Brazilians Living Abroad: Buy, Sell or Regularize Property in Brazil Remotely

Millions of Brazilians live in the United States, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Ireland, Australia and many other countries, and many of them keep an apartment, a house or a plot of land in Brazil. Distance makes simple matters harder: a deed that needs signing, a tenant who stops paying, a condominium lawsuit that nobody saw, a parent’s property that needs probate. This page explains what can be done remotely and what deserves attention.

Can I buy or sell property in Brazil without traveling?

Yes. Brazilians abroad can buy and sell property in Brazil without traveling, by signing through a representative with a power of attorney or by signing the deed electronically through e-Notariado, the official platform of Brazilian notaries regulated by the National Council of Justice. Registration at the property registry office does not require your presence.

There are three ways to sign:

Route	How it works	Suited to
Consulate	Public power of attorney issued at a Brazilian consulate, valid in Brazil without apostille	Brazilians near a consulate
Foreign notary	Document signed before a local notary, apostilled and, if not in Portuguese, translated by a sworn translator	When the consulate is far or has long waiting times
e-Notariado	Deed or power of attorney signed by video conference with a Brazilian notary, using a notarized digital certificate	Signing the act yourself, without a representative

Our power of attorney guide explains each route in detail.

What can a lawyer in Brazil handle for you while you live abroad?

A lawyer in Brazil can handle practically every legal step related to your property: due diligence, contracts, deeds, registration, regularization, leases, evictions, debt negotiations, auction defense and probate. You take the decisions; the lawyer executes them and reports back.

The most common requests from Brazilians abroad are:

• Selling a property that was left behind, including organizing pending documents before listing it.
• Buying a property for future return, investment or family use, sometimes at auction; see our guide on property auctions in Brazil.
• Regularizing a property without a registered deed, held by cessão de direitos (assignment of rights) or located in a condominium under regularization, a frequent situation in Brasília, in areas such as Vicente Pires, Jardim Botânico and Arniqueira.
• Recovering a rented property from a tenant who does not pay.
• Dealing with an inherited property; see inherited property in Brazil.

Which deadlines can put your property at risk while you are away?

The most dangerous deadlines are the ones you do not know are running. Notices and summons are often sent to the property’s address in Brazil, so owners abroad may discover a problem when it is already advanced.

1. Financing in default. With alienação fiduciária (fiduciary transfer), the registry office notifies the borrower to pay within 15 days. Without payment, the bank consolidates ownership and schedules auctions. Our Portuguese page on falling behind on financing explains the options.
2. Condominium and IPTU (property tax) debts. These can lead to seizure and auction of the property, even when it is the family home.
3. Tenant notice periods. Rights to terminate or adjust a lease depend on contractual and legal deadlines.
4. Long-term occupation by third parties. Someone who occupies a property as owner for years may, depending on the circumstances, claim title by usucapião (adverse possession), with periods ranging from 5 to 15 years.

The common mistake is waiting to resolve things “on the next trip to Brazil”. By then, a deadline that could have been used may have passed.

Which documents should you keep up to date?

You should keep your CPF (taxpayer ID) in regular status, a valid Brazilian or foreign identity document, an updated marriage or divorce certificate and the property’s documents. These are the items that most often delay a remote transaction.

• CPF in regular status, with updated data.
• Marital status: if you married or divorced abroad, the act generally needs to be recorded in Brazil before it is reflected in property transactions.
• Updated matrícula (property registry record) and the most recent IPTU bill.
• Condominium statement showing whether there are debts.

Tax questions, such as filing a departure declaration or tax on a sale made by a non-resident, depend on your situation and should be reviewed with an accountant. We coordinate with your accountant so that the legal and tax steps are consistent.

How do we work with Brazilians abroad?

We work remotely, by video call, with digital documents and meetings scheduled across time zones, from Tokyo to Toronto. The office is in Taguatinga, Brasília, in the Federal District, and we handle matters involving properties in different Brazilian states.

You receive clear explanations of each step, the documents you need to sign and the deadlines that matter. The Portuguese page for Brazilians abroad has further material. When you are ready, you can contact the firm to describe your situation.