How a Foreigner Gets a CPF

Getting a CPF at a consulate

Find your consulate and read its page

Each consulate serves a set territory, and its document list can differ from the next one's. Check what yours asks for before you fill in anything.
Who: you. Time: an hour.
Fill in the FCPF form

The FCPF is the Receita Federal's online registration form. Turn off your pop-up blocker, enter your details exactly as they appear on your passport, and print the form it generates. It carries a service code. Sign it.
Who: you. Time: 15 minutes. Cost: free.
Request the service in e-Consular

e-Consular is the foreign ministry's booking system. Choose the CPF service for foreigners and upload the signed form, your passport and the birth or marriage certificate. In the New York flow, the consulate reviews the upload before it gives you an appointment.
Who: you. Time: depends on the consulate.
Attend with the originals

Bring the signed form, the passport and the certificates. A foreigner living abroad can't skip this step on the federal government's own service page. New York issues the number at the appointment.
Who: you, in person. Cost: free.
Print your comprovante and check it

The comprovante is the Receita's one-page proof of registration and status. Read each letter of your name, your date of birth and your mother's name. Fix mistakes now, while no deed depends on them.
Who: you. Time: minutes.
Put the yearly update in your calendar

Update the record through the Receita app once every calendar year, between 1 January and 31 December. The app takes a photo of your face and of your passport.
Who: you, every calendar year. Cost: the rule sets no fee.

What the CPF is and when a buyer needs it

The CPF (Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas) is the individual taxpayer number kept by the Receita Federal, Brazil's federal tax authority. It is a number on a database. No tax comes with it.

The Receita's page for people abroad says registration is required for anyone who holds assets subject to public registration in Brazil: real estate, vehicles, vessels, aircraft, bank accounts and financial or capital-market investments. Anyone else may register voluntarily. So a buyer who hasn't bought yet can apply early, and should, because the rest of the purchase waits on it.

Three rules make it close to unavoidable for a property buyer:

The matrícula, the property's registry record, has to show the owner's CPF, or failing that an identity number or parentage (Law 6.015/1973, art. 176, §1, II). The São Paulo appellate panel that oversees registries refused to register a deed in a 2014 case because the foreign sellers living abroad had no CPF.
The notary must report property deals to the Receita on a form called the DOI. A 2023 ruling by the National Justice Council (CNJ) let notaries accept a foreigner's passport in place of a CPF for other acts, and said the CPF can't be waived where a DOI is due.
The FX bank and the city's ITBI form also ask for it.

In the order of a property purchase, it comes first, ahead of any contract. If you want to browse homes for sale before you apply, you can, but a seller's lawyer will ask for the number as soon as a deal takes shape.

Applying at a Brazilian consulate

The federal government's service page is clear for a foreigner living abroad: the request must be made in person at a post of the Brazilian consular network, booked through e-Consular. The New York consulate cites Joint Ordinance COCAD/COGEA 53/2023 for the in-person rule. The service is free.

The documents on the federal page are the signed FCPF, an identity document, and a birth or marriage certificate. A foreigner living abroad or in transit must show a passport (IN RFB 2.172/2024, the instruction that governs the CPF). Mercosur identity cards were accepted until 31 December 2025 under IN RFB 2.270/2025, so a Mercosur citizen should ask the consulate what it takes now.

The New York consulate's page is the most detailed one found. It tells applicants to leave the voter-card field blank, turn off pop-up blockers, and upload the signed form and a photo ID showing name, date of birth and nationality. For a child under 16, a document showing parentage goes too. The consulate checks the upload, then schedules the appointment. At the appointment you show the originals and get the number. A birth certificate that isn't in English, Portuguese or French needs an official translation, and documents not issued by the US government may need authentication.

Miami asks for a valid passport and a birth certificate, through a service named in e-Consular for applicants of full age. Hartford adds a warning: a person born abroad who is already registered as a Brazilian at a consulate can't apply as a foreigner and must use the route for Brazilians.

The federal page gives no time estimate. The wait is whatever your consulate's calendar says, so check it before you promise a seller a closing date. That delay is the usual reason to start the CPF months before you make an offer.

Where official pages and law firms disagree

The rules for a foreigner abroad aren't described the same way everywhere. A buyer planning around them should know that.

