Can a foreigner register a .br domain? Brazil's rules

No.The verdict

There is no register-from-anywhere path. You either complete the foreign-entity procedure, with a Brazilian representative and consular-legalised paperwork, or you use a trustee that already holds a CNPJ and registers the domain in its name.

The rules below are drawn from Registro.br's domain registration rules (Resolutions of the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee, CGI.br) and Registro.br's published procedure for registrants without a CNPJ or CPF.

The shortcut

See which providers hold a .br domain against their own CNPJ

Open the provider directory

Who can hold a .br domain

The registrant must be identified by a Brazilian tax number. That is the mechanism the whole system is built around.

Organisations

A Brazilian legal entity registers against its CNPJ. The registrant name on the domain must match the CNPJ record. There is no limit on the number of .br domains one CNPJ may hold.

Individuals

A natural person registers against a CPF, which in practice requires being a Brazilian resident or citizen. An individual registrant is capped at ten domains.

Foreign entities

A company with no CNPJ can apply through the foreign-entity procedure. Registro.br issues an internal identifier in place of the CNPJ, but only after the representative and documentation requirements below are met.

A CPF or CNPJ is not something a foreigner can just obtain

Getting a CNPJ generally means incorporating or registering a branch in Brazil, which needs Central Bank registration of foreign capital and a resident administrator. This is why most outside buyers use the foreign procedure or a trustee.

The numbers that bound it

CNPJ / CPF

Tax identifier every registrant is tied to

Domain cap for an individual (CPF) registrant

Power of attorney

Notarised and legalised, needed for a foreign entity

In Brazil

Where the appointed representative must be based

The foreign-entity registration

Registro.br will register a domain to a company that has no CNPJ if the company:

appoints an attorney-in-fact resident in Brazil, with authority over registration, renewal, transfer and cancellation;
provides a power of attorney notarised in the company's home country and legalised (apostille or consular), with a sworn Portuguese translation;
provides a notarised statement of the company's activity: trade name, registered address, business purpose and the name and title of the legal representative;
undertakes to constitute a Brazilian entity within 12 months in some historical versions of the procedure; check the current wording before relying on the domain long term.

This is a paperwork project, not a checkout

The foreign procedure takes weeks and legal cost. The representative you appoint has real authority over the domain, so who that is matters as much as with a trustee.

What Registro.br's rules imply about trustees

The rules do not mention trustees. They fix the registrant as the holder of the tax ID and the responsible party, which is what shapes the arrangement.

The CNPJ holder is the registrant

Whoever's CNPJ is on the domain is the registrant of record and the party Registro.br recognises. Under a trustee arrangement that is the trustee's Brazilian company. Your rights are contractual.

The name must match the tax record

Registro.br checks the registrant name against the CNPJ or CPF record. You cannot put your own company name on a domain held against a trustee's CNPJ; the record will show the trustee.

Responsibility follows the registrant

The registrant warrants that it is entitled to use the name and is responsible for its use. The trustee carries that, which is one reason reputable trustees are selective about the names they will hold.

Transfer and exit

A change of holder on a .br domain is a change of the CNPJ or CPF on record, processed by Registro.br with authorisation from the current holder. The incoming holder needs a valid Brazilian tax ID or a completed foreign registration.

You need your own CNPJ, or a completed foreign-entity registration.
The trustee must authorise the change of holder.
The domain must be active and paid.

How registration works

Direct with Registro.br, or through a registrar

Registro.br operates a direct registration channel as well as accredited registrars. Registration is first come, first served. DNS must be configured, and Registro.br checks that the name servers respond before activating the domain.

Payment

Registro.br bills the registrant. A foreign entity typically pays through its Brazilian representative or through a registrar that fronts the payment.

Name format

A .br label is 2 to 63 characters using letters, digits and hyphens, with Portuguese-accented internationalised characters supported. Many registrations sit under second-level categories such as .com.br, .adv.br or .eng.br, some of which carry their own professional eligibility rules on top of the tax-ID requirement.

What the public lookup shows

Registro.br's Whois shows the registrant name and, for CNPJ holders, the CNPJ. Personal data for CPF registrants is limited. Under a trustee arrangement the trustee's company name and CNPJ are what appear.

If you have no CNPJ: two routes

Brazilian entity

Trustee

Speed to set up

Months

Days to weeks

Up-front cost

High

Lower

Ongoing obligations

Brazilian accounting, tax, resident administrator

An annual fee

Registrant of record

You

The trustee

Exit depends on

Nothing extra

The trustee's cooperation

Incorporate in Brazil

A Brazilian subsidiary with its own CNPJ removes the restriction for good and is the route that makes sense if you are trading in Brazil. It is a substantial undertaking with Central Bank and tax obligations.

Use a trustee

Faster and cheaper. The trustee registers the domain against its Brazilian CNPJ and grants you use by contract. The foreign-entity procedure sits in between: cheaper than a full subsidiary, slower and more document-heavy than a trustee. Compare providers that cover .br.

Before you pay anyone

Check a provider's exit terms before you hand over a .br domain

Open the provider directory

Keep reading

Can a foreigner register a .no domain?Norway, cited clause by clause against Norid's policy.Read this Can a foreigner register a .cn domain?China, another registry with real-name and local-filing hurdles.Read this Every restricted country-code domainThe full index, grouped by how the restriction works.Read this How this page was researchedWhere the rules come from, and how each claim is checked and dated.Read this

Frequently asked questions

Can a foreign company register a .com.br domain without a CNPJ?

Only through Registro.br's foreign-entity procedure, with a Brazilian representative and legalised documents, or through a trustee that holds its own CNPJ.

Can I get a CNPJ as a non-resident?

Generally only by incorporating or registering a branch in Brazil, which requires Central Bank registration of foreign capital and a resident administrator. There is no standalone CNPJ for a foreign holder.

Who controls the domain under the foreign procedure?

The attorney-in-fact you appoint in Brazil has authority over registration, renewal, transfer and cancellation. Choose that person with the same care you would a trustee.

Can I move a .br domain away from a trustee later?

Yes, once you have your own CNPJ or a completed foreign registration and the trustee authorises the change of holder. The limit is the contract, not Registro.br.

Sources

Registro.br, domain registration rulesIn Portuguese. Based on CGI.br resolutions.
Registro.br, registration for holders without a CNPJ or CPF
CGI.br, Resolution on the registration of domain names under .br

Last updated September 2026. Registro.br's foreign-entity procedure has changed wording over the years; confirm the current requirements before relying on a domain long term. Spotted an error? Email [email protected].