A CPF for foreigners is the Brazilian individual taxpayer number, and you need one before you can be a partner or administrator of a Brazilian company, buy property or open most accounts. You can get it from abroad, free of charge, at a Brazilian consulate or through a representative in Brazil. Since 2025, foreigners living abroad must also confirm their CPF data once a year, a rule many people still miss.
In brief
- Issued by
- Receita Federal (Federal Revenue)
- Cost at official channels
- Free
- From abroad
- Consulate or representative in Brazil
- Annual duty abroad
- Update data in the app
- The CPF is governed by IN RFB 2,172/2024, and it is a number only: no physical card is required.
- Foreigners living abroad apply in person at the Brazilian consulate after filling in an online form.
- A representative in Brazil with a power of attorney can file the request for you, which avoids a consular appointment.
- Foreigners with an address abroad must update their CPF every calendar year, or the number may be suspended.
What the CPF is and when foreigners need it
The Individual Taxpayer Registry (Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas, CPF) is an 11-digit number issued by the Federal Revenue of Brazil (Receita Federal). It identifies an individual in practically every relationship with the Brazilian state, banks and companies. The current rules are in Normative Instruction RFB 2,172/2024, amended several times since, including by IN RFB 2,236/2024 and IN RFB 2,293/2025.
A foreigner does not need to live in Brazil to have a CPF. In practice, you will need one if you plan to:
- Be a partner or shareholder of a Brazilian company as an individual. Each individual partner appears in the company’s CNPJ record with a CPF.
- Act as administrator or director, even if you live abroad, or act as attorney for a foreign partner.
- Buy or sell real estate, since notaries and land registries report transactions under the CPF.
- Open a bank or brokerage account, invest in the financial market or receive income from Brazil.
- Receive an inheritance, sign certain contracts or apply for a residence permit and visa.
If the partner is a foreign company, it needs a CNPJ instead, covered in our guide on CNPJ for foreign companies. However, the individuals who sign for that company in Brazil usually need a CPF of their own.
Three ways to get a CPF from abroad
Brazilians abroad can apply by email. Foreigners, by contrast, must either go to a consulate or use someone in Brazil. The table compares the options.
| Route | Where | Cost | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazilian consulate or embassy | Consular post with jurisdiction over your address | Free | You live near a consulate and can book an appointment |
| Representative in Brazil | Receita Federal, in person or through its remote channels | Free at the Receita; the representative’s fees apply | You are incorporating a company and already granting powers of attorney |
| In person during a trip to Brazil | Receita Federal unit, or partner units (Banco do Brasil, Caixa, Correios, civil registry offices) | Free at the Receita; R$ 7 at partner units | You are already travelling to Brazil |
For an investor opening a company, the representative route is usually the most efficient. The CPF can be filed at the same time as the other registrations, so it never becomes the bottleneck. Our guide on opening a business in Brazil shows where the CPF fits in the overall sequence.
Applying at a Brazilian consulate
According to the federal services portal, foreigners resident abroad must apply in person at the Brazilian consular post with jurisdiction over their place of residence. The service is free.
Fill in the online form
Complete the Individual Registration Form (Ficha Cadastral de Pessoa Física, FCPF) for residents abroad on the Receita Federal website. Disable pop-up blockers, otherwise the form may not submit.
Save the receipt
The system returns a protocol number and a form to print and sign. Check that your name exactly matches the passport, including all surnames.
Book the appointment
Schedule consular service through the e-consular system of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, choosing the post that covers your address.
Attend in person
Bring the signed form, your passport and, where required, a birth or marriage certificate. The consular officer validates the documents and forwards the request.
Download the proof
Once approved, print the proof of registration (comprovante de inscrição) from the Receita Federal website. This document has full validity; a plastic card is not needed.
Each consulate sets its own appointment agenda, and some issue the number on the same day while others take several business days. Therefore, check the website of your consulate before booking a flight or signing deadline-sensitive documents.
Applying through a representative in Brazil
If you cannot easily reach a consulate, a person resident in Brazil can file the request on your behalf. Under the CPF rules as amended in 2025, requests filed by an attorney require the attorney’s own CPF and a power of attorney. In practice, this is how most foreign partners of new companies get their CPF.
- Power of attorney. Signed abroad, notarized, apostilled under the Hague Convention and translated into Portuguese by a Brazilian sworn translator. Our guide on apostille and sworn translation explains the steps.
- Passport copy. A clear copy of the identification pages, and a certified copy when the representative files in person.
