Search and document delivery at a glance
- Search online
- São Paulo offers free basic and advanced searches. The CNPJ form includes a security check. [1] [16] [2] [13] [3]
- Search language
- The Receita Federal CNPJ search form is available in Portuguese. [19]
- Digital documents
- Existing digitised filing images can be downloaded in São Paulo. Under the DREI rules, registry certificates remain available for download for 30 days. [2] [13] [3]
- Document language
- The official Certidão Simplificada template is in Portuguese. “Nome Empresarial” means company name, “Objeto Social” means business purpose and “Situação” means status. [20]
- Paper and collection
- Not specified
- International delivery
- Not specified
- Fees at a glance
- Free CNPJ lookup; many São Paulo services are free, with a certified full copy for an Ltda costing BRL 73.00 per filing online
- Access
- CNPJ form and São Paulo search without an account; São Paulo document retrieval requires gov.br
Choose the right register
Brazil has different sources for different questions. The Cadastro Nacional de Pessoas Jurídicas (CNPJ), maintained by Receita Federal, contains national registration details and tax registration status. Its coverage extends beyond companies to other organisations, including associations. [1] [2]
The Juntas Comerciais maintain commercial registers in the states and the Federal District. The official DREI directory links to the relevant authorities. This guide explains the nationwide certificate types and uses São Paulo as a practical example. São Paulo fees do not automatically apply in other states. [7] [2] [3]
National registration information, QSA and the direct certificate form.
Official commercial registry authorities by state.
Free company search and registry document selection.
Annual financial statements and other public company disclosures.
Beneficial ownership filing system and manual; not a general public company search.
Names and abbreviations explained
- CNPJCadastro Nacional de Pessoas Jurídicas
- National register of legal persons and their tax identifier. Branches can also have individual CNPJ identifiers. [1] [4]
- Receita Federal / RFBSecretaria Especial da Receita Federal do Brasil
- Federal tax authority. It operates the CNPJ and the beneficial ownership filing system. [1] [5]
- Junta ComercialState commercial registry
- The authority holding filed corporate instruments and issuing official registry certificates. [2] [7]
- DREIDepartamento Nacional de Registro Empresarial e Integração
- National department for business registration and integration. Its rules describe the certificates issued by the Juntas Comerciais. [2] [7]
- JUCESPJunta Comercial do Estado de São Paulo
- The commercial registry for São Paulo state and operator of Jucesp Online. [13]
- NIRENúmero de Identificação do Registro de Empresas
- Commercial registration identifier. In Jucesp Online, the clickable NIRE opens the registry preview from a search result. [17] [15]
- QSAQuadro de Sócios e Administradores
- Information about members or shareholders and managers. It is not equivalent to tracing an entire chain to its ultimate beneficial owners. [1] [2] [6]
- CPFCadastro de Pessoas Físicas
- Individual tax registration identifier. A CPF is required to create a gov.br account. Foreign individuals living outside Brazil can also apply. [9] [8]
- gov.brBrazilian government account
- Bronze, Prata and Ouro mean bronze, silver and gold identity assurance levels. The required level depends on the service. [8]
- UFUnidade da Federação
- State or Federal District. SP means São Paulo. The registered location helps identify the relevant registry. [14] [7]
- LtdaSociedade Limitada
- Limited liability company. São Paulo's fee table groups it with commercial companies other than companies limited by shares. [2] [3]
- S.A.Sociedade Anônima
- Company limited by shares. The Junta Comercial does not maintain a continuously updated list of every shareholder following every share purchase or sale. [2]
- FBRFicha de Breve Relato
- São Paulo's historical registry sheet covering filings before 1992. The later electronic Ficha Cadastral does not itself cover that period. [13]
- CVMComissão de Valores Mobiliários
- Brazilian securities regulator. Its company portal contains disclosures by the public companies within its scope. [10] [18]
- DFPDemonstrações Financeiras Padronizadas
- Standardised financial statements in the CVM portal. Complete annual financial statements are found under a different category. [10]
Search step by step
Check a CNPJ and its registration status
Obtain the identifier
Use the CNPJ from a company document or an official registry source. The direct certificate form requires a CNPJ rather than a free-text company name. [16]
Open the certificate form
Open “Comprovante de Inscrição e de Situação Cadastral”. Enter the CNPJ and complete the displayed security check. This direct form does not require a prior account login. [16]
Distinguish registration details from QSA
The national service directory also provides CNPJ information including QSA, and a check of participation in the Simples Nacional simplified tax regime. Select the relevant function. A QSA response identifies members or shareholders and managers, but does not automatically reveal the entire beneficial ownership chain. [1] [6]
