The Complete Guide
Key Facts
Foreigners can buy urban property in Brazil under the same rules as Brazilian citizens — no residence permit or visa is required to purchase, only a CPF tax ID. Rural land and properties near the border (faixa de fronteira, 150 km strip) face restrictions under Law 5,709/1971.
Property ownership in Brazil only transfers when the escritura pública is signed at a tabelionato de notas and registered at the cartório de registro de imóveis. A signed compromisso de compra e venda alone does not transfer ownership.
Closing costs add roughly 5% to 6% to the purchase price: ITBI transfer tax (1.5% to 3.5% by municipality), notary and registry fees (~1.5%), legal review (~1%) and bank fees when financing.
