Getting a P.O. Box in Brazil
Foreigners coming to Brazil with no fixed residence may ask themselves how to get a P.O. box. Learn in this article what are the advantages of this services, how much it costs and how to get it.
Background
A P.O. box is a service that allows a customer to rent a certain space (the space of a P.O. box) to receive his/her mail. The advantages are many, such as secrecy, safety, practicality and convenience. Your mailing will be placed directly in your P.O. box and will remain until 15 days after the completion of your subscription.
It is easier to have a P.O. box as there is no concern about being at home by the time the postman arrives and it is also an advantage for those who work at home, as there is no need for a commercial address of even an office.
It is offered by Correios and also by some private companies but, at least in terms of prices, it is better to subscribe to Correios, as its prices are much more competitive. The service is available for legal entities and private people and there are three types of subscription: semiannual, annual and biennial.
Restrictions
There are some restrictions regarding the usage of the P.O. box provided by Correios, being them:
- Customers are not allowed to use the P.O. box to other purposes than receiving their mailing
- In case of misuse, Correios will cancel the subscription to the P.O. box without returning the amount already paid
- P.O. boxes cannot be granted for free
- Correios’ P.O. boxes will only receive objects that have been posted at one of its offices. It does not accepts objects sent through another company.
If you need to receive an order sent by another company, you must use an address where there will be a person to receive the order.
How to get it
At Correios, which is the most common way to get a P.O. box, those who are interested must go to one of the post offices presenting the following documents:
Private person
- CPF and an ID card
- A proof of residence
- The signature of the P.O. box may be done by a third party as long as he presents a letter of attorney and all the previous documents.
Legal entity
- Contrato Social
- CNPJ
- Letter of attorney
In order to find the post office closer to your residence, click here
Costs
All companies providing this service, including Correios, charge for it. In Correios, prices are:
- Semiannual –BRL 32,00
- Annual – BRL 64,00
- Biennial – BRL 128,00
- Keys – 14,00 *Maintenance – BRL 64,00
Safety
In Brazil, it is not uncommon to hear that the postman has been robbed on the way to the addressee’s house and in many cases, there is no reimbursement from the post office. This is another reason why a P.O. box would be a good choice.
However, nobody is free from the robbery happening inside these institutions, as it happened with Correios at the end of 2011, when some members of the staff were caught stealing from the boxes that were supposed to be delivered to the addressees.