Moving to Spain from Brazil: Your Complete Residency Guide
Everything Brazilian citizens need to know about relocating to Spain. From visa requirements to the accelerated citizenship path available to Lusophone nationals.
Key Facts for Brazilian Citizens
- Visa Required: Yes (90-day visa-free, residence visa for longer)
- Most Common Visas: Digital Nomad, Non-Lucrative, Work, Student, Family Reunification
- Processing Time: 1-3 months at consulate
- Spanish Consulates: Brasilia, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro
- Citizenship Timeline: 2 years (Ibero-American) of legal residence
- Tax Treaty: Yes (in force)
- Dual Citizenship: Brazil allows dual citizenship
Spain considers you tax resident if you spend 183+ days per year there, or if your center of economic interests is in Spain. Once resident, all income. Brazilian dividends, rental properties, business interests. Becomes potentially taxable in Spain.
The Beckham Law Opportunity
Digital Nomad Visa holders and certain employees moving to Spain can elect the Beckham Law regime for their first six years:
- Flat 24% tax on Spanish-source income up to €600,000
- Foreign income potentially exempt from Spanish taxation
- Wealth tax exemptions on foreign assets
- Must not have been Spanish tax resident in the prior 5 years
For Brazilians earning from US or international clients, this means only your Spanish bank interest or local consulting work faces Spanish tax. Brazilian investments, rental income, and foreign client payments fall outside Spanish taxation entirely under this regime.
Brazilian Tax Exit
Brazils exit tax rules require attention. Declaring saída definitiva (permanent departure) changes your tax status and obligations. Youll file a final tax return, and ongoing Brazilian income (like rental properties) continues generating Brazilian tax obligations. Though typically at reduced non-resident rates.
Many Brazilians delay the saída definitiva declaration while testing Spain, technically remaining Brazilian tax residents during the first year. This approach has implications and requires professional guidance to execute correctly.
Spanish Consulates in Brazil
Spain operates one of its largest consular networks in Brazil, reflecting historical ties and significant applicant volumes:
- São Paulo Consulate General: Av. Brasil 1.515, Jardim América. Handles applications for São Paulo state and Mato Grosso
- Rio de Janeiro Consulate General: Rua Lauro Müller 116, Torre Rio Sul, Botafogo. Covers Rio de Janeiro state, Espírito Santo, and Minas Gerais
- Brasília Embassy: SES Av. Das Nações, Lote 44. Primarily diplomatic functions, limited visa processing
- Porto Alegre: Rua Cel. Genuíno 421. Serves Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina
- Salvador: Av. Tancredo Neves 1632, Salvador Shopping. Covers Bahia, Sergipe, Alagoas
- Recife: Rua Padre Carapuceiro 858. Handles Pernambuco, Paraíba, Rio Grande do Norte, Ceará, Piauí, Maranhão
- Curitiba: Rua Voluntários da Pátria 400. Serves Paraná state
- Belo Horizonte: Rua Ceará 1371, Funcionários. Alternative for Minas Gerais residents
- Florianópolis: Honorary consulate for Santa Catarina assistance
São Paulo processes the highest volume and often has the longest wait times. Sometimes 6-8 weeks for appointments. Smaller consulates may offer appointments within days. Check multiple jurisdictions if urgent timing matters.
Required Documents
Brazilian bureaucracy has trained you for this. Spanish consulates want everything organized, properly formatted, and apostilled where necessary.
Standard Requirements (All Visa Types)
- Valid Brazilian passport with 1+ year validity
- Completed national visa application form
- Recent photographs meeting specification requirements
- Private health insurance covering Spain (no co-pays, no coverage limits)
- Criminal record certificate (Certidão de Antecedentes Criminais) from both Federal and State Police
- Proof of accommodation in Spain (rental contract, property deed, or booking confirmation)
- Financial documentation (bank statements, income proof, investment statements)
Apostille Requirements
Public documents need Hague Convention apostilles from Brazilian cartórios or the competent state authority:
- Birth certificate (certidão de nascimento)
- Marriage certificate if applicable
- Criminal record certificates
- University diplomas and transcripts
- Professional registration documents
Portuguese-language documents typically require sworn translation (tradução juramentada) into Spanish for Spanish consulates. Once in Spain, many administrative processes accept Portuguese documents without translation, but immigration paperwork follows stricter standards.
Healthcare Access
Brazilians accustomed to SUS limitations and expensive private plans find Spanish healthcare surprisingly accessible. The public system ranks among Europes best, and private options cost a fraction of Brazilian equivalents.
Public System Access
Non-lucrative visa holders must maintain private insurance and cannot access public healthcare initially. Work visa holders, digital nomads who become employed, and anyone contributing to Spanish social security receives the Tarjeta Sanitaria. Granting full public system access.
