How to move to Spain from Brazil: visas, legal options, and complete guide 2026

Apostille of Brazilian documents: the cartórios system and timelines

Brazil joined the Hague Apostille Convention on August 14, 2016, which replaced the old consular legalization system with the simplified apostille. The competent authorities in Brazil are the cartórios authorized by the National Council of Justice (CNJ), which in practice means that any Brazilian city with an authorized cartório can issue apostilles in a few business days. The typical process for personal documents:

• Birth, marriage, death certificates (certidões): issued by the Civil Registry Cartório → apostille at any CNJ-authorized cartório.
• Criminal records (federal and state): Federal Police or State Public Security Secretariat → apostille at an authorized cartório.
• University degrees: recognition by MEC (where applicable) → apostille at a cartório.
• Corporate documents (articles of association, Junta Comercial certificate, minutes, Receita Federal registration certificates): direct apostille at an authorized cartório.

The cost of the apostille in Brazil typically ranges between R$50 and R$150 per document, with very fast issuance times (24 to 72 hours at most cartórios). Remember that many documents in Spain have a limited validity of 3 to 6 months from issuance, so it is advisable to calculate the timing well. An important note for documents in Portuguese: although Spain and Brazil are linguistically sister countries, documents in Brazilian Portuguese must be accompanied by a sworn translation into Spanish performed by an authorized translator. The most efficient option is the sworn translation in Brazil by a recognized tradutor público juramentado, subsequently apostilled together with the original document.

The Spanish Consulate in Brazil: offices in Brasília, São Paulo, Rio, Salvador, and Porto Alegre

Spain has one of the most complete consular networks in Latin America in Brazil, with the Consular Section of the Embassy in Brasília and four Consulates General distributed throughout the country. Each consulate has its specific territorial jurisdiction, and you must go to the one that corresponds to your state of residence:

• Consular Section of the Embassy in Brasília: SES Avenida das Nações, Quadra 811, Lote 44, 70429-900 Brasília DF. Serves the entire North region and the states of Mato Grosso, Goiás, and the Federal District. Email: sc.brasilia@maec.es.
• Consulate General in São Paulo: serves the states of São Paulo, Paraná, and Mato Grosso do Sul. Visa email: cog.saopaulo.vis@maec.es. It is the consulate with the highest volume of procedures in the country.
• Consulate General in Rio de Janeiro: serves the states of Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, and Espírito Santo.
• Consulate General in Salvador de Bahia: serves the states of the Northeast (Bahia, Sergipe, Alagoas, Pernambuco, Paraíba, Rio Grande do Norte, Ceará, Piauí, Maranhão).
• Consulate General in Porto Alegre: serves the states of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina.

Prior appointments are managed online at each consulate and the typical times in 2026 are:

• Digital nomad, highly qualified, and entrepreneur visas: 4 to 6 weeks from submission at the UGE-CE to delivery of the visa at the consulate.
• Standard work visa as an employee: 6 to 12 weeks for an appointment; 1 to 3 months for resolution.
• Student visas: 3 to 6 weeks for an appointment; 30 to 45 days for resolution.
• Citizenship by residency procedures: require prior preparation with valid apostilles.

Recommendation: if you have the option to choose a consulate within your jurisdiction, plan the timelines well in advance because São Paulo and Rio usually have longer waiting lists than Brasília or Porto Alegre.

Taxation for Brazilians residing in Spain: what to know before arriving

If you are going to reside more than 183 days a year in Spain, you become a Spanish tax resident and pay tax on your worldwide income through the IRPF, unless you opt in to a special regime. This is one of the most sensitive points for Brazilians with high income or with significant assets in Brazil. Three key aspects:

• Spain-Brazil Convention to Avoid Double Taxation is in force and allows avoidance of double taxation on income, dividends, interest, and capital gains obtained in both countries.
• Form 720: Spanish tax residents must declare assets and rights abroad (accounts, real estate, securities) if they exceed €50,000 per category. This directly affects Brazilians with accounts or properties in Brazil.
• Wealth Tax and the new Solidarity Tax on Great Fortunes: applicable based on the declared worldwide assets.

