If you decide to invest on the attractive real estate market of NE Brazil, the first step and requirement you need to fulfill is to finish your registration.

There are basically 2 registration possibilities only:

• CPF : Registration of a physical person, if the buyer/investor is a private person
• CNPJ: Registration of the legal entity, if the buyer/investor is a juridical person

Before you start registering the buyer/investor, you therefore need to decide who will buy, a private person or a company.

This decision making needs some more personal information, but we may inform you already that appr. 98% of all buyers/investors are private persons, so this you may already keep in mind.

The registration process for both cases is not complicated at all.

The registration is required for registration of who owns what in Brazil and of where the government can address the tax bills for any taxes due.

The CPF/CNPJ also serves as a identification document, at various occasions the local authorities will ask you to produce it.

CPF (Registration of a Private Person)
A CPF is a Certificado de Pessoa Fysica = a Certificate of a Physical Person.

The certificate is comparable with a European SOFI (Social Fiscal) number.

For the application, you need to bring:

• a copy of your passport
• a statement of any Brazilian address
• appr. Reais 250,- for the duties and fees

CNPJ (Registration of a Juridical Person)
A CNPJ is a Certificado Nacional de Pessoa Juritica = National Certificate of a Juridical Person.

The certificate is comparable with a European Company’s Tax number.

A CNPJ is comparable with the European so called company's tax number (Fiscal Nr.)

For the application, you need to bring:

• the company's incorporation certificate/act of incorporation
• the bylaws
• a copy of the registration at the chamber of commerce
• a copy of the passport of the director
• appr. Reais 250,- for the duties and fees

With these things in hand you can apply for the same at the RECEITA FEDERAL of Fortaleza.

If you happen to be outside Brazil, you may download a form for a Power of Attorney for a CPF here or a CNPJ here.

After downloading, please carefull fill in this form, sign it and have the signature notarized and legalised by the Brazilian Consulate in your country.