Start with the federal Polícia Federal certificate — nationally valid and usually sufficient. But some Thai Embassies and Consulates also request the state-level certificate (from your state's Secretaria de Segurança Pública) in addition. Confirm exactly which documents the specific Embassy or Consulate handling your application requires before assuming the federal certificate alone covers it.

Not yet, and this is a common misunderstanding. Brazil's membership since 2016 is genuinely true. But Thailand — the destination country — only acceded to the Convention on 30 June 2026 and it doesn't take effect until 28 February 2027. The missing piece is on Thailand's side. Until then, your apostilled certificate also needs legalisation at the Royal Thai Embassy in Brasília or the Consulate in São Paulo.

For most retirees, no. The INSS minimum pension is tied to the national minimum wage — well below the roughly BRL 10,800/month the Non-OA income route requires. Reaching that level typically needs decades of high-salary contributions, which most Brazilian retirees don't have. The bank deposit route (800,000 THB, roughly BRL 133,000) is the more practical path for most applicants.

No — that's a common mix-up between two different LTR sub-categories. The 17% flat rate applies to LTR Highly-Skilled Professionals on Thai-sourced employment income. Wealthy Pensioners instead get a full exemption from Thai personal income tax on foreign-sourced income remitted to Thailand, under Royal Decree 743 — no cap on the amount remitted.

No — the DTV does require a 500,000 THB bank balance; it just doesn't require police clearance, which is easy to conflate. Every DTV applicant needs the bank balance regardless of income level.

The CNJ (Conselho Nacional de Justiça) oversees Brazil's national apostille system, but the actual issuing bodies are CNJ-authorized Cartórios (notary offices) — find one at cnj.jus.br/apostila. You can get either the traditional physical apostille, or the newer Apostila Eletrônica (a digitally-signed PDF with the apostille embedded), increasingly accepted for visa use.

Yes. Contact INSS (inss.gov.br or Central 135) to set up international payment, and file the annual prova de vida (proof of life) — traditionally via the Brazilian Embassy Bangkok, increasingly available via the Meu INSS app. Confirm current availability for Brazilians specifically in Thailand.

Confirm the current status and coverage directly with a contador or tax lawyer experienced in international tax before emigrating. Brazil has a more limited DTA network than many European countries, so don't assume coverage exists for INSS pension or investment income under Thailand's Por 161/2566 remittance rules.

It's one of the longest routes in this entire guide series — roughly 24 hours total from São Paulo (GRU) or Brasília, typically with one connection via Dubai, Doha, or Singapore. Plan the journey, and your first few days of adjustment, with this in mind.

Typically around 90 days for immigration purposes, regardless of when it was apostilled. Don't obtain the certificate too far in advance — time it close to when you'll actually submit your application.

Start with the free eligibility check above. Tell us your age, financial situation (INSS, savings), and how long you want to stay — we identify the right visa, guide you through the certificate and current legalisation process, and give a fixed-price quote. No obligation.

Foreign nationals cannot directly own Thai land. Options: condominiums (49% foreign-ownership quota per building, FET Certificate required), leasehold land, or other legal structures — nominee arrangements are illegal. Use a certified Thai property lawyer.