Registering a Foreign Vehicle in Brazil

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Registering a Foreign Vehicle in Brazil

Vehicles may be brought into Brazil in one of two different ways:

• A temporary entry permit
• Importation

Note: It is not possible to import a used vehicle to Brazil with the exception of vintage cars, which will not be used on public roads.

If the car owner is not in Brazil they should contact the nearest Brazilian Consulate in their place of residence for the documents specified below. If in Brazil, the required documents may be obtained from the individual organisations specified below.

A temporary import will be completed at the point of entry into Brazil. The information below is meant as a simplified guide to what is an extremely complex process for both temporary entries and for importation.

Failure to satisfy all the requirements will result in the vehicle being refused entry or the vehicle being impounded by the customs authorities.

Note: Importing a new vehicle on a permanent basis into Brazil is an extremely complicated process; it is highly recommended to use the services of a despachante for assistance.

Despachante

Despachante is the term used throughout Brazil for a professional who works in the area of vehicle documentation and registration on behalf of a vehicle owner.

A despachante can apply for new or lost driving licenses, register vehicles and oversee transfer of vehicles from one person to another among many other functions.

Temporary Entry Permit (Regime Especial de Admissão Temporária)

If the vehicle is exclusively for private tourist purposes, residents from countries in Mercosul (the Common Market of the South; made up of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) with a vehicle registered in Mercosul may move freely in the country, without the need for any customs formalities, provided that the driver has the documentation required by the legislation applicable to the traveller and the vehicle does not transport goods which, by their quantity and characteristics, assume a commercial nature, or which are incompatible with the purposes of tourism.

Individuals and vehicles from countries outside of Mercosul may be granted a temporary entry permit for a land vehicle for the duration of their stay (usually up to 90 days). This may be renewed up to the limit of the extended visa (usually a further 90 days). This is done by means of a Simplified Import Declaration Form (Declaração Simplificada de Importação/DSI). This form will include the deadline for the vehicle to remain in Brazil which will be for the duration of the visitors stay.

The Simplified Import Declaration Form will be filled in online at the point of entry by a Customs Official or the individual's despachante aduaneiro (official representative) accredited to use the Sistema Integrado de Comércio Exterior/Siscomex (Integrated System for Foreign Trade).

• For further information on the procedure for importing a vehicle temporarily into Brazil: Click here (in Portuguese)

Documentation required for a Temporary Entry Permit

To obtain a temporary entry permit the following documents are required:

• Valid driving licence
• Passport
• All ownership documents including the vehicle's logbook (registration documents)
• Proof of insurance valid in Brazil
• For hire cars, the contract must specify that the vehicle may be brought to Brazil

A bond must also be signed. This will include the owner’s name, home address, destination in Brazil and a description of the vehicle (make, model, year, colour and serial number).

Should a vehicle fail to be taken from Brazil before the temporary entry permit expires, the bond will then become active, meaning that the vehicle can be seized and the owner or authorised person will be fined.

It is possible that the applicant may also have to sign a statement attesting to the following:

• The applicant is aware that if given a visa extension they must contact the nearest Secretaria da Receita Federal (Customs Authority) and apply for an extension of the temporary entry permit
• The duplicate bond will be returned to the Receita Federal for cancellation
• If the vehicle is not removed from Brazil before expiration of the permit, the bond will be activated

Importing a New Vehicle Into Brazil

Importing a vehicle into Brazil is a complex process and will almost certainly require the assistance of a despachante (administrative facilitator) or advogado (lawyer) specialising in this area. A tax must be paid as well as various administrative charges.

An individual may import a new vehicle for non-commercial purposes on a permanent basis by obtaining the following documents/authorisations:

1. Before importing the vehicle into Brazil the individual or their representative must obtain a Configuration License (Licença para Uso da Configuração do Veículo ou Motor - LCVM) from the Brazilian Environmental Protection Agency (Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis - IBAMA).  
2. A certified copy of the LCVM must then be sent to the National Transport Department (Departamento Nacional de Trânsito - DENATRAN) who will issue a Certificate of National Transport Law Compliance (Certificado de Adequação à Legislação Nacional de Trânsito - CAT). 
3. The next step is to register for an Import License (Licença de Importação - LI) at the Sistema Integrado de Comércio Exterior - Siscomex. To do this, the importer or their official representative should go directly (or through an organisation authorised in Brazil to conduct commercial exterior operations, such as Banco do Brasil S.A.) to the International Commerce Department (Departamento de Operações de Comércio Exterior - Decex) with an authenticated copy of the Certificado de Adequação à Legislação Nacional de Trânsito - CAT.

Once all of the above steps have been carried out, the Ministry of Overseas Industrial and Commercial Development (Ministério do Desenvolvimento Indústria e Comércio Exterior - MDIC) will analyse the application and authorise the Import Licence.

Upon authorisation of the Import Licence, the vehicle can legally enter Brazil. The importer must then register a Declaration of Importation (Declaração de Importação - DI) with Siscomex.

The Tax Office (Secretaria da Receita Federal) and the Ministry of Finance (Ministério da Fazenda) will verify that the information on the Declaração de Importação - DI conforms with the import market legislation and that all documents submitted are correct. It is these organisations that ultimately decide that the vehicle can be collected. Once this has been decided, the importer can collect the vehicle from the point of entry or the point of delivery.

• For further information from the Brazilian government on importing new vehicles to Brazil: Click here

Importation of special vehicles

In certain cases, for example for bullet proofed vehicles (blindados; a growing market in Brazil) it will be necessary to obtain authorisation from the Military Command (Comando do Exercito - Comexe).

Or, in the case of vehicles equipped with medical facilities, the National Health Agency (Agencia Nacional de Vigilancia Sanitaria) must issue an authorisation. The Ministry of Agriculture (Ministerio da Agricultura, Pecuaria e Abastecimento - Mapa) must issue authorisation for imported tractors.