- Remote setup
- Possible
- Visit, notary or lawyer
- Not required
- Local director
- Non-resident with POA
- Registered address
- Brazilian address
- Minimum capital
- Not stated
- Yearly upkeep
- No registry fee stated
- EU member
- No
- IWG business address
- 95 centresfrom $35/mo
What the registry requires
| Company type | Sociedade Limitada (LTDA), including the single-member Sociedade Limitada Unipessoal (SLU) |
|---|---|
| Registry | Junta Comercial of the state, through the federal Redesim network (gov.br); CNPJ issued by the Receita Federal |
| Government filing fee | R$273.55 — São Paulo (JUCESP) 2026 price for filing a Ltda contrato social (R$218.99 if the company is an ME/EPP). Each state's Junta sets its own table; Rio Grande do Sul waives the fee for standard-form Ltda filings. |
| Registration time | The federal Mapa de Empresas dashboard reports an average opening time of 23 hours, with 73.7% of companies opened in under one day. |
| Resident director | DREI manual: administrators may be foreign or resident abroad but must file a power of attorney giving a Brazil resident specific powers to receive service of process (Lei 6.404 art. 146 §2). |
| Visit, notary or lawyer | Since DREI IN 01/2024 a partner resident abroad may sign the contrato social electronically; otherwise a proxy with specific powers signs. Every individual partner, including non-residents, needs a CPF, which the Receita Federal issues free to foreigners living abroad. |
| Registered address | The contrato social must state the company's sede (registered address) in Brazil; Redesim's feasibility step checks the address before registration. |
| Minimum capital | Not stated |
| Corporate tax | IRPJ 15% plus a 10% surcharge on profit above R$20,000 per month, plus CSLL 9% for companies in general (15% for financial institutions). |
| Every year | No annual return fee to the Junta Comercial is published; federal tax filings apply. Non-resident partners and administrators must keep the service-of-process proxy in force. |
What it costs
- Government filing fee
- R$273.55
- ≈ $53 at ECB rates
São Paulo (JUCESP) 2026 price for filing a Ltda contrato social (R$218.99 if the company is an ME/EPP). Each state's Junta sets its own table; Rio Grande do Sul waives the fee for standard-form Ltda filings.
- Every year
- No registry fee stated
No annual return fee to the Junta Comercial is published; federal tax filings apply. Non-resident partners and administrators must keep the service-of-process proxy in force.
- Not included
- Provider fees
Registered agent or address, notary fees, accounting and bank onboarding vary by provider — ask for a quote in the request form.
How to register a company in Brazil, step by step
- Obtain a CPF for each foreign partner (free, available to residents abroad) and a digital certificate for electronic signature.
- Run the Redesim feasibility check for the company name and address.
- Draft the contrato social under the DREI manual, stating capital, sede and administrators.
- Non-resident partners sign electronically or through a proxy with specific powers; non-resident administrators file a proxy to a Brazil resident for service of process.
- File with the state Junta Comercial and pay its fee (JUCESP: R$273.55 in 2026).
- Receive the CNPJ and complete state/municipal registrations and licensing in Redesim step 3.
Corporate tax in Brazil
34% (IRPJ+CSLL). IRPJ 15% plus a 10% surcharge on profit above R$20,000 per month, plus CSLL 9% for companies in general (15% for financial institutions).
Rates are the headline figures published by the tax authority; your effective rate depends on residence, activity and treaties. This is not tax advice.
Common mistakes
- Filing without a CPF for a foreign partner, which blocks the registration.
- Appointing a non-resident administrator without the power of attorney to a Brazil resident for judicial service.
- Budgeting on one state's fee table when the Junta of the chosen state charges differently.
Compare Brazil with alternatives
| Yearly upkeep | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 EcuadorS.A.S. | $0 | Not stated | 25% | No | Online (e-signature) | Not stated | Not stated |
 BrazilLTDA / SLU | R$273.55≈ $53 | About 1 day (avg 23 h) | 34% (IRPJ+CSLL) | Non-resident with POA | Not required | Brazilian address | No registry fee stated |
 PanamaS.A. | $60 | Not stated | 25% | No (3 directors min) | Lawyer + notary | Agent address | $300 a year |
 ArgentinaS.A.S. | Varies | 72 hours (IGJ) | 25-35% progressive | 1 resident admin | Online via TAD + CDI | Sede in Buenos Aires | Not stated |
4 of 4 · official sources, checked September 27, 2026. Government fees only; agent and address costs are extra.≈ USD at ECB reference rates of September 25, 2026.
Nearest by region and government fee. All 83 jurisdictions in one table · take the quiz.
Sources
- Redesim: three steps (viabilidade, inscrição, licenciamento) for opening a company — gov.br, checked September 27, 2026
- Mapa de Empresas: average opening time 23 hours; 73.7% in under one day — gov.br, checked September 27, 2026
- DREI Ltda manual: non-resident partner may sign electronically (IN 01/2024); administrators abroad need a proxy to a Brazil resident to receive citação; partner qualification requires CPF — gov.br, checked September 27, 2026
- IRPJ 15% plus 10% additional on profit above R$20,000 per month — gov.br, checked September 27, 2026
- CSLL 9% for companies in general, 15% for financial institutions — gov.br, checked September 27, 2026
- JUCESP 2026 price table: contrato social R$273.55 (R$218.99 for ME/EPP) — institucional.jucesp.sp.gov.br, checked September 27, 2026
- CPF: Brazilians or foreigners may register, living in Brazil or abroad, free of charge — gov.br, checked September 27, 2026