Tax planning prior to relocation is critical for Brazilians with significant assets or high income. One of the most powerful tools is the Beckham Law, which we detail in the business block. For an overview, the guide on Spanish taxes for foreigners is required reading before making tax decisions.

Brazilian companies in Spain: how to operate in Europe and relocate teams

Brazil is one of the main Latin American countries in foreign direct investment to Spain. The business block is especially relevant for two reasons: the size of the Brazilian economy and Spain’s role as a gateway to the European market. Below, the most used options by Brazilian companies and entrepreneurs.

Spain as a European hub for Brazilian companies: access to the EU market from Madrid or Barcelona

For a Brazilian company that wants to expand to Europe, Spain offers a combination that is hard to match:

• Close language and culture: the operational adaptation cost is much lower than entering through Germany, France, or the Netherlands.
• EU passport: a Spanish company operates with freedom in the 27 EU countries without additional barriers.
• Spain-Brazil Convention to avoid double taxation, in force, which reduces taxation on cross-border dividends, interest, and royalties.
• Mercosur-EU Agreement signed in 2024, which is in the ratification process and will significantly reduce tariff barriers between both blocks.
• European financial hub with access to bank financing, capital markets, and investment funds on competitive terms.

Madrid and Barcelona are the two main poles for headquarters of Brazilian companies, with differentiated profiles: Madrid usually attracts financial services, consulting, energy, and large account projects; Barcelona attracts more technology, startups, biotechnology, design, and international trade.

Spanish subsidiary of a Brazilian company: incorporation process and legal requirements

The most used option by Brazilian companies that establish themselves in Spain is the Sociedad Limitada (SL) as a subsidiary. The essential steps are:

• Obtaining the NIE of the partners and administrator (can be managed from Brazil via consulate or representative in Spain).
• Negative certification of the company name from the Central Commercial Registry.
• Opening a bank account in the name of the company and capital deposit.
• Granting of public deed of incorporation before a notary, with specific powers if the partners do not travel.
• Registration in the Commercial Registry of the province.
• Registration with the Tax Agency and obtaining the definitive CIF.
• Registration as an employer with Social Security if it will have workers.

The complete process, well managed, takes between 4 and 8 weeks and notarial and registry costs range around €800 to €1,500 for a standard incorporation. To understand which figure best fits your case (subsidiary, branch, or representation office), our guide on representation office, branch, or subsidiary: differences compares the three options.

Relocation of employees from Brazil to Spain: intra-company transfer, documentation, and timelines

When a Brazilian company relocates an executive, specialist, or trainee to its Spanish subsidiary, the appropriate figure is the intra-company transfer regulated in Law 14/2013. It is an agile permit with a resolution period of 20 business days before the UGE-CE, aimed at profiles that already form part of the business group before the relocation. The essential requirements:

• Minimum tenure at the Brazilian company of origin (3 months for executives and specialists).
• Employment contract with the Spanish subsidiary or relocation letter.
• Salary that meets the minimum thresholds of the position, in any case higher than the SMI.
• Proven qualification of the worker.
• Solvency and real activity of both companies (Brazilian parent and Spanish subsidiary).

The intra-company transfer is especially efficient for teams of between 5 and 100 people that a Brazilian company wants to relocate to Spain in a phased manner. Timelines are fast, the documentation is standardized, and it allows extension to direct family members in the same file. Our service of employee relocation to Spain coordinates the immigration aspects with the labor and tax aspects of the relocated worker.

Brazilians with a Portuguese passport relocating their company to Spain: advantages of the dual route

Here is a very frequent scenario in reality: the Brazilian entrepreneur with dual Portuguese nationality who wants to relocate their company from Brazil to Spain. The optimal strategy combines two routes:

• EU regime for the entrepreneur: you enter Spain as an EU citizen (via the Portuguese route), register as an EU resident without the need for a visa, and obtain full access to the labor and banking market.
• Spanish subsidiary for the Brazilian company: a Spanish SL is incorporated as a subsidiary of the Brazilian parent, with the entrepreneur as sole administrator or majority partner.
• Relocation of key employees from Brazil to Spain via intra-company transfer (this route does require a visa for Brazilian employees without an EU passport).

