Understanding Brazilian Addresses
In order to facilitate the identification of places in Brazil this article will help you to understand Brazilian addresses, explaining abbreviations, how to send letters and how to read or write an address on a business card, for example.
One of the most important things to know when you're visiting or working in a foreign country is how to get around by foot. Tourists usually try to find out how to say the name of streets, avenues, plazas, neighbourhoods and similar words in a foreign language, just to avoid getting lost or to help find places.
That isn’t different for business travellers or for a foreigner moving to another country. This article aims to explain the Brazilian address structure. To start, let's find out the meaning of important words in Portuguese and their abbreviations, since their uses are very common to indicate addresses or street signs.
Address Vocabulary in Brazil
Brazilian addresses are structured by six main pieces of information, that must always be presented when an address is requested or conceded.
| Format | Example |
| Avenue or Street | Av. Paulista R. Augusta |
| Number: house number building number, floor and apartment | 1024 1098, 1º andar, apto. 101 |
| Neighbourhood | Bela Vista |
| City | São Paulo |
| State Code: States in Brazil have abbreviation codes | SP |
| Country | Brasil |
| Postal Code | 01310-000 |
How the Address is Structured?
Brazilian addresses are composed of: the name of the logradouro (which is equivalent to an avenue, street or highway), the number of the place (if the address given is referent to a house, there’s only one number to be informed, but if the place is an apartment, not only the number of the building must be presented, as well as, the number of the block, if there is one), the number of the floor and apartment, the neighbourhood, the city, the state (which must be informed by an abbreviation) and the postal code.
Sending a Letter in Brazil
To send a letter in Brazil, it's necessary to follow the Correios model. The model is the structure, in which the address of the recipient and remitter must be presented on the letter to achieve its destination. If the letter is to be delivered abroad, the model is the same, but above the postal code of the destined country must also be stated.
Recipient on the Front of the Envelope - Example
Lívia Amaral
Av. Paulista, 1098, 1º andar, apto. 101
Bela Vista
São Paulo - SP
Brasil
01310-000
Sender on the Back of the Envelope - Example
Sender: João Pedro Ribeiro
Address: R.Augusta, 1024 - São Paulo - SP
01685-060