Switch to the Junta for corporate instruments
Find the relevant Junta Comercial through DREI's official directory. For constitutional documents or amendments, request a certified full copy of the specific filed instrument. [7] [2]
Research a company and its filings in São Paulo
Use the simple search
Open Jucesp Online. The search field accepts a name, corporate name, CNPJ, NIRE or trading name (“nome fantasia”). Select “Buscar”. The result list shows NIRE, company name and municipality. [12] [15]
Narrow the results
Advanced search includes legal form, business activity and capital range. It also offers incorporation and dissolution date ranges, members and officers, address details and filing information. For historical research, remove the preselected “Mostrar somente empresas ativas” filter when appropriate; it restricts results to active businesses. [14] [13]
Open the NIRE and select a document
Open the NIRE of the matching result and compare the name and location. Under “Selecione o documento ou o serviço desejado”, select the sheet or certificate and confirm with “OK”. Available document options depend on the registry entry. [15]
Sign in for document retrieval
Search and the registry preview are available without an account. Sign in through “Entrar com govBR” to download the Ficha Cadastral. [15]
Choose the required evidential status
The free online information is often sufficient for an initial overview. According to the portal, an existing plain document image does not carry the legal status of a certificate. For an officially certified instrument, select “Certidão de Inteiro Teor” and the relevant filing. Preserve any digitally signed file in its original format. [15] [2] [3]
Find annual financial statements through the CVM
Find the company in the CVM portal
Follow “Informações periódicas e eventuais” from the CVM guide. Search by company name, part of the name or CNPJ. Leaving the field empty returns the full list. Select the company and note its registration status. [10]
Set the period and document category
Enter the start and end of the relevant period. Without these dates, results may be limited to the current day or week. Complete annual financial statements are under “Dados Econômico-Financeiros”. “Demonstrações Financeiras Padronizadas” contains structured financial statements. [10]
Check the version and download
Compare the reference date with the submission date. Check that the document version is marked active. Under “Ações”, choose the view or download option. [10]
Documents and fees
| Document / information | Contents and purpose | Fee | How to get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| CNPJ: Comprovante de Inscrição e de Situação Cadastral [1] [16] [2] | Certificate of CNPJ registration and status with Receita Federal. It is neither constitutional documentation nor a complete commercial registry extract. | Free. | Enter the identifier in the direct CNPJ form and complete any security check. |
| São Paulo: Ficha Cadastral Simplificada [13] [3] [15] | Current registry details and a summary of the last five filings. | Free online. | Search for the company, open its NIRE, select the sheet, confirm with “OK” and sign in through gov.br. |
| São Paulo: Ficha Cadastral Completa and FBR [13] [3] [15] | Complete electronic history from 1992 onwards; FBR covers filings before 1992. | Existing online records and digitised FBR are free. New scanning on request is unavailable under the 2026 tariff. | Choose the appropriate period's record from the company document selection. |
| São Paulo: Certidão Simplificada [2] [11] [3] [12] | Official summary of the current registry position. The DREI template shows fields such as name, CNPJ, location and capital. | Free online; printed issue BRL 51.48. | Choose the certificate in the online catalogue; it is marked as requiring authentication. |
| São Paulo: plain digitised filing image [15] [3] | Image of an existing filed instrument. The portal expressly distinguishes it from a certificate with legal evidential status. | Downloading an existing image is free. | Select “Cópia Digitalizada de Documentos Arquivados”. The requested image must already be available. |
| São Paulo: Certidão de Inteiro Teor [2] [3] [15] | Officially certified full copy of a particular filed instrument, such as incorporation documentation or an amendment. | Online per instrument: individual entrepreneur BRL 54.56; Ltda BRL 73.00; company limited by shares or foreign company branch BRL 109.50. | Choose the company and document product. Identify the specific filing rather than requesting unspecified company information. |
| São Paulo: Certidão Específica [13] [3] [2] | Certificate of specified facts from the register. Preformatted and individually worded certificates are different products. | Preformatted online certificate for up to three filings: free. Individually worded online certificate: BRL 91.06. | For a preformatted certificate, enter the NIRE and select the filings to be certified. State custom information requests precisely. |
Which source answers which question
