Key Facts
—Getting a CPF is free at any Banco do Brasil branch and costs R$7 at a Correios post office. It takes five to ten minutes and requires only a passport — no long-stay visa, no proof of address, no appointment.
—Tourists can apply. There is no minimum-stay requirement. Anyone planning to rent an apartment, open a bank account or sign any contract in Brazil needs one, regardless of how long they are staying.
—Your CPF is permanent. The eleven-digit number is yours for life. It does not expire, does not change and follows you whether you are resident or non-resident, in Brazil or abroad.
—Status matters more than possession. A CPF can be regular, suspended or cancelled. Only regular status unlocks all services. Fiscal residents who fail to file an annual income tax return for two consecutive years will find their CPF suspended.
—The number is on everything. Hospitals, pharmacies, supermarket loyalty counters, online shops, gym memberships — all ask for it. Memorise the eleven digits. You will use them daily.
—Having a CPF does not make you a tax resident. Tax residency is determined by your visa type and length of stay — not by CPF registration. Tourists who register a CPF for convenience do not automatically incur Brazilian tax obligations.
Brazil runs on a single eleven-digit number. Before you can rent an apartment, open a bank account, take out a phone plan, receive a salary or access most government services, you need a Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas — the CPF. Obtaining one takes less than ten minutes. Not having one costs far more time than that. This is the complete guide to applying, maintaining and understanding your CPF in Brazil as a foreign resident.
What the CPF actually is
The Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas is Brazil’s individual taxpayer registry, administered by the Receita Federal — the Federal Revenue Service. Every individual who has any financial, legal or administrative interaction with Brazilian institutions needs one. The number is formatted XXX.XXX.XXX-YY, where the final two digits are verification digits calculated from the preceding nine.
The CPF is not a residency document — it is a fiscal identity. This distinction matters for foreigners. Holding a CPF does not make you a tax resident of Brazil, and not having one does not protect you from Brazilian tax obligations if you have crossed the fiscal-residency threshold. Tax residency is determined by separate legal criteria based on visa type and duration of stay. The CPF is simply a registration number that Brazil’s administrative infrastructure requires before it will deal with you at an institutional level.
In practice, Brazil has built so much of its administrative architecture around the CPF that it functions as a universal identifier. The gov.br platform — which provides access to virtually every federal government service — uses the CPF as the primary login credential. Private institutions from hospitals to supermarket loyalty programmes request it at every interaction. Once you have the number, you will use it almost every day.
What you cannot do without a CPF
Banking. Every Brazilian bank — including digital banks Nubank, C6 Bank and Inter — requires a CPF to open an account. Some digital banks begin registration with a passport alone but suspend or limit the account until a CPF is added. A bank account is in turn required to receive a salary, pay rent by bank transfer and send Pix payments.
Housing. Landlords require a CPF for rental contracts under the Lei do Inquilinato. Property purchases also require one — the notary office (cartório) cannot register a title transfer without it.
Mobile and internet. Postpaid phone plans and home internet contracts require a CPF for the credit check. Airport prepaid SIMs can be purchased with a passport, but switching to postpaid — which offers better data allowances for long-term residents — requires a CPF in regular status.
Employment and self-employment. CLT employment contracts require a CPF. MEI registration — the self-employment framework used by freelancers and solo contractors — requires one. Any Brazilian-source income is reportable under a CPF.
Healthcare. Private health plans require a CPF to issue a beneficiary card. SUS registration at a public health unit (UBS) also uses the CPF to issue the Cartão SUS.
Online shopping. Mercado Livre, Americanas, Magazine Luiza and Amazon.com.br all require a CPF at checkout. Without one, purchases on Brazil’s major domestic platforms are blocked.
How to get your CPF in Brazil: four routes
Banco do Brasil branch — free, recommended. Walk in with your passport and say you want a CPF as a foreigner: quero fazer um CPF, sou estrangeiro. Five to ten minutes. The number is printed on a receipt immediately. No fee. Banco do Brasil has a federal mandate to process CPF registrations as an agent of the Receita Federal, making this the most consistent in-person route across all cities and states.
Correios post office — R$7. Any post office processes CPF registrations as an authorised Receita Federal agent. Bring your passport. The number is issued immediately. With more than 6,000 branches nationwide, Correios is the most geographically accessible option outside of major cities.
