Kingdom of Spain

Historical, cultural, human, and political ties have traditionally brought Brazil and Spain closer together. Starting in the 1990s, Spanish investments in Brazil gave greater dynamism to the bilateral relationship, and the economic dimension became the main axis of the partnership. For more than two decades, Spain has been the second-largest source of foreign direct investment in Brazil. Investment flows have remained consistently high, averaging $3.3 billion per year over the past ten years. In terms of the stock of direct investment, the amount is equally significant: $59 billion (the ten-year average).

In 2023, trade between the two countries reached $11.8 billion. Brazilian exports totaled $7.8 billion, with a Brazilian surplus of $3.8 billion. Brazilian exports are largely concentrated in petroleum (over 40% of the total) and soybeans (about 20%). The main imported products were petroleum oils or oils obtained from bituminous minerals (24%) and “other medicines,” including veterinary products (6%).

The relationship reached a higher level with the signing, in 2003, of the “Strategic Partnership Plan” during the 13th Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government, in Santa Cruz de la Sierra. In 2005, an Action Plan was adopted (the Brasília Declaration on the Consolidation of the Strategic Partnership), which established annual presidential meetings, periodic consultations (every six months) between deputy foreign ministers, and meetings at various levels of government. In November 2012, with the Madrid Declaration, a new consultation mechanism was created—the Ministerial Commission for Political Dialogue (CMDP)—to ensure constant evaluation of the bilateral relationship and to structure political dialogue.

The most recent official visit by a head of government was that by the current President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, to Brazil in March 2024, responding to President Lula’s invitation during Lula’s visit to Madrid in April 2023. On the occasion of the Spanish leader’s visit to Brazil, the Follow-Up Declaration of the Renewed Brazil–Spain Strategic Partnership was approved, signed by Presidents Lula and Sánchez, containing an action plan that now guides the bilateral agenda across its various thematic areas.

King Felipe VI, who had previously visited Brazil in March 2014 as Prince of Asturias—when he held meetings  in São Paulo with business leaders and local authorities—returned to the country in January 2023 to attend President Lula’s inauguration at the start of his current term.

In April 2023, President Lula made an official visit to Spain, initiating the renewal of bilateral dialogue following Brazil’s international retrenchment during the Bolsonaro administration. This process culminated in the approval of the aforementioned Follow-Up Declaration of the Renewed Brazil–Spain Strategic Partnership in March 2024.

The Brazil–Spain Bilateral Permanent Commission (CPB) — established in May 2021 during the visit of then–Foreign Minister Arancha González to Brasília — aims to provide greater framework to the dense bilateral relationship and to enable faster implementation of commitments across a broad thematic spectrum. The Brazil–Spain CPB currently covers the main topics of bilateral relations within its nine subcommissions: bilateral, regional, and multilateral political affairs; trade, investment, finance, infrastructure, and tourism; technical cooperation; defense; education and culture; science, technology, and innovation; environment and energy; consular and migration issues; and fight against crime.

Chronology of Bilateral Relations

2024 – Visit of the Secretary of State for Ibero-America, the Caribbean, and Spanish in the World, Susana Sumelzo Jordán, to Brazil (June 5–6).

2024 – Visit of the Secretary-General for Research of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, Eva Ortega, to Brazil (São Paulo, June 3–4).

2024 – Visit of the President of the Constitutional Court, Cándido Conde-Pumpido, to Brazil in the context of Brazil’s G20 presidency (Rio de Janeiro, May 13–15).

2024 – Official visit of the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón, to Brazil (Brasília and São Paulo, March 6–7).

2024 – Visit of the Secretary-General of the Treasury and International Finance of the Ministry of Economy, Paula Conthe, to Brazil (São Paulo, February 28).

2024 – Visit of the Minister of Tourism, Celso Sabino, to Spain (Madrid, January 24).

2023 – Visit of the Minister of Planning and Budget, Simone Tebet, to Spain (Madrid, September 15–16).

2023 – Visit of the Minister for Racial Equality, Anielle Franco, to Spain (Madrid, May 8–9).

2023 – Official visit of President Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva to Spain (Madrid, April 25–26), accompanied by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Mauro Vieira; Education, Camilo Santana; Labor, Luiz Marinho; Science, Technology and Innovation, Luciana Santos; Health, Nísia Trindade; and Racial Equality, Anielle Franco.

2023 – Visit of the Minister of Tourism, Daniela Carneiro, to Spain (Madrid, March 3).

2023 – Visit of the Secretary of State for Trade, Xiana Méndez, to Brazil (March 30–31).

2023 – Visit to Brazil by the Vice President and  Minister of Labor, Migration and Social Security, Yolanda Díaz (December 31, 2022 to January 2, 2023).

