How to Get a CPF Number in the USA: Consulate, Form, and Portal

To get a CPF number in the USA, you apply through the Brazilian consulate that has jurisdiction over the state where you live. The CPF (Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas) is an 11-digit taxpayer ID issued by Brazil’s Receita Federal, and since a 2023 rule change (joint ordinance COCAD/COGEA No. 53/2023), foreigners and Brazilians living outside Brazil must route their applications through a consular office rather than contacting the Receita Federal directly.¹ The service is free, you apply in person after booking online, and both Brazilian citizens and foreigners of any age are eligible.

Once issued, the number is yours for life. It doesn’t expire and doesn’t need to be renewed.

Find the Consulate That Covers Your State

Brazil runs ten consulates in the United States, and you have to apply at the one with jurisdiction over your state of residence. You can’t pick a closer or less busy office outside your assigned area.

Atlanta: Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Mississippi, Tennessee
Boston: Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont
Chicago: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin
Hartford: Connecticut, Rhode Island
Houston: Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
Los Angeles: Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, and Southern California counties
Miami: Florida, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands
New York: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania
San Francisco: Alaska, Oregon, Washington, and Northern California
Washington, D.C.: Delaware, District of Columbia, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia

Each consulate runs its own version of the e-consular online portal, and the exact steps, wait times, and document expectations can vary slightly. Check your consulate’s own page before you start.

Documents to Prepare

The document list is short, but you need every item in hand before your appointment.

Valid passport. This is the only accepted form of ID. Bring the original and a copy.²
Birth certificate. Not strictly required for adults, but it’s the only way to have your parents’ names recorded on your CPF registration. For anyone under 16, it is mandatory.¹
Completed FCPF form. The official CPF registration form, filled out online through the Receita Federal and printed to bring with you.

Applicants under 16 must be accompanied to the consulate by a parent or legal guardian.² Some consulates also ask for proof of your U.S. address, so review your consulate’s specific list.

Fill Out the FCPF Form

Complete the FCPF form on the Receita Federal’s website. After you submit, the system generates a protocol number and a printable form. Print it right away. You’ll bring the physical copy to your appointment and sign it in front of the consular officer.¹

Two practical notes. Disable your browser’s pop-up blocker before you start, or the submission can fail silently. If you aren’t a Brazilian citizen, leave the “Título Eleitoral” (voter registration) field blank.² If the printout doesn’t come through cleanly, note the protocol number so you can reference it at the consulate.

Submit Through the e-Consular Portal

Applications go through the e-consular system, not by email. The old address for the Receita Federal (cpf.residente.exterior@rfb.gov.br) is no longer available to applicants outside Brazil, and instructions floating around online that still describe the email route are outdated.¹

At most U.S. consulates, the sequence looks like this:

Create an e-consular account on your consulate’s portal with a login and password.
Open a CPF service request, upload your documents, and submit.
Wait for the consulate to review and approve the request. Once approved, the system opens appointment scheduling to you.
Attend your appointment in person. Bring your original passport, the printed FCPF form, and any other documents your consulate asked for. You’ll sign the form on site.

The CPF service is free at Brazilian consulates.¹ The real cost is getting to the consulate itself, since all ten offices sit in major cities and jurisdiction is fixed.

If you happen to travel to Brazil before the process wraps up, you can also apply in person at any Receita Federal office, or at authorized post offices and Banco do Brasil branches. Some locations issue the number the same day. From the United States, however, the consular route is the only current option.

Processing Time and Proof of Registration

Turnaround varies by consulate. Some issue the CPF the day of the appointment. Others forward the paperwork to the Receita Federal in Brazil, where processing takes at least two weeks, and longer during busy periods.² If your consulate has a backlog on appointment scheduling on top of that, plan for extra time.

Brazil no longer issues a physical CPF card by default. Once your number is active, print your proof of registration (comprovante de inscrição) from the Receita Federal’s website. Access requires your CPF number, full name, date of birth, and your mother’s full name.³ That printout is your official document.

You can also verify that your registration is in “Regular” status any time through the Receita Federal’s public lookup tool.⁴

Does Having a CPF Mean You Owe Brazilian Taxes?

No. Holding a CPF does not, by itself, make you a Brazilian tax resident and does not create an annual filing requirement.

Brazil taxes residents on worldwide income and non-residents only on Brazilian-source income, such as rent from a property in Brazil. Tax residency is triggered by entering Brazil on a permanent visa, or by staying on a temporary visa for more than 183 days within any 12-month period. Your visa status and physical presence create the obligation, not the CPF number. If you receive income from Brazilian sources as a non-resident, the payor typically withholds tax at the source, and keeping your CPF in regular status helps those transactions clear cleanly.

1
Ministério das Relações Exteriores. CPF for Foreigners
2
Ministério das Relações Exteriores. CPF for Non-Brazilian Citizens in English
3
Receita Federal. Impressão do Comprovante de Inscrição no CPF
4
Gov.br. Consultar Cadastro de Pessoa Física (CPF) na Receita Federal