The federal page on registering abroad. It sends foreigners to a consulate in person, and it gives the Receita's email address, cpf.residente.exterior@rfb.gov.br, as a channel for Brazilians abroad.
The general federal page on registering a CPF. It lists a separate online form for residents abroad, an email channel with a photo of you holding your ID, and in-person service, without limiting email to Brazilians. A protocol from the form goes to the Receita or, if you live abroad, to the consulate.
A Brazilian law firm's 2026 guide. It says foreigners abroad can use an online channel with a passport image and a photo of the applicant's face. It advises switching to the consulate or a representative if the form rejects the data. A different firm's 2026 guide treats the consulate as the official route.
Individual consulates. Pages from European consulates describe their own flows, including sending the application by email or filing with the Receita first and delivering the form in person later.

Treat the consulate route as the rule, since it is the one the federal service page names for you. If you need the number faster, write to your consulate and ask what it accepts. Keep the answer. If a site offers you a fast CPF for a fee, remember the consular service is free and the number comes only from the Receita.

Applying while you are in Brazil

If you're already in Brazil on a viewing trip to Rio, Salvador or Florianópolis, this can be the quickest route. The federal page lists an online form called Inscrever Estrangeiro no CPF. You submit it, receive a protocol, and take the protocol with your documents to a Receita Federal office or a partner office.

Partner offices are civil registry offices (cartórios de registro civil), Banco do Brasil, Caixa Econômica Federal and the Correios post office. They charge R$ 7, about US$ 1.30. At a Receita office the service is free. The federal page estimates about two business days to analyze documents submitted with a protocol, and about 48 hours for requests by email.

Bring originals or authenticated copies. Since IN RFB 2.172/2024, the Receita can also collect biometric data from people who attend in person. A foreigner in transit needs a passport, under the same rule that applies abroad.

Foreigners living in Brazil use the same form and also show the migration card (CRNM, or the older RNE) where they hold one. If you're moving to Brazil, read the residency options guide too, because your address and tax position change when you do.

Applying through a representative in Brazil

Many foreign buyers want their lawyer in Brazil to handle this. It can work, but the sources differ on how firmly.

A 2025 article by Brazilian lawyers in Migalhas describes the route as available: the representative files the signed FCPF, a passport copy and a notarized power of attorney. Documents signed abroad must be apostilled or legalized at a consulate and translated by a sworn translator. The papers go in person or by email, and the number comes back by email.

A 2026 guide from another firm calls this an alternative to the official route and says acceptance depends on the Receita unit, so you should confirm first. A third firm says a lawyer can register the CPF at a Receita unit if the power of attorney expressly mentions CPF registration. The federal page on registering abroad doesn't mention a representative for foreigners at all.

So ask your lawyer one direct question: has the local Receita unit accepted this kind of request recently? Use a power of attorney that names CPF registration in terms. A general power to buy property may not be enough. The Civil Code ties a power's form to the act it covers (art. 657). The power of attorney guide explains apostilles and sworn translations.

This route also has a cost the others don't. At a São Paulo notary in 2026, a power of attorney with no stated value costs R$ 164.14 for up to four signers, and a couple counts as one signer. Abroad, the apostille, the sworn translation and the representative's fee come on top, and they vary.

The yearly update for foreigners abroad

Older guides, including many still online, say a CPF lasts for life and needs no attention. That stopped being safe for foreigners abroad. IN RFB 2.236/2024 added art. 23-A to the CPF instruction. A foreigner with an address abroad, aged 16 or older, must update the record every year, between 1 January and 31 December.

The update was optional in 2024 (art. 32-B). The New York consulate says it applies to non-Brazilians who already hold a CPF and live abroad from 13 January 2025.

How it works, under art. 23-A:

Open the Receita Federal mobile app. A consular page describes the path as Outros Serviços, then Atualizar CPF no Exterior.
Enter your CPF number and date of birth.
Use the app to photograph your face and your passport.
If the app can't complete it, go to a Brazilian diplomatic post with the message the app generated and the documents listed in Annex IV of the instruction.

If you miss a year, the consequences come in order. The missed update counts as a registry inconsistency that can move your CPF to suspensa, the Receita's status for a record on hold (art. 12). You fix that with a late update (art. 13, §2, II). If it stays that way for 90 days after you are told, the Receita may cancel the record on its own initiative (art. 13, §3).

Why this matters to an owner: one law firm warns a pending or suspensa CPF can block a closing or a later sale. Say you buy for R$ 900,000 in 2026, stop opening the app, and find a buyer in 2031. You could learn about the problem from the buyer's lawyer, with a deposit already on the table. Put a yearly reminder on your phone, and add it to the file you leave for your family. The selling guide and the guide to inheritance both depend on a working CPF.

