text size:
Consular Services > Customs

Customs

General Information

The customs treatment of baggage is regulated by IN SRF no. 117, of 06/10/98, nº 120, of 15/10/98, and nº 140, of 26/11/98, issued by Federal Revenue Secretariat of the Ministry of Finance. The following text is provided for informational purposes only; any interpretation thereof should be based on the complete original texts in Portuguese.

The Brazilian Customs considers “baggage” the goods, whether new or used, destined to be used or for personal consumption, compatible with the circumstances of the trip. “Accompanied baggage” is baggage brought with the traveler in the same means of transportation where he or she is traveling, provided that no bill of lading has been issued for the baggage contents. “Unaccompanied baggage” is baggage with a bill of lading or similar document.

Customs regulations exclude from the concept of “baggage”:


  • goods whose quantity, nature or variety demonstrates importation or exportation for commercial or industrial purposes;

  • automobiles, motorcycles, scooters, bicycles with an engine, rolling houses and other land automotive vehicles;

  • aircraft;

  • ships of all kinds, jet skis and similar, and ship engines;

  • cigarettes and liquor made in Brazil, destined to be sold abroad;

  • liquor, tobacco and similar manufactured products, when the traveler is less than 18 years old; and

  • goods purchased in duty free shops upon the traveler’s arrival in Brazil.



    • If you are a Brazilian living abroad and you decided to return to Brazil, please check the pages Guia do Brasileiro Retornado and Atestado de Residência, in Portuguese only.

    Back to top.

    Baggage of Non-Residents

    Upon arrival, all travelers must present to Customs the form Declaração de Bagagem Acompanhada - DBA (it translates as “Accompanied Baggage Declaration”) duly filled in; the flight attendants always distribute copies of the form during flight. In the Customs area, the traveler must go to the “Goods to Declare” desk whenever his or her baggage includes:

  • animals, plants, seeds, foodstuff and medication subject to health inspection, weapons and ammunition;

  • other goods, when the traveler wishes get proof of their admittance into Brazil;

  • goods subject to the regime of temporary admittance, only when their listing on the DBA is required (for instance, goods worth over US$ 3,000.00);

  • goods not considered by Brazilian law as baggage (such as goods brought for commercial or industrial purposes);

  • valuables (cash, checks or traveler’s checks) worth over R$ 10,000.00 (or equivalent in foreign currency).

    • The baggage of a non-resident traveler is admitted into Brazil under the regime of temporary admittance. Under this regime, the traveler’s baggage is exempt from customs duties for a determined period of time, provided that the goods are withdrawn from Brazil before the term of this period. This period of time is set by the customs officer in accordance with the traveler’s period of regular stay in Brazil. Brazilians claiming non-resident status must produce a permanent visa granted by the country he or she lives in.

    Nevertheless, goods destined for consumption included in the traveler’s baggage (including gifts to be offered in Brazil) are subject to an overall limit of US$ 500.00 (when the traveler enters Brazil by air or sea) or US$ 150.00 (when the traveler enters Brazil by land, river or lake) per person; the goods in excess of the stipulated amount shall be subject to customs duties, calculated at the rate of 50% of their value; in this case, the traveler must go to the “Goods to Declare” desk at Customs. Books, leaflets, periodicals, as well as clothes and other garment articles, toilet articles and footwear intended for the traveler’s personal use are exempt from customs duties.

    Goods purchased at a duty free shop in Brazil upon arrival are exempt from customs duties up to an overall limit of US$ 500.00 per person.

    Back to top.

