Newborn documents in Brazil, step by step

What needs to be done, and in what order?

How is a birth registered?

The cartório de registro civil is the office that registers births, marriages and deaths. A birth is registered at the place of birth or the parents’ place of residence within 15 days; for places more than 30 km from a cartório the period is extended to three months (Lei 6.015/1973, art. 50).

The father or the mother must declare the birth, together or separately; if one parent is absent or cannot come, the other has 45 more days (art. 52). Some maternity hospitals have an agreement with a cartório, and registration is accepted right at the facility (art. 54, § 5).

Usually you need:

• the DNV: it is issued by the health professional who managed the pregnancy or the birth or who is looking after the newborn, and it does not replace registration (Lei 12.662/2012, art. 3);
• an ID document for the person applying, and the parents’ documents if they come themselves;
• a marriage certificate, if the parents are married.

This is the list the CNJ set for registration points in maternity hospitals (CNJ norms, art. 453); a cartório itself may differ, and in some cases the mother’s written statement about the presumed father is also needed (art. 453, V). Which foreign documents a particular cartório will accept, and whether an apostille and translation are needed, is worth finding out in advance by phone.

The first registration and first copy of the certificate carry no fee (Lei 9.534/1997). Later copies are usually paid: the prices are in the fee table that a cartório must post in a visible place (Lei 6.015/1973, art. 30, § 3-C). People recognized as low-income are exempt from paying for further copies too (art. 30, § 1).

A child born in Brazil is, under the Constitution, Brazilian by birth; the exception is children of parents who are in Brazil in the service of their own state (art. 12, I, “a”). The certificate confirms the registration of the birth and is needed for the next steps. A detailed look at registration: the article “Birth certificate in Brazil”. For the residence permit for the parents and naturalization, see the section “Citizenship and residency”.

Does the child need a CPF?

Yes. The CPF (Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas) is an individual’s number with the tax authority (Receita Federal). The single-number law (Lei 14.534/2023) makes the CPF sufficient for identification in government databases, and the CNJ norms require it to be included in the birth certificate: if the CPF issuing system is unavailable, registration is not postponed, and the number is entered later at no charge (art. 477).

For a passport at the Polícia Federal, every applicant, including children, needs a CPF. If the certificate has no number, ask the cartório how to have it entered or contact the Receita Federal.

The child’s passport at the Polícia Federal

Passports in Brazil are issued by the Polícia Federal (PF). The application is filed online, then you pay the fee, book an appointment and attend in person: presence is required for every applicant, including those under 18. According to PF pages as of October 3, 2026:

• the fee is R$ 257.25; a higher fee, up to R$ 514.50, is named by the PF for special cases, for example the loss of a previous valid passport;
• documents are needed as originals, and a valid CPF is needed;
• up to age 12, the birth certificate is accepted in place of an ID document;
• the parent who comes with the child presents their own ID document. The PF does not accept a foreign passport as such a document, so ask the PF in advance which document will work for you;
• for a child under 5, a 5×7 photo on a white background is needed;
• the parents’ consent:
  • if both parents are at the appointment, a form signed in front of an employee is enough;
  • if one comes, the other’s written consent with a certified signature is generally needed (abroad: with an apostille or consular legalization);
  • a power of attorney in a foreign language must be translated by a sworn translator (tradutor público, in everyday speech tradutor juramentado);
  • exceptions, for example a court authorization, are listed on the PF page;
• issue time: roughly 6–10 working days after the in-person appointment, depending on delivery logistics to the region;
• a passport not collected within 90 days of the in-person appointment is cancelled, and the fee is not refunded;
• for children under 12, attending the collection is optional.

You can get an individual list of documents on the PF page “Documentação necessária” by answering a few questions: go by it rather than by the general list.

The apostille and documents for another country

An apostille is a mark by an authorized body that confirms the authenticity of the signature and seal on a public document so that it is accepted in another party country without consular legalization. It is provided by the 1961 Hague Convention: in Brazil it has been in force since August 14, 2016 (Decreto 8.660/2016), in Russia since May 31, 1992 (data of the Hague Conference on Private International Law, HCCH).

Apostilles on Brazilian documents are placed by authorized cartórios, and their list is kept by the CNJ (the National Council of Justice). In state capitals, including Florianópolis, all notary and registry offices must place apostilles, except those exempted by the local judiciary; elsewhere it is at the office’s option. An apostille is issued at the document owner’s request without a written application, the time is stated on the receipt, and it cannot exceed five days (CNJ norms, Parte Geral, art. 3 and 9).

If you need a Brazilian document with a translation and an apostille, the translation is made by a sworn translator, and the apostille is placed separately on the original and on the translation (art. 15).

An apostille does not decide whether a body in another country will accept the document or whether a translation is needed. That is determined by the receiving side. For Russian procedures, including those on Russian citizenship and consular registration, the order is determined by Russian law (on citizenship: the citizenship law, 138-FZ), and for the list of documents and timelines, ask the Russian consular office: see the website of the Russian Embassy in Brazil.

If you or your child hold Russian citizenship, ask the consulate whether you must notify the Russian authorities of a Brazilian residence permit or of a second citizenship.

Is there help with the paperwork?

Yes, help with a newborn’s documents (birth certificate, CPF, passport) is part of the relocation services: see the page “Relocation and documents”. The terms are discussed when we get acquainted, and prices are on request. We do not make decisions in place of the authorities and do not give legal opinions.

What we don’t guarantee

This page promises neither timelines nor results. Fees and document lists are changed by the authorities, and the decision on each application is made by the competent body. We are not a law firm and do not replace a specialist’s advice.

When you need a lawyer

Get advice if one of the parents cannot be at the appointment and cannot arrange consent, if the data in documents do not match (names, dates), if the birth registration deadline has already passed, and for questions about the citizenship of the parents and the child and obligations to the country of your citizenship.

Need help with the sequence of steps? Write to Katerina.