Author Dmitrii Sheinkman Residence permit expert, tax adviser 8 October 2026 9 min read Message the author

Moving to Spain from Brazil in 2026: residence, taxes and citizenship in 2 years

Brazilian citizens do not need a visa for their first 90 days in Spain. Residence comes through the digital nomad permit, the startup visa or the non-lucrative visa, applied for from Spain or through a Spanish consulate in Brazil. After 2 years of legal residence, a Brazilian by birth can apply for Spanish citizenship and keep Brazilian citizenship.

Brazilians are one of the largest Latin American communities in Spain: 105,990 people on 1 January 2025, according to INE. Moving from Brazil is easier than from most countries: visa-free entry, a social security convention, a double taxation treaty and a short path to citizenship. But the short path is not open to everyone: if you became Brazilian by naturalisation, the law counts the time differently. Below are both routes, documents from Brazil, taxes on both sides and practice from our cases.

Moving to Spain from Brazil: a Brazilian by birth can reach citizenship in 2 years, a naturalised Brazilian or a foreign resident of Brazil in 10 years under the wording of the law.

Two routes: Brazilians by birth and everyone else

Two different groups move from Brazil to Spain, and the rules differ from day one to citizenship.

Stage	Brazilian by birth	Foreign resident of Brazil or naturalised Brazilian
Entry	Visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180	Visa-free on a Brazilian passport; on a Russian passport, a Schengen visa from a Spanish embassy or consulate
Residence	Digital nomad, startup visa, non-lucrative visa and other routes	The same routes and the same documents
Spanish citizenship	After 2 years of legal residence	Under the wording of the law, after 10 years
Previous citizenship	Brazilian citizenship is kept	Renouncing previous citizenship is likely to be required

A foreign national living in Brazil who needs a Schengen visa applies directly at the Spanish embassy or a consulate by appointment, with proof of residence in that consular district. The fee is €90 and processing takes 15 days, extendable to 45 (Spanish Embassy in Brasilia).

Entry and how to prove you are applying from Spain

Brazilian citizens need no visa for trips of up to three months: the rule is 90 days in any 180-day period. The European travel authorisation system ETIAS is not running as of October 2026, and there is no official launch date (ETIAS portal).

If you apply for residence from Spain, you must prove you are lawfully in the country on the filing date. Passport stamps for short trips have been replaced by the EES system, and this creates a new problem. In one of our cases, a client entered on a Brazilian passport without a stamp, and UGE sent a document request: no proof that the application was filed from Spain. The boarding pass stub solved it. In practice, keep your boarding passes and tickets from day one, and if you entered Spain from another Schengen country, file a declaración de entrada within three working days.

Once you apply from Spain, your lawful stay is extended until the decision, even if your 90 days run out. We advise against leaving before a decision on a first application; the reasons are covered in «UGE silence in Spain».

Which residence permit to choose

The digital nomad permit is for people working remotely for companies or clients outside Spain. You need a degree or at least three years of experience and income of €2,849 a month for the applicant, plus €1,068 for the first family member. A self-employed applicant may do up to 20% of their work for Spanish clients.
The startup visa is for founders of an innovative project. ENISA assesses the project first, then the residence application is filed. The key document is the business plan.
The non-lucrative visa is for people living on capital or passive income who will not work in Spain. You need funds of €2,400 a month plus €600 for each family member.

Digital nomad: from Spain or through a consulate in Brazil

A digital nomad can apply in two ways, and they are different procedures.

From Spain. The application goes to UGE with fee 790-038, a decision is due within 20 working days and the permit is issued straight away for three years. You need lawful stay on the filing date.
Through a consulate in Brazil. A decision is due within 10 days of the day after filing, and the visa is issued for a year or for the term of the permit. The national visa fee is R$570, paid in reais in cash or by PIX (embassy fee table). You apply at the mission whose district covers your state and prove residence there (digital nomad visa page).

