Brazil · Import & Export
Customs procedures, duties, de minimis thresholds, EORI/registration, and restricted goods.
AI-drafted, editorially reviewed. Confirm specifics with the official authority.
Brazilian trade goes through Receita Federal's Siscomex (Portal Único) after you obtain RADAR/Habilitação authorization. Goods are classified by NCM (Mercosur nomenclature); imports carry import duty (II) plus IPI, PIS/COFINS and the state ICMS. Some goods need an import licence (LI); the process is document-intensive.
Customs are administered by the Federal Revenue through the Siscomex system; Brazil is a member of the Mercosur customs bloc.
- Import and export declarations are filed through Siscomex (Single Foreign Trade Portal).
- Mercosur provides preferential tariffs among member states.
- Duties and federal/state taxes apply on imported goods.
- 1
Get RADAR authorization
Obtain RADAR/Habilitação authorization from Receita Federal so your company can operate in foreign trade through Siscomex.
- 2
Classify goods (NCM)
Classify goods by NCM (the Mercosur Common Nomenclature) to find the import-duty rate; check Mercosur origin for preferences.
- 3
Check import licences
Check whether goods need an import licence (Licença de Importação, LI) or approval from a controlling agency before shipment.
- 4
Calculate import taxes
Budget for import duty (II), IPI, PIS/COFINS and the state ICMS — together making Brazil a relatively high-tax import market.
- 5
Declare via Siscomex
Register the import/export declaration and documents (invoice, packing list, bill of lading) through the Siscomex Portal Único.
- 6
Clear and resolve disputes
Complete customs clearance (often via a despachante), and use Receita Federal channels for rulings and disputes.
- RADAR/Habilitação authorization
- NCM classification + Mercosur origin
- Import licence (LI) if required
- Import taxes (II + IPI + PIS/COFINS + ICMS)
- Siscomex Portal Único declaration
- Invoice, packing list, B/L
- Customs broker (despachante, optional)
- Receita Federal ruling / dispute route
- Siscomex (Single Foreign Trade Portal)
Customs and foreign-trade single window.
Frequently asked questions
What is RADAR?
The Receita Federal authorization (Habilitação) that lets a company operate in foreign trade through Siscomex.
What is NCM?
The Mercosur Common Nomenclature, Brazil’s HS-based code for classifying goods and setting tax rates.
What taxes apply to imports?
Import duty (II), IPI, PIS/COFINS and the state ICMS, making Brazil’s import tax burden relatively high.
Traveller duty-free allowances
Per adult traveller, for goods carried in personal baggage — a different regime from the commercial import rules above. Allowances move with budget announcements, so check the authority before relying on a figure.
- Alcohol
- 12 L
- Cigarettes
- 200 sticks
- Goods value
- $1,000
Watch out for
- The USD 1,000 quota is for arrival by air or sea; arriving by land, river or lake it is USD 500
- Duty-free shop purchases are a SEPARATE quota on top: USD 1,000 at the airport of first disembarkation, or USD 500 at a land-border store within any rolling 30-day window
- Quantities are the same by any route: 12 litres of alcoholic beverages, 10 packs of 20 foreign cigarettes, 25 cigars or cigarillos, and 250 g of pipe tobacco
- Inside a port or airport duty-free shop the limits differ again: 24 units of alcoholic beverages with a maximum of 12 per type, and 20 packs of cigarettes
Government portals
- gov.br — Brazilian Government Portal — Single portal for federal services, with the gov.br digital identity used across them.
- Receita Federal — CPF and CNPJ registration, income tax filing, and federal customs.
- Federal Police — Migration — Foreigner registration (CRNM), residence applications, passports and entry records.