Buy a Studio Apartment in São Paulo with Local Support, in English

Buying a studio in São Paulo as a foreigner: the key facts

Eight facts that answer most first questions. Each one is explained further down the page, with its source.

1. 01

   Foreign citizens can own urban property in Brazil in their own name. No visa, residency permit or Brazilian company is needed to own a studio in São Paulo.

2. 02

   You will need a CPF, the Brazilian individual taxpayer number. You can obtain it from abroad, at a Brazilian consulate or online, before you buy.

3. 03

   You don't have to travel to Brazil to complete a purchase. A power of attorney, typically signed at a Brazilian consulate, lets a representative sign for you.

4. 04

   Ownership is transferred by registration at the Property Registry (Registro de Imóveis), not by the contract or the payment.

5. 05

   The city of São Paulo charges a 3% transfer tax (ITBI). Deed and registry fees follow the São Paulo state fee tables: about R$ 8,750 for a R$ 500,000 property in the 2026 tables.

6. 06

   Mortgages are rarely available to non-residents. Most international buyers pay with their own funds; a studio's lower ticket makes that realistic, and off-plan purchases can be paid in installments to the developer during construction.

7. 07

   Many new compact buildings in São Paulo mix market-rate units (R2V) with social-housing units (HIS and HMP) that have income limits, a rent cap and no short-term rentals. As a buyer living abroad, you want an R2V unit, and every building page on this site shows the mix.

8. 08

   Ibirapuera.studio is paid by the developer. You pay the developer's official list price and no separate fee to us. Everything we publish is within 5 km (3.1 miles) of Ibirapuera Park, in a straight line, measured by us.

Last checked 1 October 2026. Sources at the end of the page.

How Ibirapuera.studio is paid — and what you pay for

In Brazil, new developments are sold through licensed brokers and the developer pays the brokerage commission. For the developments on this site, you pay the developer's official list price. The commission is not added to your price, and we charge no separate search, consulting or closing fee.

What you do pay are the costs of the purchase itself: the unit, the municipal transfer tax, deed and registry fees, currency exchange, translations, and your own lawyer if you hire one. They are listed, with figures, in the costs section below.

Two things worth knowing up front. First, we are paid by whichever developer you end up buying from, so we have no reason to push one building over another; our job is to compare them for you. Second, our shortlist comes from buildings inside the 5 km radius, nothing else. If what you need is elsewhere in São Paulo, this is the wrong site, and we'll say so. Before any proposal, you receive in writing how the price and the commission are structured for that specific development.

Studios for sale in São Paulo: our current selection

These are buildings with their own curated page on Ibirapuera.studio, inside the 5 km radius. Prices are in Brazilian reais (BRL), taken from each developer's official price list for market-rate (R2V) units, with the list date shown; buildings still collecting interest show no price. Each card links to the complete page in Portuguese (unit mix by regime, distance and routes, what's delivered, official images); ask for the current price list in English on WhatsApp.

Pre-launch: the developer is collecting interest; no sales yet. Sales open: official price list in force. Delivery: forecast as informed by the developer.

Images are the developers' artist's impressions unless marked as photos.

T.O.M. Paraíso

Developer:

Lavvi

Neighborhood:

Paraíso

Status:

Sales open · delivery July 2030

Studios:

25 to 40 m² (270 to 430 sq ft)

Units:

901

Unit mix:

R2V (market-rate): 514 of 901 units · HMP/HIS (income-limited): 387

From the park:

1.98 km straight line · 27 min on foot to gate 10

From R$ 529,693 (price list of October 2026)

Why it may fit a buyer abroad

Paraíso metro station, where the Blue and Green lines meet, is about 4 minutes on foot; every one-bedroom unit and every unit from the 20th floor up is market-rate.

Points to consider

The income-limited units (HIS-2 and HMP) are all studios between the 1st and 19th floors; no parking spaces. Ask us for the sales map and choose an R2V unit.

Ask about this building (WhatsApp)Complete page (Portuguese)

Zen Apartments

Developer:

Cyrela

Neighborhood:

Vila Mariana

Status:

Sales open

Studios:

30 to 36 m² (325 to 390 sq ft)

Units:

227

Unit mix:

R2V (market-rate): 114 of 227 units · HMP/HIS (income-limited): 113

From the park:

1.00 km straight line · 10 min on foot to gate 5

From R$ 577,437 (price list of September 2026)

Why it may fit a buyer abroad

By Cyrela, a developer listed on the São Paulo stock exchange (B3), with an official price list in force.

Points to consider

Mixed building, with income-limited HMP units; the balance due at delivery is hard to finance without Brazilian income, so plan it in cash.

