Meridian · Freshness tracker

What's changed.

Dated updates to visa, tax, residency, citizenship, housing, and labour policy across every country tracked. Every entry cites its primary source and the date we last verified it.

Subscribe via RSS ↗ · 14 entries shown

Country All countriesAQAntarcticaAUAustraliaBRBrazilCACanadaCNChina (Mainland)EGEgyptFRFranceDEGermanyHKHong KongIEIrelandITItalyJPJapanMXMexicoMAMoroccoNLNetherlandsNZNew ZealandPTPortugalSGSingaporeZASouth AfricaKRSouth KoreaESSpainAEUnited Arab EmiratesGBUnited KingdomUSUnited States
Category All categoriesVisa & immigrationResidencyCitizenshipTaxationLabourHousingHealthcareOther
In force 1 Jan 2026
In force Taxation

Constitutional Tax Reform enacted — CBS / IBS implementation begins

Emenda Constitucional 132/2023 (Reforma Tributária) enacted in late 2023 launched Brazil's comprehensive consumption-tax reform, replacing multiple legacy taxes (PIS, Cofins, ICMS, ISS) with a unified Contribuição sobre Bens e Serviços (CBS) and Imposto sobre Bens e Serviços (IBS). Phased implementation 2026–2033. Does not affect personal income tax directly but reshapes the cost-of-living and cost-of-doing-business environment.

Who it affects: All Brazilian tax residents and entities — phased implementation through 2033.

Diário Oficial da União ↗ · Receita Federal do Brasil ↗ · verified 2026-04-19

In force 10 Apr 2025
In force Visa & immigration

Reciprocal visa requirement restored for US, Canadian, Australian nationals

Brazil restored the reciprocal visa requirement for US, Canadian, and Australian tourists from 10 April 2025 after a multi-year visa-waiver extension. These three countries require visas from Brazilian citizens; Brazilian policy now reciprocates. Implemented via e-visa online platform — application process is simple but has added a cost and pre-trip planning step.

Who it affects: US, Canadian, and Australian tourists and short-term visitors to Brazil.

Itamaraty — Ministério das Relações Exteriores ↗ · Ministério da Justiça e Segurança Pública — Migrações ↗ · verified 2026-04-19

In force 1 Jan 2025
In force Labour

National minimum wage raised to BRL 1,518/month for 2025

Presidential decree raised the 2025 national minimum wage to BRL 1,518/month (approximately US$260) from BRL 1,412 in 2024 — a 7.5% increase. Several Brazilian social-security and residency-adjacent calculations are pegged to multiples of minimum wage.

Who it affects: Low-wage workers; indirect on benchmarks for other residency income tests.

Diário Oficial da União ↗ · Receita Federal do Brasil ↗ · verified 2026-04-19

In force 1 Sept 2024
In force Healthcare

SUS universal-healthcare coverage continued for all legal residents

Brazil's Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) continues to provide universal-healthcare access to all legal residents including foreign residents on any visa category — a structural advantage compared to most other mover destinations. Practical quality varies materially by region; private health insurance is common in São Paulo and Rio professional/expat circles.

Who it affects: Foreign residents in Brazil on any residence permit.

Ministério da Justiça e Segurança Pública — Migrações ↗ · verified 2026-04-19

In force 1 Jul 2024
In force Residency

Polícia Federal migration-processing substantially digitalised

Polícia Federal's online migration-services platform was substantially expanded through 2024 — online RNM (residence card) renewal applications, digital appointment booking, and integrated document submission. Physical attendance required only for biometrics. Materially reduces the historic in-person-queuing friction.

Who it affects: All non-Brazilian residents and applicants interacting with Polícia Federal for RNM issuance.

Polícia Federal — Migração ↗ · verified 2026-04-19

In force 1 Jul 2024
In force Residency

Digital RNM card / CRNM-Digital rollout

Polícia Federal began issuing the digital RNM card (CRNM-Digital) alongside the physical card from mid-2024 — allowing residents to present identification via a government-verified mobile application. Material for everyday interactions with banks, airlines, and service providers; some legacy systems continue to require the physical card.

Who it affects: New and renewing foreign residents in Brazil.

Polícia Federal — Migração ↗ · verified 2026-04-19

In force 10 Jun 2024
In force Taxation

Receita Federal clarified tax-residency tests for digital nomads

Receita Federal's Solução de Consulta clarified in mid-2024 that holders of the VITEM XIV Digital Nomad Visa become Brazilian tax residents after 184 days of residence in a 12-month period, triggering worldwide-income taxation. This matches the general test but had been ambiguous specifically for digital nomads; the clarification has been a material input into DNV holders' practical tax planning.