The result is a mixed operation where the entrepreneur operates with maximum freedom and the Brazilian company is formally established in Spain. It is one of the schemes with the most traction for Brazilians with diversified assets.

Beckham Law for relocated Brazilian executives: paying 24% in taxes for 6 years

The Beckham Law (special impatriate regime, article 93 of Law 35/2006 on Personal Income Tax) is one of the most attractive tax regimes in Europe. For a Brazilian executive relocated to Spain, the keys are:

• Flat rate of 24% on employment income up to €600,000 annually (47% on the excess).
• Duration: 6 years (year of arrival + 5 following years).
• Taxation only on income obtained in Spain (except employment income, which is taxed worldwide at 24%).
• Foreign income (dividends, interest, rentals in Brazil) exempt in Spain.
• Wealth Tax limited to assets in Spain.
• No obligation to file Form 720.
• The benefits extend to the spouse and dependent children under certain conditions.

Requirements to access: not having been a tax resident in Spain during the previous 5 years, having a valid reason for relocation (employment contract, relocation by a Brazilian company, status of administrator with less than 25% shareholding, or entrepreneurial activity declared of economic interest), and applying for the regime through Form 149 within 6 months following registration with Social Security. For a Brazilian executive with a salary of €200,000, the annual difference between the Beckham Law and the general regime can exceed €30,000 in tax savings. Prior planning is essential. Our complete guide on the Beckham Law in Spain goes deep into every nuance.

Due diligence prior to business investment in Spain from Brazil

Before investing in Spain (purchase of a company, acquisition of commercial property, joint venture, or expansion via subsidiary), a Brazilian company must perform a due diligence that covers at least:

• Legal-commercial analysis of the target asset or company.
• Cross-border tax analysis Spain-Brazil, including application of the Double Taxation Convention.
• Labor analysis, including the possible assumption of existing workforces.
• Regulatory analysis according to the sector (authorizations, licenses, anti-money laundering, data protection).
• Analysis of status with tax authorities and Social Security.

This step, frequently ignored in intuitive operations, is what differentiates a successful investment from a prolonged litigation.

Essential procedures upon arriving in Spain from Brazil

Once you have arrived in Spain, whether with a national visa or as an EU citizen, there is a sequence of urgent steps in the first weeks: Padrón registration. This is the first procedure and the basis of everything else. It is done at the Town Hall of the municipality where you live, presenting a rental contract, deed of property, or authorization from the holder. TIE application (national visa) or EU Registration Certificate (European passport). If you arrived with a national visa, you have one month from entry to request an appointment at the National Police Station for your Foreigner Identity Card. If you arrived as an EU citizen and are going to stay more than 3 months, you must apply for the EU Citizen Registration Certificate. Social Security registration. If your visa or regime is for work as an employee, the registration is processed by the employer in the general regime; if you are self-employed or a digital nomad, you do it yourself in the RETA. Form 149 application (Beckham Law). If you are going to opt in to the impatriate regime, you have 6 months from your registration with Social Security to file Form 149 before the Tax Agency. After that period, you lose the option permanently. Opening a bank account. Necessary for payroll, bills, and business operations. For Brazilians with assets in Brazil, it is advisable to choose banks with international presence (Santander, BBVA, Bradesco’s Spanish subsidiary) that facilitate transfers between both countries. Move to Spain from Brazil is one of the most versatile processes in the Latin American cluster: the European passport / non-European duality opens two completely different paths, both viable and fast when chosen and managed well. For qualified Brazilians, the digital nomad visa combined with the Beckham Law is one of the most attractive tax propositions in Europe. For Brazilian companies, Spain is the natural gateway to the European market, with a mature legal and tax structure to host subsidiaries, investments, and team relocations. At ILLAY Legal, we work with Brazilians and Brazilian companies through 100% online management, integrating immigration, taxation, and corporate law to design the optimal strategy in each case. Tell us your situation and we’ll tell you exactly what steps to take.