Spanish mission	States
Embassy, Brasilia	Federal District, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Pará, Tocantins, Amazonas, Acre, Rondônia, Roraima, Amapá
Consulate General, São Paulo	São Paulo, Paraná, Mato Grosso do Sul
Consulate General, Rio de Janeiro	Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo
Consulate General, Salvador	Bahia, Sergipe, Alagoas, Pernambuco, Paraíba, Rio Grande do Norte, Ceará, Piauí, Maranhão
Consulate General, Porto Alegre	Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina

Honorary consulates in Recife, Belo Horizonte, Curitiba and other cities do not issue visas (list of missions).

Documents from Brazil

Criminal record certificate. The Federal Police Certidão de Antecedentes Criminais is issued online, free of charge, and is valid for 90 days (gov.br). For the visa, the consulate asks for the federal certificate with an apostille.
Apostille. Brazil has applied the Hague Convention since 14 August 2016. Apostilles are issued by notary offices (cartórios), including electronically (CNJ Resolution 228). The price depends on the state.
Translation. Documents in Portuguese are translated into Spanish by a sworn translator.
Passport. For the visa, it must be valid for at least a year with two blank pages.

Social security and your INSS pension

Spain and Brazil have a social security convention from 1991, in force since 1 December 1995 and revised from 1 March 2018 (BOE, revision).

An employee of a Brazilian company can stay in the Brazilian system for up to 3 years and prove it with an INSS certificate. For the digital nomad permit, UGE accepts this certificate instead of Spanish registration (UGE FAQ).
A freelancer or owner of an MEI or PJ cannot: according to UGE, a self-employed digital nomad must register in the Spanish self-employed system (RETA).
Your INSS pension is paid while you live in Spain, and contribution periods in both countries are added together. How the Spanish part is calculated is covered in our article on pensions in Spain.

Taxes: leaving Brazil and arriving in Spain

What to do in Brazil

The Comunicação de Saída Definitiva do País is filed from your departure date until the last day of February of the following year, followed by the Declaração de Saída Definitiva do País by the annual return deadline (gov.br). Without them, Brazil keeps treating you as resident. If you leave temporarily, non-resident status starts after 12 consecutive months abroad (Brazilian Foreign Ministry).
An exit tax on unrealised capital gains is not provided for in Brazilian law as of October 2026.
If you remain resident in Brazil, income from foreign investments and profits of controlled foreign companies are taxed at 15% every year, even if not distributed (Law 14.754/2023).
Owners of a Brazilian business: since 2026, dividends paid abroad are subject to 10% withholding tax (Law 15.270/2025).

The double taxation treaty

The Spain-Brazil treaty was signed on 14 November 1974 and remains in force (BOE, Decree 76.975). There is no amending protocol; the latest interpretation by the competent authorities dates from 2025–2026 (Hacienda). Three rules matter for wealthier movers:

pensions of up to USD 3,000 a year are taxed only in the country of residence, and the excess in both countries;
capital gains (other than on real estate) can be taxed in both countries, so plan the sale of Brazilian assets before you change residence;
under the treaty text, Spain exempts Brazilian dividends taxed in Brazil, but how this applies today needs checking against your structure.

What changes in Spain

A Spanish tax resident pays tax on worldwide income; when you become one is covered in our article on Spanish tax residency. An employee with a digital nomad permit can opt for the Beckham Law: 24% on employment income up to €600,000 a year, for the year of arrival and the next five, provided you were not resident in Spain in the previous five years (Article 93 of the Personal Income Tax Law). A self-employed digital nomad cannot use it. Accounts, deposits and property abroad worth over €50,000 in each group are declared on Form 720 between 1 January and 31 March.

Spanish citizenship in 2 years

Citizens of Ibero-American countries, including Brazil, can obtain Spanish citizenship after 2 years of legal, continuous residence immediately before the application, instead of 10 (Article 22 of the Civil Code). More in our article on fast-track citizenship for Latin Americans.

