Living in Brazil

Everything you need to actually live in Brazil.

An honest, practical handbook for moving to and living in Brazil as a foreigner — cost of living, healthcare, safety, the best cities, schools, renting, driving and more. Written by the lawyers who relocate people here every week.

Legal guides Living in Brazil Insights News Services & pricing

Best Expat Cities

A ranked, honest comparison of where to live in Brazil as a foreigner — work, cost, safety, healthcare and the neighborhoods worth your time.

City-by-city monthly budgets in USD and EUR, what US$2,000 a month really buys, and the hidden costs no one warns you about.

Driving in Brazil

How long your foreign licence really lasts, when the 180-day clock starts, and exactly how to exchange it for a Brazilian CNH.

Healthcare in Brazil

How expats combine free public SUS care with an affordable private plano de saúde — registration steps, premium ranges, and the traps to avoid.

International Schools

An honest, curriculum-by-city guide to American, British and IB schools in Brazil — with real 2026 fee ranges and the paperwork that actually trips families up.

Is Brazil safe?

The honest answer is “it depends on where and how you live” — here’s how to think like a local, pick the right neighborhood, and lower your risk.

Learn Portuguese

How to actually learn Brazilian Portuguese as a foreigner — plus the language test that stands between you and citizenship.

Moving from Europe

Visas, residency routes, taxes, healthcare and the Portugal-Brazil advantage — a plain-English relocation guide for EU citizens.

Move from the UK

British passport entry, the right visa, NHS-to-SUS healthcare, banking, tax and the real pound-cost of building a life in Brazil.

Visa routes, shipping, banking, healthcare, taxes and real costs — the definitive 2026 guide for Americans relocating to Brazil.

Renting an apartment

How to clear the fiador and seguro-fiança guarantor hurdle, read a 30-month Portuguese lease, and avoid the contract clauses that bite newcomers.

Retire in Brazil

What it really costs to retire in Brazil in 2026 — the residence visa, free public healthcare, the safest coastal towns, and how your pension is taxed.

When you're ready

Planning your move to Brazil?

Describe your situation and a lawyer will reply within one business day with a written scope and a flat fee.

Talk to a lawyer Explore the practice