Straight answers about doing business in Brazil

Yes. Foreign individuals and foreign legal entities may own up to 100% of a Brazilian limited company (LTDA) or corporation (S.A.) in almost every sector. Restrictions apply to a short list of activities, including certain media and broadcasting, nuclear energy, some health-care services, mining and hydro resources in border areas, and ownership of rural land beyond defined limits. We identify any restriction at the structuring stage.

No. You grant a power of attorney to our resident attorney, who signs and files on your behalf. Incorporation, tax IDs, Central Bank registration and bank account opening are all handled remotely. A visit is only needed if you choose to reside in Brazil, in which case Federal Police registration is done in person after arrival.

For a services company with foreign individual owners in Rio Grande do Sul, four to eight weeks from receipt of your apostilled documents to an operating company with CNPJ and bank account. Corporate owners, regulated activities and other states add time. In many cases a ready-made company can become operational within approximately ten business days, depending on the transaction, the authorities involved, banking requirements and documentation.

No. All communication with our team is in English (or Spanish). Official documents are in Portuguese as the law requires, and we provide English reference versions of everything you sign.

An apostille is a certificate that authenticates a public document for use in other countries under the Hague Convention, to which Brazil is a party. Foreign documents such as notarised powers of attorney, passports copies and corporate certificates must be apostilled in the issuing country (or legalised at a Brazilian consulate for non-member countries) and then sworn-translated into Portuguese in Brazil.

Most foreign investors use a Sociedade Limitada (LTDA), a limited liability company with flexible governance and low maintenance costs. A single owner can form a single-member LTDA. A Sociedade Anônima (S.A.) is appropriate for venture-backed businesses, joint ventures and larger groups that need share classes, a board and more formal governance. We recommend the form after understanding your ownership, financing and exit plans.

Brazilian law requires every non-resident partner or shareholder to appoint an attorney-in-fact domiciled in Brazil with powers to receive service of process and to represent them before the registries and tax authorities. Brazilian law also allows a non-resident to be appointed administrator, provided that a resident attorney-in-fact is appointed with powers to receive service of process, that the appointment and powers are properly documented and registered, and that the formalities required by the Board of Trade, the tax authorities, the Central Bank and banks are met. In practice, most foreign-owned companies appoint a resident administrator. Our representatives are licensed attorneys whose powers are limited in writing.

There is no statutory minimum for most activities. The capital should be realistic for the business plan, since it is what the Central Bank registers and what the investor visa route measures. Some regulated sectors and certain immigration routes set their own thresholds.

Yes. A foreign company can wholly own a Brazilian single-member LTDA or S.A. The parent needs a CNPJ, a Central Bank registration and a resident attorney-in-fact, and must provide apostilled, sworn-translated constitutional documents.

No. There is no requirement for a Brazilian partner or shareholder. The requirement is for a resident representative, which we provide.

A subsidiary is a Brazilian company owned by your foreign company; it is formed at the Board of Trade in weeks. A branch is the foreign company itself operating in Brazil; it requires federal authorisation, takes considerably longer and exposes the parent directly. We recommend a subsidiary in almost every case.

Companies with a partner domiciled abroad cannot opt for Simples Nacional, the simplified regime for small businesses. The choice is therefore between Lucro Presumido (tax on a deemed profit margin, simpler and often efficient for services) and Lucro Real (tax on actual profit, mandatory above a revenue threshold and for certain activities). We model both before the election.

At federal level: corporate income tax (IRPJ), social contribution on profit (CSLL) and the contributions PIS and COFINS. Services are subject to a municipal tax (ISS) and goods to a state tax (ICMS) and federal IPI. Payroll carries social security and labour charges. Brazil is implementing a consumption-tax reform that will progressively replace several of these with new taxes (CBS and IBS) over a transition period; we track the impact for each client.

Yes. Dividends paid to foreign shareholders can be remitted through the official exchange market provided the investment was registered with the Central Bank. Since 2026, profits and dividends paid or remitted to shareholders abroad are, as a general rule, subject to Brazilian withholding income tax at 10% (Law 15,270/2025), with specific rules for certain situations and treaty positions to be assessed case by case. Taxation in your home country depends on local rules and treaties; we model the combined effect before any distribution.

Yes. Brazilian companies must keep books under local standards and file a large number of electronic returns, most of which require a licensed accountant's credentials. Our accounting desk does this in English, supervised by our tax lawyers.

Owning a Brazilian company does not make you a tax resident. Residing in Brazil under a permanent visa, or spending more than 183 days in the country in a twelve-month period on certain visas, does. Tax residency brings worldwide-income taxation, so we plan it deliberately for clients relocating.

In most cases, yes. Brazilian banks and licensed fintechs apply enhanced due diligence to non-resident ownership and each has its own identification procedure. We prepare the compliance file, present it and follow it through. Two to six weeks is typical; the bank controls the final decision.

Foreign capital invested in a Brazilian company must be declared in the Central Bank's foreign direct investment system. This registration is what later allows dividends, capital repatriation and loan repayments to leave Brazil lawfully. It is one of the most frequently omitted steps in companies formed without legal supervision.

Share capital is remitted from your foreign account to the company's Brazilian account through an exchange contract closed by the bank. The bank reports the operation and we register it with the Central Bank. Shareholder loans are also possible and are registered separately.

Brazilian companies hold accounts in reais. Export revenue and foreign payments are received through exchange contracts and converted on arrival. We set up the foreign exchange arrangements with the bank as part of the onboarding.

Not by itself. Ownership and residence are separate. A qualifying investment in your company can support an investor residence permit; alternatively, executives and employees of the company may qualify under other routes. See our investor visa page.

Currently BRL 500,000 invested in a Brazilian company, with a reduced threshold, from BRL 150,000, for certain qualifying innovation, scientific or technology projects. The reduced route is subject to the specific criteria of the immigration regulations (CNIg Normative Resolution 13/2017, as amended) and to the analysis of the competent authorities; it is not automatic. The investment must be remitted through the exchange market and registered with the Central Bank. Thresholds are set by regulation and periodically revised.

Yes. Spouses or partners, children and other dependants obtain residence by family reunion, filed together with or after the main application.

Citizens of many countries may enter Brazil visa-free or with an e-visa for business meetings for limited periods. Business visits do not permit local employment or residence. Check the current rules for your nationality with us before travelling.

We work on fixed professional fees per scope, stated in a written proposal within one business day of the structuring call. Government fees, notary and apostille costs abroad, sworn translations, bank charges and immigration fees are itemised and passed through at cost. See our packages.

Accounting firms are not permitted to give legal advice, draft corporate documents as counsel or act as your attorney-in-fact with the protections of the Bar. We are a law firm: your structure is legal advice, your representative is a licensed attorney, and your communications are protected by the professional confidentiality rules applicable to Brazilian attorneys. We also run the accounting, so you do not lose the convenience.

A named English-speaking coordinator from our international desk, supported by the attorneys and accountants assigned to your file. You receive a shared timeline and proactive updates.

Only those defined in the power of attorney you approve: typically to sign incorporation and registration documents, receive service of process and act before the tax authorities and the Central Bank. Powers to operate bank accounts or bind the company commercially are granted only if you request them and are documented separately.

Yes. We regularly assume representation, accounting and compliance for existing companies, and regularise missing Central Bank registrations, lapsed filings and inactive CNPJs.

Send us a short description of the business and the owners through the contact page. We schedule a thirty-minute structuring call and issue a written proposal within one business day.