Receita Federal portal — online. Apply at receita.fazenda.gov.br using a gov.br account. The process requires a photograph of your passport and a facial recognition step through the gov.br app on your smartphone. The number is confirmed by email within one to three business days. Most practical if you already have a gov.br account set up and have a working Brazilian phone number for the identity verification step.
Brazilian consulate abroad — before arriving. If you want your CPF before your first apartment search begins, any Brazilian consulate will process the registration. Processing times vary from same-day to two weeks depending on the consulate. Particularly useful for digital nomad and work visa holders who want the number in hand the moment they land.
CPF status: regular, suspended, cancelled
Possessing a CPF number is not sufficient — the status must be regular for the number to function across all services. The Receita Federal assigns one of four statuses: regular, suspended (suspenso), cancelled (cancelado) or null (nulo).
Suspended is the most common problem status for expats. A CPF is suspended when the holder fails to file a required annual income tax return for two consecutive years. Once suspended, the number is rejected at banks, real estate offices, health plan providers and most government portals. The remedy is to file the missing returns, pay any late-filing penalties and request reactivation through the Receita Federal portal. Status typically updates within two to five business days of regularisation.
You can check your CPF status at any time at the Receita Federal public consultation portal — no login required, just the eleven-digit number. Do this before any major transaction: a lease signing, a bank account opening, a health plan application.
The tax filing obligation that catches expats off guard
Brazilian fiscal residents with annual income above R$33,888 — the 2025 threshold — must file an annual IRPF return by the last business day of May each year. Fiscal residency is triggered by a long-stay visa or by spending more than 183 days in any twelve-month period in Brazil on any visa. Tourists who registered a CPF but have not crossed the fiscal-residency threshold have no filing obligation and their CPF will not be suspended for non-filing.
The pattern that causes problems: someone spends a year in Brazil on a digital nomad visa, earns above the threshold, does not file, then leaves — and discovers two years later that their CPF is suspended and their Brazilian bank account is frozen. This sequence is entirely avoidable with one annual tax filing. A licensed accountant (contador) familiar with expat situations can handle the filing for R$300–R$800 per year.
Banco do Brasil (free, in-person): Any branch. Say quero fazer um CPF, sou estrangeiro. Passport only. Number issued immediately.
Correios (R$7, in-person): Any post office. Branch locator at correios.com.br
Online application: gov.br/receitafederal → Serviços → CPF → Inscrição de Pessoa Física
Check CPF status (no login required): receita.fazenda.gov.br/Aplicacoes/SSL/ATCTA/CPF/ConsultaPublica.asp
File or regularise income tax returns: gov.br/receitafederal/pt-br/assuntos/meu-imposto-de-renda
CPF registration is free at Banco do Brasil. Any service charging a fee to register or regularise your CPF on your behalf is a private intermediary. The procedures are straightforward enough that most expats complete them independently.
This is reporting, not legal or tax advice. Thresholds and procedures change. Confirm current requirements at the Receita Federal portal or with a licensed accountant before acting.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a CPF as a tourist without a visa?
Yes. Banco do Brasil and Correios issue CPFs to any foreigner presenting a valid passport, regardless of visa status or intended length of stay. No visa, no proof of address, no appointment needed.
Does having a CPF mean I have to pay taxes in Brazil?
No. CPF registration does not create a tax obligation. Tax obligations arise from fiscal residency, which is determined by your visa type and the length of your stay — not by whether you have a CPF number. A tourist who registers a CPF for convenience does not become a fiscal resident.
My CPF shows as suspended — what do I do?
File the missing income tax returns through the Receita Federal IRPF software, pay any late-filing penalties, then request reactivation through the portal. A contador familiar with expat situations can handle this for R$300–R$800. Status typically updates within two to five business days after regularisation.
How long does it take to receive the number?
Immediately at Banco do Brasil or Correios. One to three business days by email for the online application. Same-day to two weeks at a Brazilian consulate abroad, depending on the location.
What happens to my CPF when I leave Brazil permanently?
The number remains valid permanently but must be updated to non-resident status at the Receita Federal portal after filing a Declaration of Definitive Exit. A CPF left in active resident status after departure will be suspended within two years for missing annual returns, creating problems if you ever need to transact in Brazil again from abroad.