Brazilian KYB is anchored by the CNPJ (Cadastro Nacional da Pessoa Jurídica), the federal tax identifier that every registered company carries and that provides publicly accessible status and basic data through the Receita Federal. The detailed commercial record sits with the state Junta Comercial. The sociedade limitada (Ltda) is the dominant private form, and Brazil's scale and federal structure make jurisdiction and ownership the key considerations.
Business verification (KYB)
First Mile Labs retrieves the Receita Federal CNPJ record — legal status, registered address, principal activity (CNAE), and registration date — and supplements it with the state Junta Comercial record for the detailed corporate structure and administrators. Portuguese-language filings are processed in the original, and beneficial ownership is established from the corporate documentation and quadro de sócios (shareholder roster), with gaps flagged.
Identity verification (IDV)
Brazilian directors and beneficial owners are verified using the RG (identity card) or CNH (driver's license), together with the CPF tax identifier, plus passport, with document authentication, liveness, and face-match. The CPF is central to confirming an individual's identity in Brazil.
Sanctions, PEP & adverse media (AML)
Brazilian entities and individuals are screened against COAF-relevant measures, UN, OFAC, and further watchlists, with PEP and adverse-media checks running continuously. Brazil's significant PEP and corruption-exposure profile makes adverse-media screening particularly valuable.
From our compliance team
Brazil gives you an excellent free identifier in the CNPJ and then makes you work for everything else. The Receita Federal data confirms the company exists and its status cleanly, but the real corporate structure lives in the state Junta Comercial, and ownership through layered Ltda structures takes effort to unwind. We start from the CNPJ, pull the state record for substance, and lean on adverse-media and PEP screening given the country's exposure profile.
Brazil onboarding — FAQ
What is the CNPJ?
The Cadastro Nacional da Pessoa Jurídica is Brazil's federal identifier for legal entities. First Mile Labs uses it to retrieve the Receita Federal record — status, address, and principal activity — as the starting point for a Brazilian case.
Where is the detailed Brazilian corporate record held?
In the state-level Junta Comercial (board of trade). The platform supplements the federal CNPJ data with the state record to establish the corporate structure, administrators, and shareholders.
Why is the CPF important for identity verification?
The CPF is the individual tax identifier central to confirming a person's identity in Brazil. The platform uses it alongside the RG or CNH and passport, each authenticated and face-matched.
Coverage in other markets
Onboarding customers in Brazil?
Book a demo and we'll walk you through a full Brazil case — registry, identity, screening, and decision.
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