i have been reading a lot about obtaining a cpf for foreigners, bank accounts closing, etc. but what about brazilian citizens? will i have full access to my personal savings account in brazil once it has been opened, after i obtain a cpf?

i hold dual citizenship because i was born in rio, although my portuguese is sub-par because my adoptive parents are american. i am looking to obtain a cpf, have downloaded the form, but am a little cautious to take action in opening an account because of some of the stories on this forum. how secure is a transaction from and exterior account to a brazilian account and will my funds be safe once they have been transferred?

If you have dual citizenship then you should have a cpf number already. You at least must have a RG number. I don't understand why you should be paranoid about opening a brazilian bank account after hearing the stories here.....your situation is completely different. The "bank account" stories here are about foreigners that do not have a permanent visa, or RNE number, which doesn't relate to you whatsoever.....you're a brazilian citizen.

Transferring money to Brazil is as safe as transferring it to any other country. The difficulty that comes into play at times is liquidating it, and only when it's in excess of 10K reais do you need to worry about justifying the transfer to banco central.

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I gather you have an RG if you hold dual nationality.Obtaining a CPF is straightforward and simple.If you have RG and your CPF then there should be no problem and transactions are straightforward providing you have all the proof of where and whom the money comes from,account etc.Bank accounts can stop functioning if there are some irregularities that do not quite add up,if you do not make a declaration of money received in Brazil(EG property rentals,declaration of property -properties,cars ,etc you own by the deadine given then account will automatically stop functioning.These are important issues to be aware of because my guess is people are not even aware of this.

I have not had my account stopped,but when you need your Cadastro to purchase an airline ticket ,tv ,go to the doctors ,buy clothes etc you must produce your documents but if you have not made your declaration it will automatically stop your CPF from functioning and lives a misery.

A foreigner can use his/her passport number to do all the activities you mentioned above. Afterall, the majority of foreigners that visit brazil on a tourist visa do not have a cpf number and still go to the doctor, buy clothes, and purchase airline tickets in Brazil.

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I did not mean a tourist visa I meant when you have permanent residency or
if you are an overseas investor you have to make your declaration whether you are resident or a tourist with properties .If you do not then the new law from 2008 will automatically halt your CPF which will make life extremely difficult for an investor from overseas as it automatically halts your account transactions,abroad and here in Brasil .So for the unknown investor it can be extremely exhausting sorting this out and to physically be present to activate and cadastro your banking proccess all over again.It may be better to go into Receita Federal or contact them directly in Brasil for more information. QUOTE=RalphJ;46012]A foreigner can use his/her passport number to do all the activities you mentioned above. Afterall, the majority of foreigners that visit brazil on a tourist visa do not have a cpf number and still go to the doctor, buy clothes, and purchase airline tickets in Brazil.[/quote]

do i need both an rg and a cpf? where would i find those numbers? it's not on my passport and my original birth certificate is a "court order delayed registration of birth" (since i was adopted, there was a delay) issued by the state of california and i don't see the number there either.

Hi there,
You say you have dual nationality ,but between Brasil and the US?? because if you have dual nationality you would have a RNE or RG as they are called which is an identity card issued in Brasil from the police federal and you would have a CPF (NATIONAL INSURANCE NUMBER)too.Now do you have a Brazilian spouse(as you do not mention it?) The court order delay is about your Brasilian citizenship as an adoptiver child,but do you have a Brasilian passport??Then I can help you with more info.

and i have both passports. the only reason i can see not having a RNE or RG is because i was nationalized as a u.s. citizen when i was 12, and declared dual citizenship around age 18 (i don't remember the exact year). so maybe i never received an identity card because i didn't DECLARE citizenship until i was older. i was born in brazil and have automatic citizenship but i never knew about an identity card until now. the only documents i hold are a passport and a birth certificate.
thanks for the replies.

Ok,now I am with you! So all you need to do is apply for your RNE (police federal)they will inform you of how long it will take to arrive(its an i.d card that you must by law carry with you at all times).With the CPF you should receive a temporary number to use until your card comes through.As for banking it is straight forward and no problem.