Settling-in guide
Checking a property before you buy or rent
In Brazil, a property's record at the Cartório de Registro de Imóveis says who owns it and what weighs on it. Checking that record, and the owner, before you sign is how you avoid paying for someone else's debts.
In short
Before you buy property in Brazil, get an up-to-date matrícula from the Cartório de Registro de Imóveis to see who owns it and what is registered against it, and check the seller's court, labour, protest and tax certificates. Under Lei 13.097/2015, what isn't on the matrícula generally can't be held against the buyer, but unpaid condominium fees and property tax can pass to you.
Before you buy
Foreigners can buy urban property in Brazil with a CPF, as Brazilians do; rural land has extra limits for foreigners. These are the checks:
- An up-to-date matrícula certificate from the Cartório de Registro de Imóveis: who owns the property, what it is, and every registered sale, mortgage or court order.
- Liens and claims (ônus reais): mortgages, fiduciary liens, seizures (penhoras) or lawsuits recorded on the matrícula.
- The seller's certificates: civil and federal court searches, the labour debts certificate (CNDT), protest records and federal tax debts. They show debts or lawsuits that could put the sale at risk.
- Property tax (IPTU) at the city hall. Unpaid property tax can pass to the buyer, so ask for the city's certificate of no debts.
- Condominium fees. Unpaid fees pass to the new owner, so ask the building's administration for a statement of no debts.
- The sale is complete only when the notary's deed (escritura) is registered on the matrícula. Until then, the property isn't legally yours.
Before you rent
- Check that the landlord owns the property: the name on the matrícula should match the person signing, or they should show the owner's power of attorney.
- Read the contract for the term, the index used to adjust the rent each year, and who pays the property tax and condominium fees.
- A landlord can ask for one guarantee, never more: a guarantor (fiador), a cash deposit (caução) of up to three months' rent, rent-guarantee insurance (seguro-fiança) or pledged investment fund shares.
- Do an inspection report (vistoria) with photos when you move in, so you aren't charged for damage you didn't cause.
Doing the checks yourself
- Order the matrícula certificate from the cartório for the property's area, in person or online through the national registry portal.
- Request the seller's certificates from the courts, the labour courts and the Receita Federal. Most are free, online, and need the seller's CPF.
- Read them for anything registered against the property or the seller. Anything unclear is a reason to have a lawyer look before you pay a deposit (sinal).
Have a lawyer check it
A Brazilian lawyer registered with the OAB pulls the property's record and the owner's certificates, reviews the contract, and tells you in writing what they found before you sign. You follow the work in the Emigro app.
This review is done only by a lawyer: it's legal work, not paperwork.
Book a property checkYou pay the provider directly. Emigro never holds your payment.
General information from Brazil's public registry and tenancy laws. It is not legal advice: the lawyer's review is what you can rely on.
Official sources
Lei 6.015/1973, public registries ↗
Lei 13.097/2015, art. 54 (the matrícula) ↗
Lei 8.245/1991, the Tenancy Law (guarantees: arts. 37 and 38) ↗
Registro de Imóveis do Brasil (ONR), certificates online ↗
Checked against official sources on October 25, 2026. Emigro gives preliminary guidance, not legal advice. Emigro is a private company, not affiliated with the Brazilian government, the Federal Police, Itamaraty, the Ministry of Justice or the Receita Federal. Emigro is not a law firm and does not provide legal services. Lawyers listed are independent, registered with the OAB, and solely responsible for their advice.
Common questions
Can a foreigner buy property in Brazil?
Yes. Foreigners can buy urban property with a CPF, the same way Brazilians do. Rural land has extra limits for foreigners.
What is a property's matrícula?
It's the property's record at the Cartório de Registro de Imóveis: who owns it, what it is, and every registered sale, mortgage or court order. A sale only makes you the owner once it's registered there.
How much deposit can a landlord ask for?
A cash deposit (caução) can't be more than three months' rent, under the Tenancy Law. And a landlord can ask for only one guarantee: a deposit, a guarantor (fiador), rent-guarantee insurance or pledged investment fund shares.
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