Thread: Can foreigners own a business in Brazil?

Can foreigners own a business in Brazil? What are the requirements? Are there any fees for foreigners who want to own a business in Brazil?

I believe they can own a corporation. There are many fees involved, and you will need to get a lawyer which will also cost money. I think it is cheaper than starting a corporation in the United States, though.

I am not really sure of this one. Need to check with the local authority as different countries have different laws and regulations.

Ya, people outside Brazil can set up there business in Brazil. But before that, there are several paper works that are needed to be worked out.

Yes Foreigners can own business in Brazil!

How depends on what kinda business (direct foreign investment) how much. There are threshold levels on what you need to bring to the table to invest in Brazil to get a residence permit/visa. If your married to a Brazilian national the whole process is significantly easier.

To start any process i advise anyone to first get the following documents:

CPF (Cadastro Pessoa Fisica) official registration number you need for opening bank accounts, official documents etc.

RNE (Registro Nacional do Estrangeiro) this is your visa for Brazil (typically for 10 years) it's the equivalent to a RG for Brazilian nationals, so any form asking for RG number you fill in your RNE number

I advise anyone with serious plans to contact a trustworthy lawyer or consultancy firm to investigate the way to approach this.

If it's a very small operation a less formal approach might work best

@ biscoitoglobo

Thanks! I think in all countries foreigners need a working permit . . .

Originally Posted by biscoitoglobo

Yes Foreigners can own business in Brazil!

How depends on what kinda business (direct foreign investment) how much. There are threshold levels on what you need to bring to the table to invest in Brazil to get a residence permit/visa. If your married to a Brazilian national the whole process is significantly easier.

To start any process i advise anyone to first get the following documents:

CPF (Cadastro Pessoa Fisica) official registration number you need for opening bank accounts, official documents etc.

RNE (Registro Nacional do Estrangeiro) this is your visa for Brazil (typically for 10 years) it's the equivalent to a RG for Brazilian nationals, so any form asking for RG number you fill in your RNE number

I advise anyone with serious plans to contact a trustworthy lawyer or consultancy firm to investigate the way to approach this.

If it's a very small operation a less formal approach might work best

biscoitoglobo,

This is very informative. Thanks a lot!

Foreigners can own their own business in Brazil. Just remember to follow Brazil's law in building a business there.

I recently spoke with a lawyer here in Rio about starting a business here and there were a few options, as I understood them:

1) A completely Brazilian business - which required US$50,000 in capital in a Brazilian bank (although this could be used for business expenses), as well as about US$30 in legal and accounting fees to set it all up... not to mention becoming a permanent resident, etc.

2) A Brazilian Branch of a US company - which required having a Brazilian person defined as a "Representative" to handle required legal administration. This person's role can be defined/limited in a 'power of attorny", and can change over time. I was quoted about US$15K to set this up.

3) Remain a US company doing business... internationally - for my short-term purposes this works, as an Online business as long as financial transactions are made through US/International banks, the appropriate taxes are taken care of by respective financial institutions (basically using PayPal and credit cards). We hope to be a Printed Weekly by November, at which point we'll have established the Brazilian Branch, etc.


So we've launched The Gringo Times, a weekly local news company for the English speaking community in Rio de Janeiro - The Gringo Times | Rio de Janeiro News in English.

Originally Posted by FletchNY

I recently spoke with a lawyer here in Rio about starting a business here and there were a few options, as I understood them:

1) A completely Brazilian business - which required US$50,000 in capital in a Brazilian bank (although this could be used for business expenses), as well as about US$30 in legal and accounting fees to set it all up... not to mention becoming a permanent resident, etc.

2) A Brazilian Branch of a US company - which required having a Brazilian person defined as a "Representative" to handle required legal administration. This person's role can be defined/limited in a 'power of attorny", and can change over time. I was quoted about US$15K to set this up.

3) Remain a US company doing business... internationally - for my short-term purposes this works, as an Online business as long as financial transactions are made through US/International banks, the appropriate taxes are taken care of by respective financial institutions (basically using PayPal and credit cards). We hope to be a Printed Weekly by November, at which point we'll have established the Brazilian Branch, etc.


So we've launched The Gringo Times, a weekly local news company for the English speaking community in Rio de Janeiro - The Gringo Times | Rio de Janeiro News in English.

This is really informative! You've helped us a lot in clearing up this issue. thanks!

Cool!!! Very informative indeed!!!

thanks a lot for the great information...

Thanks for the info. I'm planning to start business in Brazil and hopefully to be for permanent there.

I would contact the Brazilian Chamber of Commerce and have them send you all
the information you need to start your business. they would be more than happy
to help you.

I agree with all of the comments in the thread. One of the issue that wil affect the requirements for any business is the type of business you plan to set up. I plan to set up an engineering and architecture firm in Brazil. Based on my research I will need to have a minimun capital, CPF, CREA ( seeing I will be signing off most of the project and stamping my name to them), business location and business declaration.