Get Your Personal Documents in Order

Doing a deal in Brazil requires personal documents - and lots of them. Whether you’re selling a house, starting a business or getting married, you’ll be asked for a plethora of personal documents.

Sure, you’ll likely need to show a copy of your driver’s license when you buy a house in the US, but your birth certificate? In Brazil, deal documents often include parents’ names, which can be found only on a US birth certificate.

Part of the fixation on personal documents is rooted in tradition. Notaries and government agencies have always required these documents, so they see no reason to change. Combating fraud - confirming you are who you say you are - is another reason.

If you’re from the US, expect to need some or all of the following documents:

• US Passport

• Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas (CPF) - for both Brazilian residents and non-residents

• Registro Nacional de Estrangeiros (RNE) - if you’re a Brazilian resident

• Birth Certificate

• Marriage Certificate (if married)

• Divorce Decree (if divorced)

Keep in mind that a simple copy often won’t do. You’ll likely need either an original or certified copy. And getting certified copies isn’t a quick process. You may need to notarize a copy of a document, then get it apostilled and then send that “original” copy to Brazil.

Every deal is different, but we encourage you to start early nonetheless. Ask about what documents you’ll need, and get them together at the outset. It can take longer than you expect. Otherwise, you risk delaying, or worse yet, killing the deal.