Brazilian CPF for U.S. Citizens: Exact Procedures From the U.S. and Inside Brazil[2026 Guide]

What exactly is the CPF and why do foreigners need it?

The CPF is the tax and identity registration administered by Receita Federal do Brasil. It links contracts, bank accounts, taxes, and purchases to each person. Without it, most financial and government procedures in Brazil are blocked.

Who must register for the CPF?

Primary official sources

The items below prioritize official primary sources (Receita Federal, gov.br service portal, and Brazilian consulates in the U.S.). Dates shown are the “published/updated/last modified” dates displayed on each page.

Route A: Applying from the United States

Eligibility and who qualifies

Official guidance (gov.br services + Receita Federal's “Meu CPF” hub) indicates CPF registration is available to Brazilian and foreign individuals, with no minimum age, including residents and non-residents. For foreigners who are outside Brazil, gov.br explicitly directs that the request must be made at a Brazilian consular post abroad; multiple U.S. consular pages repeat this rule and cite Joint COCAD/COGEA Ordinance No. 53/2023 as the basis. Use the consulate that has jurisdiction over your U.S. address: Brazilian consulates.

Required documents (complete list, including originals/notarization/apostilles)

Across official sources, you should prepare a “baseline packet,” then check consulate-specific additions:

• Generated CPF request form/protocol (FCPF): gov.br and multiple consulates instruct you to complete the online CPF form and generate a protocol/form (FCPF), then sign it.
• Identification: Consulates list a valid passport as the primary ID.
• Birth certificate or marriage certificate: gov.br's “CPF abroad” service lists these for foreigners; several consulates require one (Miami makes birth certificate mandatory).

Originals vs copies: Some consulates require bringing original documents for verification at the in-person appointment after e-Consular pre-review. Washington, DC describes “original and copy” of a valid passport (and optional birth certificate to include parentage).

Notarization: Not always required; the Los Angeles post is explicit: after generating the FCPF, you must print it and sign it in the presence of a notary public.

Apostille / legalization: New York warns that if a supporting document was not issued by the U.S. Government, it must be “recognized,” including via apostille authorities in the issuing country. For most U.S. citizens using a U.S. passport and U.S. birth certificate, this typically will not apply; it can apply when presenting a third-country birth certificate or similar non-U.S. civil record.

Translations: For standard CPF issuance, U.S. consular pages do not uniformly demand translation of U.S. passport/birth certificate; requirements can vary by post—follow the specific consulate's CPF page.

Step-by-step application procedure from the U.S.

1. Step one: Identify the correct Brazilian consular post and its submission channel. Use Brazil's consular network (gov.br) to find the responsible post for your place of residence, then use that post's instructions to submit via e-Consular (common) or email (Boston).
2. Step two: Generate the CPF form/protocol online (FCPF). Multiple consulates instruct foreign citizens to fill out the online CPF form and generate a protocol/FCPF. Leave the “Título de Eleitor” field blank. Pop-up blockers must be disabled so the form/protocol can generate (per gov.br and consular instructions).
3. Step three: Sign the generated form in the required manner. At minimum, sign the form; Los Angeles adds a notarization requirement (signature in front of a notary public).
4. Step four: Submit documents through the post's required system and obtain an appointment. Several posts require submission through e-Consular, then after review you schedule an in-person appointment and bring originals. Boston directs foreign citizens to request an appointment by email, then attend with required documents.
5. Step five: Attend the in-person appointment; CPF is issued. Washington, DC and New York state that CPF issuance occurs at the appointment; Washington, DC states same-day processing for in-person presentations.

Fees, payment methods, and processing times (Route A)

Fees: Official sources consistently describe CPF issuance as free through these consular routes (e.g. Washington, DC; Miami; New York; Los Angeles fee pages).

Processing time: Where stated, issuance at the consular appointment can be same day (Washington, DC); New York describes issuance at the in-person appointment after e-Consular review. Appointment availability is not standardized; lead time is often driven by how quickly you can secure a slot.

How CPF is delivered and how to retrieve proof

Consular pages emphasize that the CPF number is generated at issuance and appears on a receipt; store it safely. If you forget it, recovery is typically done in Brazil (consulate cannot retrieve due to tax-data secrecy). For proof of registration, Receita Federal supports: Comprovante de Inscrição no CPF and Comprovante de Situação Cadastral no CPF (CPF + date of birth). The old plastic CPF card is no longer issued in that format; consular guidance directs users to print the proof instead.

Route B: Applying while physically in Brazil

Eligibility and where you can apply inside Brazil

gov.br's “Inscrever no CPF” service states that Brazilian and foreign individuals, residents and non-residents, can apply. It describes multiple channels: online form submission, partner “PAV” points, email service, and a conveniada (authorized partner) network. Receita Federal's “Atendimento presencial” page explains that service is provided at Receita Federal units and PAV partner points, and that conveniados (banks, post offices, civil registry offices) also offer CPF registration and updating. Note: The Receita email directory states that “foreigners in transit in Brazil” who have only a passport as ID must seek in-person service; email remains available for certain other groups (e.g. MERCOSUR nationals, some diplomatic cases).

Required documents (originals/certificates; minors)

gov.br's CPF registration service describes:

• Official photo identification; and birth certificate or marriage certificate (or equivalent for foreigners) if the ID does not contain place of birth, parentage (filiação), and date of birth. Additional documents may be requested by the clerk.
• Ages 16–17: either the minor applies with photo ID, or a parent/guardian applies with the minor's birth certificate or photo ID plus the applicant's photo ID and proof of guardianship where applicable.
• Under 16: birth certificate or photo ID showing nationality, parentage, and date of birth; plus the applying parent/guardian's photo ID; plus proof of guardianship if applicable.

