Moving to Brazil from the US: the 2026 Checklist

Short answer: Americans moving to Brazil follow a fairly consistent sequence. First, pick a residency route — investment (the VIPER property visa), digital nomad, retirement/pension, or a family link such as a Brazilian spouse or child. Then get a CPF tax ID as early as possible, because almost nothing else works without it. From there you open a bank account, arrange healthcare, sort housing, plan any shipping, and prepare for taxes on both sides of the border. The order rarely changes; the details depend on your route.

Choose a visa: pick your residency route

Everything downstream depends on this choice, so it comes first. Most Americans fit one of four routes. The investor / VIPER route suits anyone buying property — a qualifying home can double as your residency, which we cover in detail in Brazil residency by investment. The digital nomad route fits remote employees and freelancers with foreign income; Florianópolis is a popular landing spot, as our chapter on Florianópolis for remote workers explains. The retirement / pension route is built for retirees who can show a steady qualifying pension. And the family route applies if you have a Brazilian spouse or a Brazilian-born child — see citizenship by birth. Each has its own income thresholds and paperwork, so confirm the current rules for your situation with a licensed immigration lawyer before committing.

Get a CPF early

The CPF (Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas) is Brazil's individual taxpayer number, and it is the master key to daily life: bank accounts, property purchases, utility contracts, phone plans and even some online checkouts all ask for it. The good news is that it is free and can usually be requested from abroad through a Brazilian consulate or the Receita Federal portal, often before you ever land. Get it early — ideally while your visa route is still being arranged — so the rest of the checklist isn't blocked. Our chapter on whether Americans can buy property in Brazil walks through how the CPF fits into a purchase in more detail.

Open a Brazilian bank account

With a CPF and proof of address, opening a local bank account becomes realistic, and it makes everyday life far smoother than relying on a foreign card. Many newcomers bridge the gap with services like Wise for transferring USD and getting fair exchange rates before a local account is live. If you are moving meaningful capital into the country — for a property purchase, for example — it should be brought in through the banking system and registered with the Central Bank as foreign capital. That registration matters both for compliance and for being able to move funds back out cleanly later, so loop in your bank and accountant before making large transfers.

Sort out healthcare

Brazil runs a universal public health system, the SUS, which is available to residents and covers a great deal — but most expats also carry private insurance for faster access, English-speaking doctors and private hospitals. The practical setup for most Americans is "SUS as the safety net, private cover for day-to-day care." Costs, networks and waiting times vary widely by city and plan, and schooling decisions often go hand-in-hand with healthcare ones for families. Our chapter on healthcare and schools for Brazil expats goes deeper on both.

Decide on housing: rent first or buy

A common pattern is to rent first to get to know neighbourhoods, then buy once you're settled. But buying isn't only about housing — for the right buyer, a qualifying property purchase can double as the visa via the investor route, turning two decisions into one. If that appeals, our homes at Casas Açores are priced above the investor-residency threshold for exactly this reason, so a single purchase can put the whole family on the residency track while giving you a place to actually live. Whichever way you go, line up your CPF and bank account first, since both are needed to sign a lease or a deed.

Shipping vs buying locally

Deciding what to bring is mostly an economics question. Brazil's import duties on goods and electronics are high, and international shipping plus customs handling can erode the value of bringing a full container. Many movers ship a modest amount of sentimental and hard-to-replace items and then buy the rest locally — furniture and appliances especially are usually easier and cheaper to source in-country than to import. Electronics are the classic trap: a laptop or phone you already own is fine to carry, but importing new high-value electronics can attract steep charges. Get a quote both ways before you commit to a shipping company.

Taxes: plan for both countries

This is the step most worth getting professional help on. Brazil generally taxes the worldwide income of its tax residents, and you typically become a tax resident after roughly 183 days in the country (the exact trigger depends on your visa and circumstances). At the same time, US citizens keep filing US taxes wherever they live, though tools like the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE) and foreign tax credits exist to reduce double taxation. The interaction between the two systems — timing your move, which income is taxed where, and how to use credits — is genuinely complex and case-specific, so consult a cross-border accountant rather than relying on general guidance.

Flights: staying connected

Relocation feels easier when getting back is simple. Florianópolis and the wider region are well connected for a mid-sized destination: TAP offers a direct link to Lisbon, which is the natural gateway for onward travel to Europe, while Copa routes through its Panama hub to a wide range of North American cities. For Americans, that combination means you're rarely more than one connection from home, which makes the move feel a lot less like burning the bridges behind you.