CPF in Brazil for Foreigners (2026): Who Needs One, How to Get It, and How to Skip It for Mobile Data
Updated October 8, 2026
The CPF (Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas) is Brazil's individual taxpayer number, and foreigners can get one too. Registration with Receita Federal, the federal tax authority, is free.
This guide covers when a visitor needs a CPF, how to apply in Brazil or at a consulate, what the process looked like for one traveler in 2026, and how to get mobile data without one.
7 min read
The short version
- A CPF is a registration number issued by Receita Federal. Brazilians and foreigners, residents or not, can register, and the online form is free.
- Visitors mostly run into it when registering a local SIM card and when opening a Brazilian bank account to use Pix.
- Fill in the free online form, then take the protocol and your passport to a Receita Federal office in Brazil, or apply in person at a Brazilian consulate before you travel.
- Without a CPF, prepaid SIM activation gets harder. An eSIMPal Brazil eSIM needs no CPF and no store visit, and data works when you land.
What a CPF is
The CPF (Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas) is a database run by Receita Federal, Brazil's federal tax authority. It holds records for Brazilian and foreign individuals, residents and non-residents alike.
A 2017 decree made the CPF a sufficient identifier when dealing with public services. That is one reason so many Brazilian systems ask for it.
Who needs one as a visitor
Brazilian law requires operators to register every prepaid line with the user's name, address and an identity document number or CPF. Claro says foreigners without a CPF can activate a prepaid line only in a Claro store, with a passport.
Pix, Brazil's instant payment system, runs from a Brazilian current, savings or prepaid account. So using it means opening an account first, and that is where foreigners hit the CPF again.
If you pay by card and use an eSIM for data, neither of these comes up. A CPF matters more for long stays, a local bank account or a Brazilian phone number.
How to get a CPF
In Brazil, fill in the free online form for foreigners on the Receita Federal site. It produces a protocol, which you then present with your documents at a Receita Federal office.
Banco do Brasil, Caixa Econômica Federal, Correios post offices and registry offices (cartórios) can file the request for you for a R$7 fee. Receita's service page also lists an email channel, but Steve Lacey reports it no longer worked in 2026.
Before the trip, foreigners living abroad apply in person at a Brazilian consulate or embassy, booked through the e-consular system. The consular service is free.
gov.br: Inscrever no CPFgov.br: Inscrever no CPF no exterior
What to bring
An official photo ID (for visitors, the passport), plus a birth or marriage certificate if the ID does not show your parents' names, place and date of birth. Staff can ask for extra documents.
How long it takes
Receita Federal estimates about 2 working days for the documents step once the form is in. In practice the queue at the office is the slow part, as the next section shows.
What it looks like in 2026
Steve Lacey, a software engineer and long-term traveler, went through the whole process in Rio in 2026 and wrote it up. This is one traveler's experience, not official policy.
His Receita Federal office issued only about 15 CPFs a day. The tip that got him in:
you need to be there at 8am, an hour before they open
He was then told his CPF would arrive by email within a week.
The new number did not work everywhere. He was told:
it can take ~3 months for a new CPF to propagate through their systems
The SIM's activation line rejected it, and a kiosk SIM was only activated after five hours of online support, with a photo of his passport next to the CPF. That line could not be moved to eSIM.
Banking was the last hurdle:
most banks won't let a foreigner open an account with just a CPF anymore
C6 Bank worked for him, and he got Pix running.
Steve Lacey, who went through it in 2026: Read his full write-up · Original post on X
Mobile data without a CPF
A local prepaid SIM is cheap, but registration is the catch: without a CPF, Claro activates prepaid lines only in its stores, and a brand-new CPF may not be recognised yet.
Vivo and Claro also sell tourist eSIM plans that take a passport number instead of a CPF, bought online with an international credit card.
An eSIMPal Brazil eSIM skips local registration altogether: install it before you fly, data works when you land, and your home number stays active for calls and bank codes.
Frequently asked questions
Is a CPF free for foreigners?
Yes. Registration through the online form, at a Receita Federal office or at a Brazilian consulate is free. Banco do Brasil, Caixa, Correios and registry offices charge R$7 to file it for you.
Can a tourist get a CPF?
Yes. The CPF register covers foreigners whether or not they live in Brazil. In Brazil you finish the process at a Receita Federal office; from abroad you apply at a Brazilian consulate.
Can I get a CPF fully online?
The form is online, but you still present it with your documents. Receita's service page lists an email channel, while Steve Lacey reports it no longer worked for him in 2026 and he had to go in person.
How long does it take to get a CPF?
Receita Federal estimates about 2 working days for the documents step. Steve Lacey queued before opening time and was told his CPF would arrive by email within a week.
Do I need a CPF for a SIM card in Brazil?
By law a prepaid line needs your name, address and an identity document number or CPF. Without a CPF, Claro activates prepaid lines only in its stores with a passport, and Vivo and Claro sell tourist eSIM plans that use a passport number.
Can I use Pix without a CPF?
Pix runs from a Brazilian current, savings or prepaid account, so you need one first. Steve Lacey found most banks would not open an account for a foreigner with only a CPF; C6 Bank worked for him.
Does an eSIMPal Brazil eSIM need a CPF?
No. You buy and install it online before the trip, with no CPF and no store visit, and data starts when you land in Brazil.
Landing in Brazil without a CPF? Get online anyway
Maps, ride-hailing and messages should work from the arrivals hall. Install an eSIMPal Brazil eSIM before you fly and skip SIM registration entirely.
Last updated October 8, 2026. Based on Receita Federal's CPF registration and CPF-abroad service pages on gov.br, Law 10.703/2003 on prepaid line registration, Claro's prepaid registration and Claro flex pass pages, Vivo's Tourist Plan page, Banco Central do Brasil's Pix page, and Steve Lacey's first-hand account from 2026. Requirements change, so check gov.br before you apply.
