Doing Business in Brazil

Soft landing in Brazil for foreign small and medium-sized companies. More than 20 years advising international clients on setting up operations, M&A, and real estate in Brazil, with direct partner involvement — from São Paulo and Santos.

Three ways foreign companies enter Brazil

Setting up your Brazilian operation

Brazil received USD 84.1 billion in foreign direct investment between January and November 2025, the highest inflow since 2014, with capital flowing into renewable energy, green hydrogen, agribusiness, infrastructure, and technology. Setting up a Brazilian subsidiary, branch, or representative office involves the choice of corporate vehicle (Ltda., S.A.), capital structure, registration of foreign capital with the Central Bank (RDE-IED), CNPJ enrollment, and municipal and state licensing. We handle and implement the legal architecture, and coordinate with your tax, accounting, and operational advisors, both in Brazil and in your home jurisdiction.

Source: Banco Central do Brasil, Direct Investment Report (December 2025).

Acquiring a Brazilian business

Brazil remained Latin America’s most active M&A market in 2025, with 1,877 announced transactions totaling approximately EUR 303.5 billion, a 15.8% increase over 2024, led by Technology, Internet, and Software & IT Services. Foreign capital plays a significant role in cross-border activity. We advise foreign acquirers on due diligence, share purchase agreements, joint ventures, post-closing governance, and the shareholders’ agreement.

Source: TTR Data, Brazil Annual Report 2025.

Investing in Brazilian real estate

Acquisition of commercial, industrial, logistics, and high-value residential real estate, as well as farms and forestry assets, by foreign capital. Title due diligence, foreign-ownership rules (Law n. 5,709/71 for rural land), structuring through SPVs (Special Purpose Vehicles) and Investment Funds, and exchange-control filings. Brazil’s federal housing programs and the maturity of the local real estate market continue to attract foreign developers and equity investors looking for risk-adjusted returns backed by real assets, particularly near Brazil’s main logistic and port hubs.

A boutique built around the client

Our work model is built around one principle: the partner is on every engagement, from the first call to the closing of the matter. Foreign small and medium-sized companies entering Brazil rarely need scale, they need a counterpart who reads the deal, knows the local detail, and replies the same day. We work in Portuguese, English, and Spanish, and we coordinate directly with your tax advisors, accountants, and counsel in your home jurisdiction.

A typical inbound investment timeline

#	Step	What happens	Typical timing
1	RFI / first call	Scope, jurisdiction, structure, fee proposal.	Week 1
2	Structuring memo	Choice of vehicle, tax architecture, capital path.	Week 2-3
3	SISBACEN / RDE-IED	Foreign capital registration with the Central Bank.	Week 3-4
4	CNPJ enrollment	Brazilian tax ID for the new entity.	Week 4-5
5	Bank account	Local banking relationship, FX policy.	Week 5-7
6	Real estate or asset DD	Title, tax, environmental, labor liabilities.	Week 6-10
7	Operating licenses	Municipal, state, sector-specific (Anvisa, Ibama, etc.).	Week 8-12
8	First hire	Employment contract template, payroll, compliance.	Week 10+

Timings are typical, not guaranteed. Greenfield set-up in a regulated sector (financial services, healthcare, telecom) takes longer; an asset acquisition compresses several steps in parallel.

São Paulo, Santos, and the Port of Santos

Our Santos office sits next to the Port of Santos, in the State of São Paulo, Brazil’s largest state economy and the country’s main industrial, commercial, and logistics hub. The State of São Paulo alone accounts for approximately 29% of Brazil’s GDP, concentrating much of the country’s foreign-invested industrial capacity, financial services, agribusiness processing, and consumer market.

The Port of Santos is the largest port complex in Latin America and the gateway for nearly one-third of Brazil’s entire foreign trade in value. For foreign clients building logistics, industrial, agribusiness, or trading operations in Brazil, this proximity matters: warehousing real estate, port concession agreements, customs structuring, container terminals, and the operational realities of FOB and CIF shipping are part of the practice, not a referral.

Port of Santos — 2025 in numbers

• 186.4 million tonnes of cargo moved, record year, +3.6% YoY
• 5.9 million TEU containers, +7.7% YoY, also a historical record
• 29.6% of Brazil’s foreign trade in value (FOB) passed through Santos in 2025

Sources: Santos Port Authority (Autoridade Portuária de Santos) and Ministry of Ports and Airports, annual data 2025. State of São Paulo GDP share: IBGE / Fundação Seade, 2025.

Recognitions and Institutional Affiliations

Over 20 years advising clients in Brazil and abroad

Get in touch

Reach out for an introductory conversation about your project in Brazil. We respond directly, in English, Portuguese, or Spanish.