海角乱伦

06/23/25 I just received the "advantages of citizenship" article. Can you own property aka the house I live in that is on my wife's property as a Brazilian Permanent Resident?
Roddie in Retirement馃槑 - @roddiesho

The short answer is yes, you can.聽 The longer answer will depend on how your wife holds title (e.g., whether it's by Escritura [title registered in a cart贸rio] or simple possession), and on how she conveys that title to you.聽

@abthree If I remember correctly, I am a Brazilian Permanent Resident because of my daughter. How will that work with any property that my wife wants to add me to. Do we have to get married again in Brazil or should I work all this thru my daughter. Also, the family is unanimous that EVERYTHING will go to our daughter. Is there anything we need to do in advance?

Roddie in Retirement

P.S. I just want to let you know that I appreciate and am looking to you as the best resource because you are the most knowledgeable and not just because it appears everyone else has left the room馃槖

06/23/25 @roddiesho.聽 Thanks -- probably just S茫o Jo茫o.聽 馃槀

No, any real estate transfer is between the permanent resident and the owner.聽 The basis of the permanent resident's status doesn't enter into it.

@abthree Great!!! I am still very, very comfortable...You know you are in the right family when you casually stop by your grandmother's house (my wife's mother), and she is on her porch getting a pedicure. 馃檪

@roddiesho

You do聽 not need to be a permanent resident in Brazil to own property here.

But if your wife wants to add you to the title you will have to go through the complete registration process again (assuming there is an escritura), and pay all the fees to the Town Hall and Cartorio again - based on today's value as though it was a sale

You cannot simply add a name - it is like there is a new buyer.

Out of curiosity, didn鈥檛 you already get married in Brazil? If your marriage license is in the US, it鈥檚 really easy to get your marriage registered in Brazil

Depending on your sources of income (from聽 Brazil or another country) there may be advantages to leaving the house in your wife鈥檚 name if your intent is to leave the house to your daughter. Get some expert expat tax advice for more details.

@sjpetzold Thanx. I am absolutely, truly allergic to "it's easy" 聽 聽 I am very used to dealing with the opposite. In this case, yes, we were married in the USA, but for various reasons (like not choosing one name on official documents) it did not carry onto Brazilian documents. I am a Brazilian Permanant Resident through my Brazilian daughter only because she was happy with only having ONE name on official documents.

Roddie in Retirement馃槑

@Ipanema777 Thanx! Since my entire wife's compound (She has a massive about of land in Northeastern Brazil with three houses she built including mine and our live-in caretaker) is in her name, I will be happy in just making sure everything is set for our daughter to inherit it all. If worse comes to worse the new car is in my name, and I can just sleep in it by the side of the road馃槒

Roddie in Retirement馃槑

@roddiesho

Don't forget that if you do nothing about wills, under Brazilian law 50% of any real estate will pass to a surviving spouse, and 50% will pass to any children, on the death of the registered owner...