Public healthcare covers general practitioners, specialists, emergency care, hospitalizations, surgeries, and prescriptions (with modest co-pays). The quality exceeds what most Brazilians experienced through SUS, with modern facilities and reasonable wait times for most services.
Private Insurance
Many Brazilians maintain private insurance for faster specialist access and the comfort of choosing specific doctors. Spanish private insurance runs €70-150 monthly for comprehensive coverage. Compare this to R$2,000-4,000 monthly for equivalent Brazilian plans.
Sanitas, Adeslas, DKV, and Mapfre dominate the market. Networks are extensive, and Portuguese-speaking doctors exist in major cities. Some insurers offer plans specifically designed for expatriates with international coverage components.
The Citizenship Path
Two years of legal residence. Thats all that stands between a Brazilian passport holder and an EU passport. The requirements are straightforward:
- Two years continuous legal residence: Documented through proper visa registration
- DELE A2 Spanish exam: Native Portuguese speakers typically score much higher than A2. The exam feels basic
- CCSE civics exam: 25 questions about Spanish history, government, and culture
- Clean criminal record: Both Brazilian and Spanish certificates
- Proof of integration: Tax filings, municipal registration history, stable address
Dual Citizenship Reality
Spanish law requires renouncing previous citizenship when naturalizing. However, Brazil doesnt recognize such renunciations when made as a requirement for another citizenship. Meaning Brazilians remain Brazilian regardless of what they declare to Spanish authorities.
In practice, thousands of Brazilians hold both passports. Travel between countries using whichever document suits each entry point. The Brazilian government has no mechanism or interest in enforcing theoretical citizenship loss under these circumstances.
Frequently Asked Questions
How different is Spanish from Portuguese?
Close enough that basic communication works immediately. Most Brazilians achieve conversational Spanish within 2-3 months of immersion. Reading comprehension comes even faster. Youll understand newspapers from day one. Speaking requires adjusting pronunciation patterns and learning false friends (words that look similar but mean different things), but the languages are fundamentally compatible.
Can I work while on a non-lucrative visa?
No. The non-lucrative visa explicitly prohibits employment. However, after your first renewal (typically year two), you can apply to modify your residency status to permit work. Some holders circumvent restrictions through international remote work, but this exists in a gray area that risks visa complications.
What happens to my Brazilian CPF and bank accounts?
Your CPF remains active permanently. Brazilian bank accounts can stay open regardless of where you live. Theyre tied to your CPF, not your residence. However, declaring saída definitiva may change tax treatment of these accounts. Many Brazilians maintain at least one Brazilian account for convenience during visits and ongoing Brazilian financial matters.
Do I need to validate my Brazilian degree?
Depends on your profession. Unregulated fields (tech, marketing, business) dont require validation. Employers evaluate qualifications directly. Regulated professions (medicine, law, architecture, engineering) need homologation through Spanish authorities, taking 6-18 months. Brazilian lawyers cannot practice law in Spain without completing Spanish legal education; engineers and architects face similar barriers.
Where do most Brazilians live in Spain?
Barcelona has the largest Brazilian community. Estimates suggest 30,000+ residents. The tech scene, Mediterranean lifestyle, and established support networks draw newcomers. Madrid follows with significant numbers in finance, business, and international organizations. Valencia has grown among digital nomads seeking lower costs than Barcelona. The Canary Islands attract retirees with their year-round warmth.
How do I send money between Brazil and Spain?
Traditional wire transfers through banks work but carry high fees. Services like Wise (formerly TransferWise), Remessa Online, and Western Union offer better exchange rates for regular transfers. Some Brazilians maintain both reais and euros, transferring strategically based on exchange rate movements. Once youre Spanish resident, opening euro accounts is straightforward with Spanish or EU-based digital banks.
We Handle Everything
The two-year citizenship path gives Brazilians a unique advantage when choosing European destinations. But that advantage only counts if your paperwork starts correctly. Rejected applications, documentation errors, and bureaucratic delays dont just waste time. They push back your citizenship timeline.
At Legal Fournier, we dont just advise. We handle everything. Visa applications prepared correctly the first time. Tax planning coordinated between Brazilian saída definitiva rules and Spanish residency. NIE registration, empadronamiento, social security enrollment, and practical settlement support. You focus on your work, your family, and your new Spanish life. We manage the complexity.
Brazilian clients often arrive expecting their Portuguese language skills and bureaucratic survival experience to carry them through. Then they discover Spanish consulates with multi-week appointment waits, documentation requirements that dont translate from Brazilian practices, and an administrative system that provides no feedback when things go wrong. Our clients arrive ready to live in Spain. Not ready to become experts in a foreign bureaucracy.
This guide provides general information about moving from Brazil to Spain. Immigration rules and tax regulations change regularly. For planning tailored to your specific situation, contact our team for a comprehensive consultation.