How to open a bank account in Brazil
Opening a bank account is an important action to be taken when moving to Brazil. In this article you will learn what are the procedures and documents required to have your own account in a Brazilian bank
Checking accounts
A checking account is a day-to-day account, in which you can deposit or withdraw money. Every bank in Brazil has its own specific procedures for opening an account, but here are some basic steps which serve for all of them.
To have an account it is necessary to actually go to a Brazilian bank. It's not possible to open a checking account in Brazil at distance and it's necessary to present documentation like:
- CPF (Cadastro de Pessoa Física, or Brazilian Individual Taxpayer Registry), which is a card that contains people's name and a number that will identify them and is mandatory for people living abroad who own properties in Brazil
- Proof of income
- Proof of residence, which is a document confirming your address
- Foreigner national register (RNE or Registro Nacional de Estrangeiro), which is the ID card for foreigners living in Brazil
- A form stating that the provided RNE is valid
- Passport.
The documentation should provide these information:
- Petitioner's name
- Name of petitioner's parents (birth or marriage certificates are accepted)
- Date of birth of the petitioner
- Nationality
- Country of origin
- Document number
- State of dispatch
- Date when the document of dispatch was issued
- Petitioner's picture
- Signature of the petitioner
- Signature of the state of dispatch's representative.
How to get a CPF
To obtain a CPF it is necessary to fill up a form (that can be printed in the official Receita Federal's website). The person can fill up this inscription form in the website and then print it, or print it in and fill it up by hand.
After printing and filling in the form appropriately, the person hasto go to a Brazilian diplomatic representation within 15 days, taking the following documents:
- ID document accepted in the country where the person lives, used to prove the affiliation of natural person
- ID document of one of the parents, custodian or legal responsible and document that proves the affiliation, custody or responsibility if the request refers to the inscription of a person who hasn't reached the age of 16 or of an incapable person
- ID document of the solicitor and public power of attorney, if the request is made by a solicitor.
After this procedure, the person will have to pay a BRL5,50 fee at any Banco do Brasil, Caixa Econômica Federal or Correios' agency to get a card.
It's possible not to pay the fee in public associated agencies and diplomatic representations abroad, but then no card will be issued, only a number.
How to get a RNE?
To obtain a RNE, which is a register of temporary permanency of foreigners in Brazil, the person has to enter the website of Federal Police (Polícia Federal) and fill up the GRU form (Guia de Recolhimento da União or Federal Tax Liability Payment Form) with:
- Fullname
- Address in Brazil
- District
- City
- Country
- Parent's name
After that, the person must print the form and the bank slip (boleto bancário) and then, fill up the GRU again, making some changes and printing a second bank slip. Both bank slips must be paid in any bank agency.
The next step is going to aFederal Police office, where the following documents must be presented:
- Passport
- 2 photos 3x4 on white background
- Visa application form (which can be requested an the Brazilian embassy in the person's country or at the Consulate of the person's country in Brazil)
- DPF (Departamento de Polícia Federal or Federal Police Department) requirement completed (which the person can get at the Federal Police Station).
Then, the agents will scan the person's digitals and give a copy of the RNE that should be used while the official document is not ready.
Useful tips
- All the documents presented must be translated to Portuguese by a certified translator
- The documents which serve as proof of residence are electricity, water, telephone or gas bills
- Documents like proof of income and proof of residence must be recent (maximum of 90 days)
- It's indispensable to present a document containing the name of the petitioner's parents
- It's necessary to present a valid residential visa, which can be temporary or permanent (for the minimum duration of 12 months)
- The tourist visa is not accepted to open a checking account in Brazil.