Exams. Brazilians take DELE at A2 level or higher and the CCSE test: only nationals of Spanish-speaking countries are exempt from the language exam, and Brazil is not on the list (Royal Decree 1004/2015). How to prepare is covered in our article on DELE and SIELE exams.
Dual citizenship. You do not have to renounce Brazilian citizenship (Article 23 of the Spanish Civil Code), and since 2023 Brazil no longer removes citizenship for acquiring another (Constitutional Amendment 131/2023).
By birth only. The law grants 2 years to nationals of Ibero-American countries «de origen», that is, by origin.

If you live in Brazil but were not born there

Many foreign residents of Brazil count on a «Brazilian passport first, then 2 years in Spain» plan. In practice, it is not a shortcut.

Brazilian naturalisation requires at least 4 years of residence and Portuguese (the Celpe-Bras certificate). The period drops to 1 year if you have a Brazilian child or spouse (Law 13.445/2017, Articles 65–66, Brazilian Ministry of Justice).
A naturalised Brazilian is not a national by origin. Under the wording of Article 22 of the Spanish Civil Code, the general period of 10 years applies. Case law on this point is not settled, and we will not promise 2 years.
A child born in Brazil is Brazilian by birth, and the Ibero-American period applies to them.

A Brazilian passport still gives you visa-free travel and spares you the Schengen visa. But if your goal is a Spanish passport, count on 10 years and start your Spanish residence right away rather than waiting for Brazilian naturalisation.

Frequently asked questions

Do Brazilian citizens need a visa for Spain?

Not for trips of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. To live in Spain you need a residence permit, applied for from Spain within the visa-free period or through a Spanish consulate in Brazil.

How much does the digital nomad visa cost at a Spanish consulate in Brazil?

The national visa fee is R$570, paid in reais in cash or by PIX. The amount is indicative: the rate on the filing date applies.

How do I prove I am applying from Spain if my passport has no stamp?

Keep your boarding passes and tickets. If you entered Spain from another Schengen country, file a declaración de entrada with the police within three working days.

Do Brazilians need DELE for Spanish citizenship?

Yes. Brazilians take DELE at A2 level or higher and the CCSE test: only nationals of Spanish-speaking countries are exempt from the language exam.

Will I have to give up Brazilian citizenship?

No. Spain does not require Ibero-American nationals to renounce their citizenship, and since 2023 Brazil no longer removes citizenship for acquiring another.

Can I get Spanish citizenship in 2 years if I became Brazilian by naturalisation?

Under the wording of the law, no: 2 years apply to Brazilian nationals by origin. A naturalised Brazilian falls under the general period of 10 years.

Will I receive my INSS pension in Spain?

Yes. The social security convention keeps the pension payable while you live in Spain and adds together contribution periods in both countries.

Key points about moving to Spain from Brazil

Brazilian citizens need no visa for up to 90 days, and ETIAS is not running as of October 2026.
Residence: digital nomad, startup visa or non-lucrative visa, from Spain or through one of five Spanish missions in Brazil.
The Federal Police certificate is free and valid for 90 days, and apostilles are issued by cartórios.
An employee of a Brazilian company can stay in Brazilian social security; a self-employed person must register in Spain.
Leaving Brazilian tax residence takes two filings, and there is no exit tax.
Spanish citizenship in 2 years is only for Brazilians by birth, with DELE A2 and CCSE, keeping the Brazilian passport.

Sources

Contents

Two routes: Brazilians by birth and everyone else
Entry and how to prove you are applying from Spain
Which residence permit to choose
- Digital nomad: from Spain or through a consulate in Brazil
Documents from Brazil
Social security and your INSS pension
Taxes: leaving Brazil and arriving in Spain
Spanish citizenship in 2 years
If you live in Brazil but were not born there
Frequently asked questions
Key points about moving to Spain from Brazil
Sources

Useful resources

Where to live in Spain Map of 52 provinces: rent, income, expat communities Open the map

Digital nomad visa

Moving to Spain

Residence permits