- The FCPF form. Completed with your data, including your address abroad and your parents’ names.
Many groups grant one power of attorney covering the CPF, the company’s incorporation and the legal representation of the foreign partner. That way the apostille and translation are paid once. Our guide on choosing a legal representative lists the powers that should be included.
Documents for a CPF for foreigners
The documentation is short, but the details trip people up. Under the federal service rules, the applicant needs an official photo identification document and, when that document does not show birthplace, parentage and date of birth, a birth or marriage certificate or its foreign equivalent.
| Document | At the consulate | Through a representative |
|---|---|---|
| Valid passport | Original | Copy (certified when filed in person) |
| FCPF form | Printed and signed | Completed by or for the applicant |
| Birth or marriage certificate | When the passport lacks parents’ names | Same, apostilled and translated |
| Power of attorney | Not needed | Apostilled and sworn-translated |
| Representative’s ID and CPF | Not needed | Required |
Also note that the officer may ask for additional documents to confirm your identity. As a result, bring originals of everything you submitted online, and make sure the passport is valid for the whole process.
The annual update for foreigners living abroad
This is the part that most guides on the CPF for foreigners still leave out. IN RFB 2,236/2024 added article 23-A to the CPF rules: foreigners aged 16 or over with an address abroad must update their CPF registration once every calendar year, between 1 January and 31 December.
- How. Through the Receita Federal mobile app, using the CPF number and date of birth, plus a photo of your face and of your passport taken in the app.
- If the app fails. Request the update at a Brazilian diplomatic or consular post, showing the message returned by the app and your documents.
- Since when. The update was optional in 2024 and became an annual obligation from 2025, when the app feature opened in January.
- What happens if you skip it. The CPF can be suspended for registration inconsistencies, and the rules allow cancellation after a further period. A suspended CPF blocks company filings, bank onboarding and property deeds.
Therefore, add the update to your calendar every January. If you are the partner or administrator of a Brazilian company, a suspended CPF also stalls amendments at the Board of Trade, because the registry checks the status of each individual involved.
CPF status problems and how to fix them
You can check the status of any CPF on the Receita Federal public query, using the number and the date of birth. Each status has a different cause and fix.
| Status | Meaning | Typical fix |
|---|---|---|
| Regular | No issues | None; keep data updated |
| Suspended (suspensa) | Incorrect, incomplete or outdated data, including a missed annual update | Update the registration through the app, the consulate or a representative |
| Pending regularization (pendente de regularização) | A required income tax return was not filed in the last five years | File the missing return or prove you were not required to file |
| Cancelled (cancelada) | Duplicate number or an administrative or judicial decision | Depends on the cause; usually a new request with documents |
| Null (nula) | Fraud identified | Request a new registration |
A non-resident foreigner without Brazilian income is usually not required to file an income tax return. However, the rules change if you become a tax resident or receive certain income in Brazil, so confirm with an accountant. Also, a CPF never expires and cannot be issued twice: if you once had a number, for example from a past job or study period, recover it instead of applying again.
For a broader view of how the Receita Federal, the Board of Trade and other authorities interact, see our guide on Brazilian bureaucracy.
Questions investors ask
Can a foreigner get a CPF online?
Partly. A foreigner living abroad fills in the form online, but the request must then be validated at a Brazilian consulate or filed by a representative in Brazil with a power of attorney. The fully remote email channel of the Receita Federal for residents abroad is reserved for Brazilian citizens.
How much does a CPF cost for foreigners?
It is free at the Receita Federal and at Brazilian consulates. Partner units in Brazil, such as Banco do Brasil, Caixa, Correios and civil registry offices, charge R$ 7. Using a representative involves their professional fees and the cost of the apostille and sworn translation.
How long does it take to get a CPF from abroad?
It depends mainly on the consular appointment agenda. Once the documents are validated, the number is often available within a few business days. Through a representative, the timing depends on how fast the apostilled power of attorney reaches Brazil.
Do I need a CPF to open a company in Brazil?
Yes, if you will be an individual partner, administrator or attorney. A foreign company that is a partner needs a CNPJ instead, while its signatories in Brazil usually need a CPF.
Does a CPF expire?
No. The number is permanent. However, foreigners with an address abroad must update their data every calendar year through the Receita Federal app, or the CPF may be suspended.
Do I need the physical CPF card?
No. The printed or digital proof of registration from the Receita Federal website has full validity. Banks and notaries check the number online.