    Baggage of Residents

    Upon arrival, all travelers must present to Customs the form Declaração de Bagagem Acompanhada - DBA (it translates as “Accompanied Baggage Declaration”) duly filled in; the flight attendants always distribute copies of the form during flight. In the Customs area, the traveler must go to the “Goods to Declare” desk whenever his or her baggage includes:

  • animals, plants, seeds, foodstuff and medication subject to health inspection, weapons and ammunition;

  • other goods, when the traveler wishes get proof of their admittance into Brazil;

  • goods subject to the regime of temporary admittance, only when their listing on the DBA is required (for instance, goods worth over US$ 3,000.00);

  • goods not considered by Brazilian law as baggage (such as goods brought for commercial or industrial purposes);

  • valuables (cash, checks or traveler’s checks) worth over R$ 10,000.00 (or equivalent in foreign currency).

    • The following items from the accompanied baggage of a traveler arriving in Brazil from abroad are exempt from customs duties:
  • books, leaflets and periodicals;

  • clothes and other garment articles, toilet articles and footwear, for the traveler’s personal use, in quantity and quality compatible with the duration and objective of his or her stay abroad;

  • other items, up to the amount of:

  • US$ 500.00 or equivalent in another currency, when the traveler enters Brazil by air or sea;

  • US$ 150.00 or equivalent in another currency, when the traveler enters Brazil by land, river or lake.

    • Regarding "other items", above, the goods in excess of the stipulated amount shall be subject to customs duties, calculated at the rate of 50% of their value; in this case, the traveler must go to the “Goods to Declare” desk at Customs.


    The exemption of customs duties can only be enjoyed once every 30 days.

    Goods purchased at a duty free shop in Brazil upon arrival are exempt from customs duties up to an overall limit of US$ 500.00 per person.

    Back to top.

    Arms and Ammunition

    The importation and customs clearance of arms and ammunition are regulated by the Brazilian Army, according to Decree no. 3665, 11/20/00 (Regulamento para a Fiscalização de Produtos Controlados). The following is a summary of customs clearance procedures for arms and ammunition brought into Brazil by travelers as accompanied baggage (i.e., with no bill of lading); further regulations may apply (such as in the cases of transit and registration).

    Brazilians and foreigners entering Brazil with arms and ammunition, including gas pressure or coil action weapons, are required to present them to Customs. The arms and ammunition will be retained at Customs (the traveler will be given a legal document stating the retention), though the remainder of the traveler’s baggage will be allowed to proceed through customs clearance. Following that, the traveler should present a written request for clearance in due form to the Army through the office of the relevant Military Region, attaching the international import certificate – CII (issued by the Army prior to the trip; foreign travelers, though, are not required to present the CII in this case).

    The clearance granted by the Army does not waiver the traveler from the legal requirements of the Customs Authority – it simply means that the Army has no objections. If the Army does not clear the equipment, it will be returned to the traveler upon his or her departure from Brazil.

    Back to top.

    Plants and Live Animals

    For the admittance into Brazil of plants and live animals, the traveler must present to the Consular Authority the plant health certificate or the animal health certificate, issued in the area of origin of the plant or animal. In the case of dogs and cats, the traveler must also present the certificate of anti-rabies vaccination.

    If you wish to travel to Brazil with your pet (dogs, cats or birds), Brazilian law requires compliance with the following procedure prior to boarding:

  • STEP 1: you must obtain from a licensed veterinarian (a) an animal’s health certificate (certifying that the animal is in good health before boarding and declaring that no contagious disease was verified in the area of origin in the 30 days before boarding) as well as (b) a certificate of rabies vaccine given at least 30 days before the trip; the certificates may be issued by the veterinarian in one single document;

  • STEP 2: both your pet’s health certificate and the rabies certificate must be endorsed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture 10 days before boarding (for information, see their website);

  • It is no longer necessary to have the health certificates legalized by the Brazilian Consulate, according to a Decret number 6946 of August 21, 2009.


    • The admittance of other kinds of animals is subject to a prior license from the Ministry of Agriculture.


    Please note that the admittance of birds is temporarily suspended.

    PLANTS: Same as pets, but must be a phytosanitary certificate issued by the USDA.

    There's a fee of US$ 20.00 per document.

    Back to top.