Residency or Retirement Income

The requirement is defined as US $2000, in US (not Brazilian) currency, in the applicable regulation, Resolução Normativa No. 40, de 2 de Outubro de 2019, published in the Diário Oficial da União on November 11, 2019.  The authoritative Portuguese text appears here:

https://in.gov.br/en/web/dou/-/resoluca … -229901650

Under the old immigration law that was replaced in 2017, the requirement for the former retirement visa was expressed in reais; as the value of the real fell against the dollar, this number diverged farther and farther from the government's intent.   The requirement has been stated in US Dollars, and only in US Dollars, since the publication of the regulation above.

Thanks,my income if i was to relocate to Brazil would be around $13-1400 short of the $2000 requirement.However,i have friends who live there that would have or know of very afftordable and decent housing to fit my budget.Might there be any other visa options for me to live there and possibly qualifying for medical insurance also?I only have my VA Health Care here in the states now.

arthow,

In this post, I outlined the current visa structure for people who want to come to Brazil in some capacity  other than as a tourist:

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.p … 04#5025583

You can find further details on the Visas page of any Brazilian Consulate that has updated its pages.  I know that the Consulate General in Chicago has, but not all of them have; any Consulate that lists "VIPER" as an available visa is outdated, and should be avoided.

Brazil is quite restrictive in granting residency.  In practical terms, it's limited to:

  -- close relatives, by blood or marriage, of Brazilians or current permanent residents, with restrictions to prevent chain migration;
  -- investors putting a significant, legally defined amount of foreign capital into a project approved by the government that will create jobs for Brazilians;
  -- people with skills or talents wanted in Brazil, as evidenced by an employment contract, or the equivalent in the academic, artistic or sports realms;
  -- Citizens of Portuguese-speaking countries;
  -- Bona fide religious and volunteer workers (temporary visa, may become permanent; no employment)
  -- Students (temporary visa; no employment)
  -- Retirees who bring a monthly income of US $2000 or more (temporary visa; formerly permanent, and probably will become permanent again)
  -- Citizens of other Mercosul (South American Common Market) countries
  -- Stateless persons and refugees, as defined by international law.

Costs of private health insurance in Brazil vary by age and region; a person of retirement age can count on spending R$1000/month or more, with a graduated series of waiting periods granting more coverage every few months, with full coverage after a year.  Residents qualify for the national health plan, SUS, which is free.  It's ok for basic care like vaccines, but has long wait times for most other services.  Health insurance in Brazil does not cover prescription drugs.  Brazil has a mammoth generic drug industry, though, so most common medications are available at reasonable prices.