Brazil residency through real estate: the R$ 700,000 rule in the Northeast

What is the R$ 700,000 rule?

Normative Resolution 36/2018 of Brazil's National Immigration Council (CNIg) created a residency permit for foreigners who invest in urban real estate. The minimum is R$ 1,000,000. For property in the North and Northeast regions, the amount can be up to 30% lower, which brings it to R$ 700,000.

São Miguel do Gostoso is in Rio Grande do Norte, in the Northeast, so the lower threshold applies. Markets call this a "golden visa" or "investor visa". The official name is a residence authorization based on real estate investment.

Conversions use the Brazilian Central Bank PTAX rate of Oct 30, 2026: R$ 5.42 per US$ and R$ 6.05 per €. They are approximate. Deeds and payments are in reais.

What qualifies, and what does not?

Urban property that is built or under construction qualifies. You can add more than one property to reach the minimum, according to the resolution text.

Land, lots and rural property do not qualify. A R$ 900,000 beachfront lot will not get you residency; a R$ 700,000 house will. Ribeiro Cavalcante also reports that, in 2026, off-plan purchases backed only by a private promise of sale are often rejected, and that the title must be in the applicant's own name, not a company's.

How long does the residency last?

The original text gave two years, renewable. Normative Resolution 46/2021, published in the Diário Oficial on Aug 8, 2022, changed it to four years. You must spend at least 14 days in Brazil, in one stay or several, in every two-year period counted from your Federal Police registration. After the four years, the residency can be changed to an indefinite term if you keep the investment. Some guides still quote the old terms.

What are the steps to apply?

Your immigration lawyer runs the application. The property side looks like this.

1. Get your CPF at a Brazilian consulate.
2. Choose an urban house or apartment of R$ 700,000 or more in the Northeast, built or under construction.
3. Have an independent lawyer check the matrícula, the seller's certificates and any federal coastal land.
4. Send the money from abroad through a bank authorized by the Central Bank and keep the bank's statement of entry.
5. Sign the escritura and record it on the matrícula in your own name.
6. File the residency application with the immigration authority, through the MigranteWeb system when applying from inside Brazil.
7. After approval, register with the Federal Police and get your national migration ID card (CRNM). Under Decree 9,199/2017, you have 90 days from arrival if you entered with the temporary visa, or 30 days from the publication of the approval if you applied from inside Brazil.

What changed by 2026?

According to Ribeiro Cavalcante (updated Nov 1, 2026), the amounts in reais have not changed. What has changed is scrutiny: authorities look harder at the origin of funds, applications move through MigranteWeb, and people already legally in Brazil can apply from inside the country.

Foreign buyers are using the route. Brazil's government reported that immigrants invested R$ 283 million in Brazilian real estate in 2024.

Which homes in São Miguel do Gostoso meet the threshold?

Many of the high-end homes I list are above R$ 700,000: three- and four-suite houses in Uhane Luxury Villas, the 356 m² (3,832 sq ft) houses in Mantra Residence, the larger houses in Shamballa and the bigger homes around Santo Cristo. Lots, including the 416 m² (4,478 sq ft) lots in Uhane, do not count. Prices change, so I confirm each one before you decide.

Do not buy a house only for the permit. Buy one you want to use, and treat residency as a possible benefit your lawyer confirms.

Properties for sale now

See photos

House · Town center

Furnished 3-bedroom house with pool at Mantra Residence, Gostoso

356 m² (3,832 sq ft)R$ 2,750,000Approx. US$ 500,000 · € 448,000

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Beach house · Town center

3-bedroom house So Ham at Mantra Residence, São Miguel do Gostoso

356.5 m² (3,837 sq ft)R$ 2,610,000Approx. US$ 474,000 · € 426,000

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House · Town center

10-bedroom house with pool at Condomínio Shamballa, Gostoso

436 m² (4,693 sq ft)R$ 2,500,000Approx. US$ 454,000 · € 408,000

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