The digital nomad visa, and the test most people misread.
Brazil’s VITEM XIV route is straightforward once one thing is clear: the income requirement and the savings requirement are alternatives, not a pair. You need one of them, not both.
What VITEM XIV is
VITEM XIV is a Brazilian temporary visa category. The digital nomad route within it was created by a National Immigration Council resolution so that people can reside in Brazil while working remotely for a foreign employer, without holding formal Brazilian employment.
The defining condition is where your work comes from. Your employer, company or clients must be outside Brazil, and you must be able to carry out that work remotely using information and communication technologies — which you declare, and evidence with a contract.
Income or savings — one, not both
Official consular guidance sets a minimum monthly income of USD 1,500, or, as an alternative, available bank funds of at least USD 18,000. These are two ways of satisfying the same test. You do not need to meet both, and a great many summaries get this wrong.
That matters practically: someone with substantial savings but irregular monthly income can qualify on the savings route, and someone with steady remote income and modest savings can qualify on the income route. Which one you evidence changes what documents we prepare.
These figures are set by Brazilian authorities and can change. We confirm the current requirement with the responsible Brazilian consular post before your application is prepared.
The core requirements.
From official Brazilian consular guidance for the VITEM XIV digital nomad route.
A declaration by you stating your ability to perform your work remotely using information and communication technologies.
A work or service contract, or equivalent documents, evidencing your relationship with an employer or client outside Brazil.
Either a minimum monthly income or available bank funds at the level set by current guidance. One or the other, not both.
Insurance including medical cover, valid in Brazil — the policy must state that it is valid in Brazil, or worldwide.
As required by the responsible consular post, with legalisation where applicable.
With validity and condition meeting the consular post’s requirements.
Financial thresholds and government procedures can change. We confirm the current requirement against official sources before your application is prepared.
The visa is not the end of the process
The initial period of residence granted under this route is one year, and it may be renewed for a further year. It is a temporary residence route by design.
Registration with the Brazilian Federal Police after you arrive is part of the process, not an optional extra — it is how the temporary residence is formalised and the residence document issued. Treating the visa as the finish line is the most common avoidable mistake on this route, and we plan the arrival steps alongside the application.
Applying from the UAE
Consular submission procedure — where you apply, how appointments work, which documents need legalisation, and the current fees — is set by the responsible Brazilian post for your place of residence, and it varies between posts.
We deliberately do not reproduce another country’s consular procedure here and present it as the UAE one. We confirm the current procedure with the responsible post for your case before anything is prepared, and tell you what it actually requires.
Brazil digital nomad questions.
No. Official guidance sets a minimum monthly income or, as an alternative, a minimum available bank balance. You satisfy the test with one of them. This is the single most commonly misreported detail on this route.
The route exists specifically for remote work for employers and clients outside Brazil, with no formal Brazilian employment registered. It is not general permission to work in the Brazilian labour market.
The initial period of residence is one year, renewable for a further year. It is a temporary route rather than a settlement one.
Registration with the Federal Police is required to formalise your temporary residence and obtain your residence document. We plan for it from the start rather than treating the visa as the end.
Official sources
This page is written from official government and consular sources, not from other advisory websites. Last reviewed 2026-08-13.
Considering Brazil?
Tell us whether you would evidence income or savings, and who your employer or clients are. We will confirm the current requirement with the responsible post.