Transcription
If you're thinking about moving to Brazil, one of the questions that is always asked is, "Is Brazil actually safe?" Let's face it. Brazil has something of a reputation. However, that's not universally true in Brazil. In places such as Florianópolis in the state of Santa Catarina, it's very safe.
However, if you are to move to Brazil, you want to make sure that you get the location right. My name is James Rocks. I'm from Rocks Investments. I've been living in Florianópolis for almost 11 years. I work with international clients helping them relocate and invest securely here in Santa Catarina, Brazil. Today, I want to give you the real picture of what it's like here.
First thing to understand is that Brazil is a huge country. It's not simply one place. Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world in terms of its landmass. It's bigger than the entire area of the European Union combined. So, there are many Brazils in Brazil. The climate varies where you are. People vary, culture varies. Everyone is united by the same language, but the north can look completely different to the south of Brazil. And comparing cities like Rio de Janeiro or somewhere like Fortaleza in northeast Brazil to cities in Santa Catarina, it's a completely different reality down here.
20 years ago, I lived in the northeast of Brazil. I lived for a time in João Pessoa, and then I lived in Recife after that. And let me tell you, living in Recife, even 20 years ago, it was very tense. There were lots of robberies. I was in a store one time that got held up. It was done very discreetly. We only realized that the cashiers had been held up when the two cashier girls got up and started crying after having guns shown to them and told to hand over the money in the cash registers. I've never had an experience like that here in the south of Brazil.
Santa Catarina is consistently ranked amongst the safest states in Brazil. The cities like Florianópolis or Balneário Camboriú have lower crime rates, higher quality of life, and strong infrastructure. And these are just some of the reasons why so many internationals now choose to live here or invest here, along with Brazilians as well relocating here. In the year 2025, for the first time, there was more inward migration into Santa Catarina than into the state of São Paulo. In São Paulo, it's the most populous state in terms of the sheer amount of people there. São Paulo city is like the New York of Brazil. It's the financial capital, but yet we had more people from inside Brazil and international moving into the state of Santa Catarina than São Paulo.
Now, diving into Florianópolis and the state of Santa Catarina, many internationals who have relocated here or have spent time here have noted how secure they feel for walking around, going to the beach, using your phone out and about. You will see in certain places in Florianópolis like Jurerê Internacional or cities like Balneário Camboriú, Itapema, Praia Brava, Itajaí, you'll see people driving around in convertible sports cars. You'll see a lot of wealth on display. You will even see well-known millionaires and billionaires walking around without security as well. And in somewhere like Rio, that's unheard of. I wouldn't personally, I wouldn't take my iPhone out in a city like Recife or Fortaleza and be wandering around or taking directions that way. I'd feel very tense. Whereas here, it's very secure.
One of the mistakes you could make in Brazil, if you've had a very positive experience, let's say in Santa Catarina or maybe even Rio, you've been to the South Zone and it's been very well-policed, nothing's happened there. Or you know, some quiet beaches in the northeast of Brazil, you could then go to a large city there with your guard down, expecting it to be equally tranquil. And that's not the reality in a lot of places. You need to be vigilant. So, choosing the right location is key.
Now, I've highlighted the state of Santa Catarina, particularly Florianópolis, in this video. But it is worth saying that in the interior of São Paulo state, there are a lot of safe cities. In Goiás, where I spent time as well in the capital there, Goiânia, that is safe. And when you get out of some of those larger capitals, particularly where there's a good concentration of wealth in cities, then it can be safe in Brazil. But often some of those bigger cities and those bigger coastal cities, there's real inequality, there are issues there. So, you have to be careful.
One of the unfortunate things, if you do end up in an area that is unsafe to be circulating, particularly at night and things, is that you can actually feel quite trapped at times. I remember living in Recife and we were very careful about going out at night as well. And many people are all very wary of arriving home. Maybe you're fortunate enough to live in a safe gated community, but in one sense you'd feel very confined within that as well.
So, what I'd say, I would want to encourage you if you are looking at moving to Brazil is to pick a destination that is secure where you're not going to feel like you're locked up within your building or after a certain time at night that you're confined to a certain space, but somewhere where you can circulate freely. For me, as a family man with two children, when I was still thinking about moving back to Brazil, I was deciding between Florianópolis and Rio de Janeiro. And Rio has a great buzz, but thinking, actually, with young children, is that the best environment to be in? And particularly, you know, if you're of a certain age, if you stand out as a foreigner, like a "gringo," if you have a young family, I imagine that you would want peace of mind, and you'd want peace of mind when they're out and about as well.
So, in somewhere like Florianópolis, my children are now at an age where they can walk to school by themselves in the morning and come back by themselves. And I know they're fine doing that. So, going back to the original question, "Is Brazil safe?" Well, the honest answer is, it depends. It depends on where you go to. And certainly for internationals living in the state of Santa Catarina, particularly in cities like Florianópolis, Balneário Camboriú, Porto Belo, places like that, and even in the interior of the state, Blumenau, then the answer is yes. People feel very secure here circulating, going about life, making new friendships.
Now, if you're considering moving or investing here and you would like some help, then I want to encourage you to reach out, and we can help you find the best area for you, for your family. I'm going to put my WhatsApp details here and my email address as well, and I'd love to hear from you.