Who it affects: Digital Nomad Visa holders and foreign residents with extended Brazilian stays.

Receita Federal do Brasil ↗ · verified 2026-04-19

In force 1 Apr 2024
In force Visa & immigration

Investor Visa thresholds clarified in updated Portaria

Updated Portaria in early 2024 clarified and marginally adjusted the Investor Visa thresholds — business investment BRL 500,000+ (approximately US$85,000 at current exchange), real-estate BRL 1,000,000+ (approximately US$170,000). Reduced-threshold pathways for investment in the Northeast and Amazon regions (approximately BRL 150,000 / BRL 250,000) retained and clarified.

Who it affects: Prospective Investor Visa applicants and Brazilian investment counsel.

Ministério da Justiça e Segurança Pública — Migrações ↗ · Diário Oficial da União ↗ · verified 2026-04-19

Announced 14 Mar 2024
Announced Citizenship

Proposed constitutional amendment to tighten citizenship rules — no movement

A proposed constitutional amendment (PEC) to tighten Brazilian citizenship rules — longer residency requirements, stricter Portuguese-language testing — was introduced in the Chamber of Deputies in March 2024 but has not progressed through committees. Current citizenship rules (4 years residence for non-Lusophones; 1 year for Portuguese-speakers with Brazilian ties) remain in force.

Who it affects: Current and future naturalisation applicants.

Ministério da Justiça e Segurança Pública — Migrações ↗ · verified 2026-04-19

In force 1 Jan 2024
In force Citizenship

One-year naturalisation path for Portuguese-speaking CPLP nationals confirmed

The accelerated naturalisation path for nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries (Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa, CPLP) — 1 year of continuous legal residence vs 4 years for non-Lusophones — continues to operate. Material for Portuguese, Angolan, Mozambican, Cape Verdean, and East Timorese nationals considering Brazilian citizenship.

Who it affects: Portuguese-language-country nationals (Portugal, Cape Verde, Angola, Mozambique, etc.).

Ministério da Justiça e Segurança Pública — Migrações ↗ · verified 2026-04-19

In force 1 Jan 2024
In force Residency

Ukrainian and Afghan humanitarian visa programmes continue

The humanitarian-reception programmes for Ukrainian (since 2022) and Afghan (since 2021) nationals remain in force through 2024–2025. Simplified consular processing, automatic residence-visa eligibility, and accelerated RNM issuance. Approximately 150,000 Ukrainians and 30,000 Afghans have been admitted under these programmes.

Who it affects: Ukrainian and Afghan nationals seeking humanitarian reception in Brazil.

Ministério da Justiça e Segurança Pública — Migrações ↗ · Itamaraty — Ministério das Relações Exteriores ↗ · verified 2026-04-19

In force 1 Oct 2023
In force Residency

Colombia joined MERCOSUL Residence Agreement as associate state

Colombia's accession to the MERCOSUL Residence Agreement as an associate state took effect from October 2023 — Colombian nationals now have access to the simplified MERCOSUL residence pathway (2-year initial residence with minimal documentation, convertible to permanent after 2 years).

Who it affects: Colombian nationals seeking Brazilian residence.

Ministério da Justiça e Segurança Pública — Migrações ↗ · Itamaraty — Ministério das Relações Exteriores ↗ · verified 2026-04-19

In force 1 Jan 2023
In force Residency

Lula III administration inaugurated — stable migration policy

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was inaugurated on 1 January 2023, beginning the third non-consecutive Lula administration. Immigration policy has been largely stable — the Lei de Migração 2017 framework remains intact, with operational focus on processing capacity, digitalisation, and humanitarian reception (Ukrainian, Afghan refugees). No major legislative reform attempted in the first three years of the administration.

Who it affects: Broad migration-policy direction; no major structural reforms enacted to date.

Ministério da Justiça e Segurança Pública — Migrações ↗ · verified 2026-04-19

In force 24 Jan 2022
In force Visa & immigration

VITEM XIV Digital Nomad Visa launched — first in Latin America

Portaria Interministerial 8/2022 (CONARE) introduced the VITEM XIV digital-nomad residence visa on 24 January 2022 — the first formal digital-nomad visa in Latin America. 1-year validity, renewable for a further year. Income threshold US$1,500/month or US$18,000 bank balance. Simple documentation package; practically one of the most-accessible DNVs globally.

Who it affects: Non-Brazilian remote workers earning US$1,500+/month.

Ministério da Justiça e Segurança Pública — Migrações ↗ · Diário Oficial da União ↗ · verified 2026-04-19