Ask about this building (WhatsApp)Complete page (Portuguese)

Sync Ibirapuera

Developer:

Canopus

Neighborhood:

Paraíso

Status:

Sales open · delivery October 2029

Studios:

24.5 to 63.17 m² (265 to 680 sq ft)

Units:

262

Unit mix:

R2V (market-rate): 221 of 262 units · HMP/HIS (income-limited): 41

From the park:

1.72 km straight line · 20 min on foot to gate 10

From R$ 495,049 (price list of 25 September 2026)

Why it may fit a buyer abroad

Mostly market-rate units, with a dated price list and a delivery forecast published by the developer.

Points to consider

A large part of the price is due at delivery, with installments adjusted by INCC until then; plan that balance in cash.

Ask about this building (WhatsApp)Complete page (Portuguese)

Sarutaiá 45 Jardins

Developer:

Artz

Neighborhood:

Jardim Paulista

Status:

Pre-launch · interest list

Studios:

19 to 31.5 m² (205 to 340 sq ft)

Units:

234

Unit mix:

R2V (market-rate): 153 of 234 units · HMP/HIS (income-limited): 81

From the park:

1.77 km straight line · 19 min on foot to gate 9

Why it may fit a buyer abroad

Studios on Alameda Sarutaiá, Jardim Paulista, at the corner of Avenida Brigadeiro Luís Antônio, in a building planned without parking spaces.

Points to consider

Confirm the regime of each unit on the sales map before reserving; only R2V units suit a buyer living abroad.

Join the interest listAsk about this building (WhatsApp)Complete page (Portuguese)

Nex One Galeria Jardins

Developer:

One Innovation

Neighborhood:

Jardim Paulista

Status:

Pre-launch · interest list

Studios:

19 to 31 m² (205 to 335 sq ft)

Units:

456

Unit mix:

R2V (market-rate): 270 of 456 units · HMP/HIS (income-limited): 186

From the park:

2.63 km straight line · 32 min on foot to gate 9

Why it may fit a buyer abroad

Studios in Jardim Paulista by Kallas, a developer with several compact buildings inside the radius.

Points to consider

Sales open only after the development is registered at the Property Registry; in a mixed building, choose an R2V unit.

Join the interest listAsk about this building (WhatsApp)Complete page (Portuguese)

Casa Piauí Studios

Developer:

Helbor

Status:

Sales open

Studios:

24 to 30 m² (260 to 325 sq ft)

From the park:

4.40 km straight line · 61 min on foot to gate 9

Why it may fit a buyer abroad

A smaller studio building by Helbor, a developer listed on B3, in Higienópolis, a traditional residential neighborhood near Mackenzie University.

Points to consider

Higienópolis is near the edge of the radius: choose it for the neighborhood, not for walks to the park. Prices are shared on request; ask us on WhatsApp.

Request current pricingAsk about this building (WhatsApp)Complete page (Portuguese)

R2V, HMP and HIS: the one thing about São Paulo compact buildings every buyer abroad must know

Many new compact buildings in São Paulo mix market-rate units (R2V) with social-housing units (HIS and HMP) that carry family-income limits, a cap on rent and a ban on short-term rentals. As a buyer living abroad, you want an R2V unit. On Ibirapuera.studio, every curated building page shows the unit mix by regime, floor by floor when the developer's sales map allows it.

HIS and HMP are housing programs of the city of São Paulo (Law 16,050/2014 and Decrees 63,130/2024, 64,244/2025 and 64,895/2026). In 2026, the family-income ceiling is R$ 9,726 per month for HIS-2 and R$ 16,210 for HMP; the sale-price ceiling is R$ 383,636.74 and R$ 537,672.71 respectively; the classification is recorded on the unit's title (matrícula).

A buyer who doesn't meet the income limit can only hold an HIS or HMP unit by renting it to a tenant who does, at a rent capped at 30% of the band's maximum income (2026: R$ 2,917.80 for HIS-2, R$ 4,863.00 for HMP) and never through short-stay platforms. For a non-resident owner that is a heavy obligation to carry from abroad; we only shortlist R2V units for international buyers.

For R2V units, the municipal rules don't prohibit short-term rentals; the building's own convention can restrict them. We read the building's documents before you choose. The lowest price in a mixed building is usually an HMP unit, which is why our "from" prices are for market-rate units only.

Rules checked 1 October 2026. Full guide (Portuguese): São Paulo HIS and HMP guide · Income simulator

How buying a studio from abroad works, step by step

The sequence below is the one buyers actually go through. Steps 1 to 4 cost you nothing; step 5 is the first financial commitment.

1. 1

   Brief and shortlist

   A call or a few messages: goal, budget in your currency, timing, whether you'll travel. You get three to five buildings, each with its complete page, the current price list for market-rate units and our notes.

2. 2

   Get your CPF

   The Brazilian taxpayer number is needed to sign a contract, pay and register the property. Apply at a Brazilian consulate or online through the Federal Revenue (Receita Federal); it usually takes from a few days to a few weeks, depending on the consulate. Do this early.

3. 3

   Visit, in person or by video

   We walk the building, the show unit and the street with you on a live call, or send a recorded tour. If you come to São Paulo, we book all the visits in one day.