What each CPF status means

Check the status with the Receita's public lookup and print the comprovante before any signing. One law firm suggests doing it weeks ahead, because corrections take time.

CPF statuses for people abroad
Status	What the Receita says it means	What to do
Regular	No problem on the record	Nothing, apart from the yearly update
Pendente de regularização	A required tax return wasn't filed in the last year	Regularize it through the Receita, and check whether a return was due at all
Suspensa	Returns not filed in the last two years, per the Receita's older page, or a registry inconsistency such as a missed yearly update (IN RFB 2.236/2024)	A late yearly update fixes that cause; other causes need the Receita
Cancelada	Death, duplicate records, or a record left on hold past 90 days	Ask the Receita or a consulate how to proceed
Titular falecido	The holder has died; the status can't go back to regular	The estate administrator deals with it

There's a known friction here. A column in Conjur in January 2026 argues that the annual income tax return applies only to tax residents, citing a Receita ruling (Solução de Consulta Cosit 63/2021), and that owning property in Brazil doesn't create a filing duty for a non-resident. The same author reports cases where non-residents had a CPF put on hold anyway for not filing, and had to go to court. So if a status shows a missing return and you were never a tax resident, say so to your lawyer before you file anything.

Spouses, children and companies

Each person on the deed needs a CPF of their own. If you and your spouse buy together, apply for both at the same time. A spouse who isn't buying may still appear in the deed, depending on your marriage regime, so ask your lawyer whether a CPF is needed for that spouse too. Which regime applies depends on where the couple lived when they married (art. 7, §4, of the Introductory Law, Decree-Law 4.657 of 1942).

Children can hold a CPF. The federal page sets out the papers:

Under 16. The child's birth certificate or a photo ID showing nationality, parentage and date of birth, plus the parent's or guardian's photo ID and proof of guardianship.
16 or 17, applying through a parent. The child's birth certificate or photo ID, plus the same papers from the parent.
16 or 17, applying alone. A photo ID.

The yearly update starts at 16, so a child who was registered young picks up the duty at that birthday. If you put a property in a child's name, keep that date in the family file.

A company uses a different number, the CNPJ. A foreign entity registering for a CNPJ must name a representative domiciled in Brazil, with powers to manage its assets here and represent it before the Receita (IN RFB 2.119/2022, art. 6, §1). A Brazilian company with a foreign partner is another structure again, and the Brazilian entity may have foreign-investment reports to file at the Banco Central (Resolution BCB 278/2022, art. 17). A company also changes the tax on rent and on dividends sent abroad. Ask for advice on those points first, using the guides on rental tax and sending money.

Getting your details to match

A notary and a registrar compare your CPF record with your passport and your marriage certificate. Small differences cause delays at the worst moment.

Your name. Name, date of birth and nationality should match the passport exactly. Don't use a shortened first name on the form.
Your mother's name. One law firm says this field is often left incomplete. Enter it as it appears on your birth certificate.
Marital status and married name. The Receita asks for a document to support most changes, such as a marriage certificate for a change of name. An address change needs no proof.
Your address. Use the address you live at, because the yearly update rule attaches to foreigners with an address abroad.
A new passport. The next yearly update takes a photo of it. Make sure the rest of the file you give the notary shows the same number.

Corrections have their own path. New York says it handles only new applications and fixes to CPFs it processed in the last 90 days, and it sends everything else to the Receita's email address. If you got your CPF at one consulate and now live under another, write to the Receita first.

The Receita issues no card to people abroad. Your proof is the printed Comprovante de Inscrição e de Situação Cadastral, shown with an identity document. If you've lost the number, look on your earlier documents, or write to the Receita's address above.

A CPF and tax residence

Holding a CPF doesn't make you a Brazilian tax resident. Neither does owning property. Residence for income tax turns on the rules in IN SRF 208/2002, art. 2:

A person who enters on a permanent visa is resident from the day of arrival.
A person on a temporary visa who comes to work under an employment contract is resident from arrival.
Any other temporary-visa holder becomes resident on reaching 184 days in Brazil, in one stay or several, within 12 months.
If you don't reach 184 days in a 12-month period, a new count starts at your next entry.

A non-resident owner still has Brazilian tax to deal with. Rent is taxed under the rules in the rental tax guide. The gain on a sale is taxed as well, from 15% (Law 13.259/2016), and the CPF is how the tax authority ties those payments to you.