CNPJ is the national entry point for basic registration information and tax registration status. For Junta Comercial certificates, DREI's rules distinguish individual entrepreneurs, commercial companies and cooperatives. They also provide for branches, consortia and groups of companies. The location and legal form determine the next research step. [1] [2] [7] [17]
A Certidão Simplificada summarises current registry information. A Certidão Específica certifies particular requested facts. A Certidão de Inteiro Teor is a certified copy of a filed instrument. A full copy of one instrument does not automatically include the entire company file. [2]
In São Paulo, a Ficha Cadastral Simplificada contains the current details and a summary of the last five filings. A Ficha Cadastral Completa covers the electronic registry record from 1992 onwards. Earlier entries are covered by the Ficha de Breve Relato. Historical company research needs to account for both periods. [13]
Costs: national lookup versus São Paulo fees
Receita Federal's CNPJ service is free. Juntas Comerciais set their own charges. The figures below come from JUCESP's 2026 fee table and apply to São Paulo. [1] [3]
São Paulo's simple and advanced searches are free. Electronic Fichas Cadastrais and the Certidão Simplificada are also free. Existing digitised document images can be downloaded without a fee. A certified full copy issued online is a separate paid product. [13] [3]
A certified online full copy costs BRL 54.56 per filed instrument for an individual entrepreneur and BRL 73.00 for a commercial company other than a company limited by shares, including an Ltda. For a company limited by shares or a foreign company branch, the fee is BRL 109.50. These are online-product prices; printed copies have different charges. [3]
An individually worded Certidão Específica costs BRL 91.06 online. A preformatted online certificate covering up to three filings is free. Scanning a document on request is marked unavailable in the 2026 fee table, although an older help text still describes it as a paid service. [3] [13]
Access from abroad and digital identity
The national CNPJ service description says anyone may use it. The direct certificate form does not require a prior login, but can require a security check. The general gov.br service directory lists silver or gold for its integrated login route. That route should be distinguished from the direct certificate form. [1] [16]
In São Paulo, name search, results and the registry preview are available without authentication. Document retrieval requires a gov.br account. Foreign individuals can create this account with a CPF. Each registry function may have additional access requirements. [15] [8]
Foreign individuals living outside Brazil can apply for a CPF through the routes described by Receita Federal. Registration is generally free; certain partner offices charge BRL 7.00. You do not need to apply for a CPF before using São Paulo's public company search. [9] [15]
Under DREI's rules, a registry certificate requester does not need to state a special interest or explain the purpose of the request. Authentication for the online order and payment of a fee are separate requirements. The documents and the interfaces described here are in Portuguese. [2] [15]
Article 101 of DREI's rules sets a delivery period of up to four working days for certificate requests submitted at the Junta's head office, or up to eight working days through a decentralised filing office. Certificates must remain available for download for 30 days. You may download them repeatedly during that period without a new fee. Save the original file in good time. [2]
Members, shareholders and beneficial ownership
The publicly described CNPJ service includes QSA information about members or shareholders and managers. For a certified ownership and officer history, the Juntas provide the “Certidão Específica da Linha do Tempo do Quadro de Sócios e Administradores”. It distinguishes capital interests from management roles. [1] [2]
There is a specific limitation for companies limited by shares: the Juntas do not keep continuously updated details of all shareholders following share purchases and sales. The QSA history certificate therefore has exceptions for these particulars. [2]
Since January 2026, Receita Federal has used e-BEF for beneficial ownership filings. Its official manual describes access for authorised representatives and agents, and for individuals named as beneficial owners themselves. It requires a personal gov.br account at silver level or above. The company's CNPJ digital certificate does not replace that personal access. [5] [6]
Do not treat e-BEF as an unrestricted alternative company search. The documented screens are for submitting and managing information within the user's authorised role. Publicly available CNPJ QSA information has a different scope. [6] [1]
Annual accounts and other company disclosures
For public companies, CVM is the relevant source for published financial statements and other required disclosures. Its portal also contains articles of association and material company announcements. It is not a comprehensive annual accounts database for every private Brazilian company. [10] [18]
Jucesp Online's advanced search can filter for the filing type “Arquivamento de Balanço”. This searches for filed balance-sheet documents. [14]