4. 4

   Check the development

   Before any money moves, we obtain the development's registration at the Property Registry (registro da incorporação), the specification (memorial descritivo), the unit mix by regime, the draft condominium convention when available, the developer's track record and the price list, and pass them to your lawyer for review.

5. 5

   Proposal, reservation and contract

   Your written proposal goes to the developer; once accepted, you sign the purchase contract (compromisso de compra e venda) and pay the first installment. Off-plan contracts set the installment schedule, the index used to adjust it and the delivery forecast.

6. 6

   Pay from abroad

   You send funds through a bank or authorized exchange institution in Brazil under an exchange contract that identifies you, the purpose (property purchase) and the beneficiary. Keep every exchange contract: they document the origin of the money for a future residency application and let you repatriate the proceeds when you sell.

7. 7

   Sign, in person or by power of attorney

   If you can't be in Brazil, a public power of attorney lets a representative sign for you. Signed at a Brazilian consulate, it is already a Brazilian document and needs no apostille or translation. Signed before a foreign notary, it needs an apostille, a sworn translation and registration in Brazil. In some cases the deed can be signed remotely by video through Brazil's e-Notariado platform; we check with the notary for your case.

8. 8

   Delivery, deed and registration

   For an off-plan purchase, construction takes two to four years; installments during that time are adjusted by a construction-cost index (INCC). At delivery you pay the balance, the deed is signed, the 3% transfer tax is paid and the deed is registered at the Property Registry. That registration is what makes you the owner.

9. 9

   After the keys

   We help with the inspection and the utility accounts and, if you'll rent the unit out, introduce a property manager.

Ready unit: typically 30 to 60 days from accepted proposal to registration, if your CPF and documents are in order. Off-plan: contract within weeks; ownership registration after delivery.

Renting your studio out: short-term or long-term, taxes and management

Long-term leases (Law 8,245/1991) are the standard: 30-month contracts are common, with annual adjustment by an inflation index agreed in the contract. A property manager finds the tenant, collects the rent and handles repairs for a fee, usually a percentage of the rent.

Short-term rentals through platforms are decided by the building, not by the city, for market-rate units: some new compact buildings are designed for it, others prohibit it in their convention. HIS and HMP units can never be rented short-term. We tell you what the building's documents say before you choose.

Taxes. Renting out: rent paid to a non-resident owner is subject to withholding tax in Brazil, generally 15% of the gross rent (25% for residents of jurisdictions Brazil lists as low-tax), withheld and paid by the tenant or the manager; your home country may tax it too, subject to any treaty. Owning: IPTU, the annual municipal property tax. Selling: capital gains are taxed in Brazil at progressive rates starting at 15%, and the proceeds can be repatriated against the exchange contracts of your purchase. Many non-resident owners appoint an attorney-in-fact in Brazil to handle these payments. A Brazilian tax adviser confirms the current rules for your case. Last checked 1 October 2026.

Ibirapuera.studio does not manage rentals. We sell; we can introduce property managers used to non-resident owners.

Investing from Brazil or reading Portuguese? See our guide to buying a studio to rent out (in Portuguese).

Buying property and residency in Brazil — the "Golden Visa"

Brazil has a residency-by-investment route linked to real estate (CNIg Normative Resolution 36/2018, as amended): investing at least R$ 1,000,000 in urban property in São Paulo, built or under construction in a registered development, with funds transferred from abroad and the property registered in your name. The lower R$ 700,000 threshold applies only to the North and Northeast regions, not to São Paulo.

A single studio in São Paulo rarely reaches that minimum, but the resolution allows it to be reached with more than one urban property in your name — two studios, for example. An immigration lawyer confirms how it applies to your case.

The initial residence authorization is for up to four years and can be converted to indefinite if the investment is maintained and the requirements are met. Buying the property does not grant residency by itself: the application is a separate procedure examined by the Ministry of Justice, usually prepared by an immigration lawyer. Brazil does not offer citizenship by investment; naturalization has its own residence-time requirements.

If residency is part of your plan, tell us before the shortlist: the development's registration status and how you pay affect eligibility, and it is easier to choose the right building than to fix the paperwork later.

About Ibirapuera.studio

Ibirapuera.studio is a real estate consultancy and portal in São Paulo, Brazil, founded by Vitor Pittigliani, licensed real estate broker (CRECI/SP 302681). It covers one product in one area: studios and compact apartments within 5 km of Ibirapuera Park. The portal publishes a catalog of 277 buildings with studios inside the radius, curated pages for selected launches — each with the unit mix by regime, the distance and the three routes to the park, what is delivered inside the unit and the developer's official material — neighborhood guides, a guide to the city's housing programs and a methodology page that explains how every figure is measured. We meet clients on site, by WhatsApp or by video call; there is no walk-in office.

Rated 5.0 on Google from 15 reviews (checked 29 September 2026). Read them on Google · Reviews page (Portuguese)