The Receita's records on your residence matter. The Receita asks people who stop being resident to tell it, and an old record showing a Brazilian address can make a non-resident look like a resident. If you've lived in Brazil and left, get advice before you update the record.

Costs and timing compared

Ways to get a CPF, as of November 2026
Route	For whom	Official fee	Other costs	Time
Brazilian consulate	Anyone living abroad	Free	Travel; translation if needed	Depends on the appointment calendar; New York issues the number at the appointment
Receita office in Brazil	Anyone in Brazil	Free	None	About 2 business days to analyze documents
Partner office in Brazil	Anyone in Brazil	R$ 7 (about US$ 1.30)	None	Same analysis at the Receita
Representative	Living abroad, if the Receita unit accepts it	Free at a Receita office	Power of attorney, apostille, sworn translation, representative's fee	Depends on the papers; confirm with your lawyer

A worked example. A couple and a 12-year-old child are in Recife for a week of viewings. At a partner office, three applications cost R$ 21 (about US$ 3.90). At a Receita office they cost nothing, if there's a slot. At home, a consulate does the same for free, at the price of a trip to the consulate city. Through a representative, one power of attorney signed at a São Paulo notary costs R$ 164.14 (about US$ 30) before the representative's fee, and more if signed abroad.

So the money isn't the deciding factor. Time is. Compare what each route costs you against the date you want to sign, and leave room for a correction. The CPF costs next to nothing, and on a purchase of R$ 1,000,000 a delay can cost far more if a contract sets a deadline and a sinal is at stake.

What to do once you have the number

Tell your lawyer and your bank. The FX firm or bank will want the comprovante when it opens the file. The guide to sending money covers that stage.
Consider a non-resident account. Non-residents can hold an account in reais at a bank authorized to operate in FX, under Resolution BCB 277/2022 (arts. 67 and 68). You don't need one to buy, though it helps if you plan to pay condominium fees and IPTU.
If you own already and just learned about the update. Open the app today. If the record is on hold, a late update is the stated fix.
If you're selling. Owners listing on Brazil Keys should check their CPF status before they accept an offer, because the buyer's lawyer will.

Questions

Can I get a CPF online from abroad?

The federal service page says a foreigner living abroad must apply in person at a consulate. Some law firms and consular pages describe online or email channels. Treat the consulate as the rule and ask yours what it accepts.

How much does a CPF cost for a foreigner?

It's free at a consulate and at a Receita Federal office. Partner offices in Brazil (civil registries, Banco do Brasil, Caixa and the Correios) charge R$ 7, about US$ 1.30.

Does a CPF expire?

The number doesn't expire, but since 2025 a foreigner aged 16 or older with an address abroad must update the record every year through the Receita app. Skip it and the status can move to suspensa, and after 90 days the record can be canceled.

How long until I have a CPF?

The federal page gives no estimate for consulates, and the wait depends on appointments. New York issues the number at the appointment. In Brazil, the Receita estimates about two business days to analyze documents.

Can my lawyer get my CPF for me?

Possibly. Brazilian law firms describe a route with a power of attorney naming CPF registration, apostilled and translated, but one says acceptance depends on the Receita unit. Ask your lawyer whether the local unit has accepted it recently, and read the power of attorney guide.

Does having a CPF make me a Brazilian tax resident?

No. Residence depends on your visa and days in Brazil, with 184 days within 12 months as the test for most temporary-visa holders (IN SRF 208/2002, art. 2). Owning property doesn't change that either.

Do I need a CPF to buy property in Brazil?

In practice, yes. The Receita requires it for anyone holding registrable assets, the matrícula records it, and a 2023 CNJ decision says the CPF can't be waived where the notary must file a DOI. See how to buy property.

Is there a CPF card?

Not for people abroad. Your proof is the printed Comprovante de Inscrição e de Situação Cadastral from the Receita's site, shown with an identity document.

Does a CPF by itself mean I owe a Brazilian tax return?

A CPF alone doesn't create a filing duty. A January 2026 Conjur column cites a Receita ruling saying the annual return applies only to residents, while reporting cases where non-residents had a CPF put on hold for not filing. If your status shows a missing return, ask a lawyer.

Sources

Written by Lucas Andrade. Updated November 2026. General information, not legal, tax or investment advice. Ask a Brazilian lawyer about your own case.