For systematic analysis, CVM points to its open-data portal. Company documents and document categories are often grouped by year. Download formats differ by dataset; unstructured records provide a link to the full document. [10]
Structured registry data and the 2026 changes
DREI's rule of 22 June 2026 expressly distinguishes the NIRE registry identifier from the CNPJ tax identifier. It requires registry systems to support alphanumeric CNPJs. The Juntas have 180 days from publication to implement the changes, with possible extensions. [17]
For ongoing or structured access by private organisations, the same rule provides for a separate agreement with the Junta and a defined purpose. Research access can require an application and a commitment to the stated purpose. This differs from an individual public company lookup. [17]
Official samples and reading guides
DREI: blank registry certificate templates
Annex VIII, from page 3: Certidão Simplificada for commercial companies other than companies limited by shares. Blank official model. Other pages in the older template collection include subsequently abolished legal forms; the collection is not a current guide to legal forms. The official Certidão Simplificada template is in Portuguese. “Nome Empresarial” means company name, “Objeto Social” means business purpose and “Situação” means status. [11] [2] [20]
Avoid common mistakes
- CNPJ identifiers can contain letters following the July 2026 introduction. Existing numeric identifiers remain valid. Do not remove letters simply because an older search tool expects numbers only. [4]
- São Paulo search works as a guest, while document retrieval opens a gov.br login. [15] [3]
- A pre-1992 São Paulo record can display a historical currency and incomplete registration details. Check the FBR separately from later filings. Do not interpret an old capital figure as a current amount in Brazilian reais. [15] [13]
- São Paulo's advanced search has an active-companies-only filter selected by default. It may exclude the dissolved businesses relevant to a historical enquiry. [14]
- A Certidão de Inteiro Teor contains the relevant instrument, not automatically the attached identity documents of its parties. DREI's rules exclude personal documents beyond the essential content of the filed instrument. [2]
Frequently asked questions
Can I search Brazilian companies by name?
Yes. For example, Jucesp Online provides free name search within São Paulo's registry holdings. Its simple field also accepts several identifiers. The direct national CNPJ certificate form instead requires a CNPJ. Use DREI's directory to find the relevant Junta in other states. [12] [13] [16] [7]
Does a CNPJ automatically provide the company's constitutional documents?
No. CNPJ lookup provides national registration information. Obtain filed constitutional documentation from the relevant Junta Comercial, using a Certidão de Inteiro Teor of the particular instrument when you need an officially certified copy. [1] [2]
Do I need Brazilian citizenship?
The CNPJ service description allows anyone to use it. A gov.br account is expressly available to foreign individuals with a CPF. A CPF application does not require residence in Brazil. Specific identity verification and registry ordering conditions still depend on the individual service. [1] [8] [9]
Are QSA particulars the same as beneficial ownership?
No. QSA identifies members or shareholders and managers. e-BEF is the separate beneficial ownership filing system with role-based access. In particular, do not infer a complete ownership chain from a single QSA response for layered structures or companies limited by shares. [1] [2] [6]
Is there an official sample document?
Yes. Annex VIII to DREI's rules contains blank registry certificate templates. The model for commercial companies other than companies limited by shares begins on page 3. It shows the layout without populated details of a real company. [11]
Original sources
Sources reviewed: 15 September 2026. The guidance is based on the linked information published by registers and public authorities.
- Consultar CNPJ Receita Federal
- Instrução Normativa DREI nº 81: certidões DREI
- JUCESP: Tabela de Preços 2026, Portaria nº 146/2025 Junta Comercial do Estado de São Paulo
- Receita Federal gera o primeiro CNPJ em formato alfanumérico Receita Federal
- Formulário Digital de Beneficiários Finais (e-BEF) Receita Federal
- Manual e-BEF, versão 2.0 Receita Federal
- Juntas Comerciais DREI
- Criar sua conta gov.br Ministério da Gestão e da Inovação em Serviços Públicos
- Inscrever Cidadão no Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas Receita Federal
- Consulta a Companhias Comissão de Valores Mobiliários
- Anexo VIII: Modelos de Certidões DREI
- Jucesp Online: Pesquisa de Empresas Junta Comercial do Estado de São Paulo
- Jucesp Online: Entenda nossos serviços online Junta Comercial do Estado de São Paulo
- Jucesp Online: Pesquisa Avançada Junta Comercial do Estado de São Paulo
- Jucesp Online: guest search and document login Junta Comercial do Estado de São Paulo
- Comprovante de Inscrição e de Situação Cadastral Receita Federal
- Instrução Normativa DREI/MEMP nº 1, de 22 de junho de 2026 DREI
- Perguntas Frequentes da CVM Comissão de Valores Mobiliários
- Receita Federal CNPJ: Suchmaske Receita Federal CNPJ
- DREI: Certidão Simplificada model, Annex VIII, page 3 DREI