CPF for foreigners: the Brazilian taxpayer number
Brazilian lawyer, OAB/MG 155.242, admitted in Brazil only. Not legal advice under your local law.
The CPF is the Brazilian individual taxpayer registry, run by the Federal Revenue Service. It covers Brazilians and foreigners, resident or not. Applying is free and no intermediary is needed.
Write to the lawyer on WhatsAppHow to apply
- Fill in the Federal Revenue form for foreigners: https://servicos.receita.fazenda.gov.br/Servicos/CPF/InscricaoCpfEstrangeiro/
- If the form ends in a service protocol, present the protocol and your documents to the Federal Revenue or, if you live abroad, to the Brazilian consulate.
- Have an official photo ID ready. If it does not show place of birth, parents and date of birth, add a birth or marriage certificate or an equivalent document.
- Keep the number and the receipt. Never pay anyone for a CPF by message: the fee exists only at partner offices in Brazil.
What the official page says
- Registration is free, except at partner offices, which charge R$ 7.00: registry offices, Banco do Brasil, Caixa and Correios. No intermediaries are needed.
- The service is open to Brazilian and foreign individuals, resident or not in Brazil.
- Service by e-mail takes about 48 hours on average, according to the page. It is an estimate, not a guarantee.
- Official page: https://www.gov.br/pt-br/servicos/inscrever-no-cpf
- Foreigners living abroad: the gov.br page points to an in-person request at a Brazilian consular post: https://www.gov.br/pt-br/servicos/inscrever-no-cpf-no-exterior
The firm does not issue CPF numbers, and the registration itself needs no lawyer. Dates and fees are those of the official page on 6 November 2026.
Questions
What is a CPF number in Brazil?
It is the individual taxpayer registration number kept by the Brazilian Federal Revenue Service. It covers Brazilians and foreigners, resident or not.
Can a foreigner get a CPF online?
Yes, the Federal Revenue has an online form for foreigners. Some cases end in a protocol that must be presented with documents to the Federal Revenue or, for residents abroad, to the Brazilian consulate.
How much does a CPF cost?
Registration is free. Partner offices in Brazil charge R$ 7.00, and no intermediary is needed.
Why would a family abroad need a CPF?
Many Brazilian public services ask for a CPF and a gov.br login, including some state systems to locate a detained person. Property, inheritance and banking also ask for it.
Other pages
- Relative arrested in Brazil now
- Interpol red notice and extradition from Brazil
- Residence in Brazil: retirees, digital nomads, investors and family
- Recognition of a foreign divorce or judgment in Brazil
- A correspondent in Brazil for your firm
- Criminal record certificate in Brazil
- Brazilian consulates: what they do
- Buying property in Brazil as a foreigner
- Opening a company in Brazil as a foreigner
- All pages in English
- OAB/MG 155.242, admitted in 2014
- Postgraduate studies in Criminal Procedure (Faculdade Legale)
- Guaxupé (MG), practice throughout Brazil
Write to us
Tell us briefly about your case. A lawyer from the firm replies by email, usually within one business day.
How to hire from abroad
- You describe the case in writing, by WhatsApp or e-mail, in English.
- The fee is agreed in a written contract before any work begins.
- The contract and the power of attorney are signed online, and payment can be made from abroad.
How to check a lawyer in Brazil
- Look up the OAB registration in the National Registry of Lawyers (cna.oab.org.br).
- Ask for the fee in writing, in a contract.
- Pay only in the name of Felipe Mendes Smargiassi. Nothing is received in the name of third parties, and any other contact using his name is not his.
OAB/MG 155.242, cna.oab.org.br · How to check a lawyer in Brazil · Google ★
When a person answers
The office answers in person Monday to Friday, 8 am to 6 pm Brasília time (UTC-3).
WhatsApp receives messages at any time.
The first answer comes in writing, at any hour; the lawyer usually replies within one business day.
Page reviewed in October 2026.