2023 –  King Felipe VI and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, participate in the presidential inauguration ceremony (January 1–2).

2022 – Visit of the Minister of Infrastructure, Marcelo Sampaio Cunha Filho, to Spain (Madrid, July 3–6).

2022 – Visit of the Minister of the Office of the Comptroller General, Wagner Rosario, to Spain (Madrid, June 19–22).

2022 – Visit of the Minister of Science, Technology and Information, Paulo Alvim, to Spain (Madrid, June 6–10).

2022 – Visit of Vice President Hamilton Mourão to Spain (Madrid, June 7–11).

2022 – Visit of the Director of the Cervantes Institute, Luis García Montero, to Rio de Janeiro and Salvador (June 20–23).

2022 – Visit to Brazil by the Vice President and  Minister of Labor, Migration and Social Security Yolanda Díaz (March 30 to April 1).

2022 – Visit of the Minister of Economy, Paulo Guedes, to Spain (Madrid, March 30).

2022 – Visit of Minister Carlos França to Spain (Madrid, February 2–4).

2021 – Visit of Minister Arancha González to Brasília.

2020 – The President of the Chamber of Deputies, Rodrigo Maia, makes an official trip to Spain (February 26 to March 2).

2019 – The Minister of Science, Technology, Innovation and Communications (MCTIC), Marcos Pontes, visits Spain.

2019 – The Minister of Tourism, Marcelo Henrique Teixeira Dias, visits Madrid (May 2019).

2019 – The President of the Congress of Deputies of Spain, Ana Pastor, was in Brazil for the inauguration of President Jair Bolsonaro (January).

2018 – Visit of Minister Aloysio Nunes Ferreira to Spain (Madrid, October 11) [Joint Communiqué].

2017 – Visit of the President of the Government of Spain, Mariano Rajoy, to Brazil (April 24–25) [Signed Acts] [Joint Declaration].

2016 – Visit of Minister José Serra to Spain (November 21–23) [Press Release].

2016 – Minister José Serra receives the Spanish Secretary of State for Trade, Jaime García-Legaz (September 15).

2015 – The Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, José Manuel García-Margallo, visits Brazil and follows an agenda in Brasília, São Paulo, and Salvador (June 17–19).

2015 – Vice President Michel Temer participates in the business seminar “Brazil–Spain: Toward a New Business Alliance” in Madrid (April 22).

2014 – The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Luiz Alberto Figueiredo Machado, makes a working visit to Spain and is received by the President of the Government, Mariano Rajoy (March 17–18) [Joint Declaration].

2012 – President Dilma Rousseff visits Madrid, where she meets with the President of the Government, Mariano Rajoy, and King Juan Carlos I (November 19) [Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Nanotechnology].

2012 – The King of Spain, Juan Carlos I, visits Brazil and is received by President Dilma Rousseff (June 4) [Brazil–Spain Technical Meeting on Consular and Migration Issues – Joint Communiqué].

2012 – Arrival in Spain of the first students under the Science Without Borders Program.

2012 – The Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, José Manuel García-Margallo, visits Brazil and is welcomed in Brasília by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio de Aguiar Patriota (May 16–19).

2011 – Start of a scholarship program for Prouni students at the University of Salamanca for undergraduate studies.

2011 – The Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Trinidad Jiménez, visits Brasília and meets with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio de Aguiar Patriota (May 26).

2010 – Signing of the Defense Cooperation Agreement.

2007 – Signing of the Agreement on Reciprocal Recognition and Exchange of National Driver’s Licenses.

2005 – Signing of the “Brasília Declaration on the Consolidation of the Strategic Partnership Plan,” during the visit of the President of the Government of Spain to Brazil.

2003 – Signing of the “Strategic Partnership Plan” between Brazil and Spain during the Ibero-American Summit in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia.

2001 – Start of operations of the Hispano-Brazilian Cultural Foundation, dedicated to promoting Brazilian culture in Spain.

1996 – Signing of the Treaty on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons.

1991 – Signing of the Social Security Agreement.

1989 – Signing of the Agreement on Judicial Cooperation in Civil Matters.

1988 – Signing of the Extradition Treaty between Brazil and Spain.

1962 – Inauguration of the Casa do Brasil in Madrid, the University Residence Hall at the Complutense University, and the Brazilian Cultural Center.

1936–40 – New wave of Spanish immigration to Brazil.

1933 – The Brazilian Legation in Spain is elevated to the status of Embassy.

1890 – Recognition of the Republic of the United States of Brazil by the Spanish Government.

1880 – Decade in which large-scale official Spanish immigration to Brazil began.

1834 – Spain recognizes the independence of Brazil.