Step-by-step application procedure inside Brazil

1. Step one: Choose the channel — online first, in-person at Receita Federal/PAV, or at a conveniada.
2. Step two: If using the online foreigner form, complete “Inscrição CPF Estrangeiro” at Receita. Receita explains that online requests may be “conclusive” or “non-conclusive”; if non-conclusive, the system generates a protocol with instructions on how to proceed.
3. Step three: If online is not conclusive (or you prefer in-person), go to an in-person channel. Receita Federal units and PAV points offer service; the “Atendimento presencial” page provides an appointment pathway and lists CPF services through conveniados.
4. Step four: Receive your CPF number and generate proof documents as needed. After issuance, use Receita online tools for “Comprovante de Situação Cadastral no CPF” (CPF + date of birth) and “Comprovante de Inscrição no CPF” as needed.

Fees and expected timing (Route B)

Fees: gov.br states CPF registration is free, except when performed at “unidades conveniadas,” which charge R$ 7,00. Time: gov.br provides an estimated in-person waiting time (“até 15 minutos”) for certain channels but not a universal processing SLA. If your online submission is non-conclusive, you must follow the protocol's next steps.

Consulate differences and recent changes

Procedures differ among the major U.S. posts in three recurring ways: intake channel (e-Consular vs email), whether a birth certificate is mandatory for adults, and whether notarization/apostille steps appear in the standard path.

New York: e-Consular request (“CPF application (for foreign citizens)”), then in-person verification; CPF issued at appointment. Prominent document-recognition note: non‑U.S.-issued documents may require apostille/legalization before submission.

Miami: All documents must be submitted via e-Consular; valid passport and birth certificate are mandatory; service is free; page includes explicit annual “re-registration” instructions starting January 13, 2025.

Boston: Foreign citizens are directed to request an appointment by email and bring the FCPF plus required documents; foreign citizens must not fill the “Título de Eleitor” field.

Los Angeles: Requires e-Consular submission plus a notarization step (sign the generated FCPF in the presence of a notary public); issuance is free. The consulate homepage notes that all services are via prior e-Consular appointment and that CPF became a required identifier for consular services from March 7, 2024 (per Law 14.534/2023).

Washington, DC: Foreign citizens submit via e-Consular and appear in person; passport required; birth certificate optional (to include parentage); in-person CPF registrations are processed the same day; annual foreigner update requirement starting January 13, 2025 is published.

Two trend-level changes: (1) Post-2023 tightening for foreigners abroad — multiple consulates cite Joint COCAD/COGEA Ordinance No. 53/2023 for the rule that foreigners abroad must submit CPF requests at Brazilian consular posts via in-person service. (2) 2025 annual update for foreign CPF holders abroad — at least Miami and Washington DC state a January 13, 2025 start date and an app-based selfie/passport process for annual updating, plus error escalation instructions.

Special cases, pitfalls, and troubleshooting

Special cases

• Minors: Brazil's gov.br CPF service provides explicit checklists for minors under 16 and for ages 16–17, including when a parent/guardian may apply and when proof of guardianship is required. Consulate pages add their own requirements (e.g. Boston requires minors under 16 to present a document showing parents' names and attend with parents/legal guardians).
• Dual citizens (U.S.–Brazil): If an applicant is also Brazilian, consular instructions diverge (electoral-registration/voter-ID fields become relevant). Washington DC's CPF guidance distinguishes Brazilians from foreigners and notes voter ID (“Título de Eleitor”) requirements for Brazilians; foreigners must leave that field blank. Where Brazilian electoral documentation arises, the relevant institution is Brazil's electoral authority (Tribunal Superior Eleitoral).
• Applicants without a U.S. SSN: None of the primary Brazilian issuance pathways require a U.S. Social Security Number; the foreigner-facing forms and consular checklists focus on passport/identity documents and civil records.
• If you forgot your CPF number: Multiple consulates emphasize that recovery cannot usually be handled at the consulate due to tax secrecy; the person must resolve it in Brazil via Receita Federal, potentially through a representative using a power of attorney. Some consulates specify that foreigner POA must be notarized, apostilled, and translated by a sworn translator.
• Foreign CPF annual “re-registration/update” (2025): Miami and Washington, DC state that starting January 13, 2025, foreign CPF holders with an address abroad must update/re-register annually through the Receita Federal app workflow (enter CPF + DOB, take a selfie with passport visible, then fill requested data). If inconsistencies prevent completion, Washington DC describes emailing the consulate with screenshots and ID page; Miami describes emailing a specific address with a screenshot of the error.

Common pitfalls and likely rejection/deferral reasons

• Pop-up blockers prevent form/protocol generation — official sources warn that browser pop-up blockers must be disabled or submission will fail.
• Filling “Título de Eleitor” as a foreign citizen (should be blank) — U.S. consular pages repeatedly instruct foreign citizens not to fill that field.
• Missing birth certificate where the post requires it — Miami explicitly lists valid passport and birth certificate as mandatory; missing it risks non-processing.
• Not meeting Los Angeles notarization requirements — LA instructs that the generated FCPF must be printed and signed in the presence of a notary public before submission.
• Using foreign (non‑U.S.-issued) civil documents without proper recognition — New York warns that documents not issued by the U.S. Government must be recognized (including apostille pathways).
• Trying to use the “email CPF service” as a tourist in Brazil with only a passport — Receita Federal's email directory clarifies that foreigners in transit with only a passport must seek in-person service.

Check status: Situação Cadastral. “Pendente de Regularização” / “Suspensa” / “Cancelada” have specific meanings (e.g. tax filing, death); clear any tax debt before relying on CPF for new procedures.