home.
5. Never recording the deed.Until the deed is recorded at the registry, you are not the owner, whatever you paid.
6. Paying the “gringo price”.Asking prices for foreigners can be well above what locals pay. Ask for actual sale prices of similar properties, not listings.
7. Buying where only foreigners buy.Markets that live on foreign buyers alone stop when the foreigners stop coming. Buy where Brazilian families also want to live, and you will always have someone to sell to.

13. Why Fortaleza

I was born here, and I invest here myself, so take this with the bias it deserves. But these are the reasons I give on stage, and they have held up for thirty years.

• Three kinds of buyer, not one. Fortaleza has its own growing middle class, Brazilians moving here from other states, and buyers from abroad. When you sell, you can sell to all three.
• Close to you. Fortaleza is on Brazil’s northern coast, closer to Europe and North America than Rio or São Paulo, with nonstop flights from Europe and Miami in seven to nine hours.
• A state that keeps investing. Ceará has grown faster than Brazil in recent years, with a busy port, an airport run by Fraport and more undersea internet cables than any city in Latin America.
• Summer all year. Days around 30°C (the high 80s°F), a steady breeze and warm sea every month. Our clients come for the life and the investment, usually both.

Past results are no promise. But the way we choose has not changed: neighbourhoods on the way up, near the projects that change a city, in buildings Brazilian families want to live in.