Information for non-resident buyers
For foreigners who are not residents in Brazil, the process of buying a property can be complicated seeing as few people know how to explain what documents are necessary and how to get them. I offer the following orientation in the hope that it helps.
To pass the title deed of a property to your name at a cartorio (escritura), it is necessary to have identification and a CPF number. For identification a passport is suficient. There are two ways to get a CPF : through the Brazilian consulate in your home country, or directly at the Receita Federal in Brazil. The process of getting the CPF at the consulate starts by filling out the FCPF form (see the link below), and presneting it to the consulate in whose region you reside. They will also ask for your identification. After begining the process you have only to wait for the card to arrive. You can check the process through the link below, it can take several months. For foreigners who are allready in Brazil the process is quicker, if not a less straight-forward. You should go to the closest Recieta Federal with your passport and ask for a CPF. They may ask for an official translation of your passport, or even documentation proving the names of your parents, or they may issue you the CPF without requesting any other documents. Foreigners who have applied for residency may request CPF number at their local post office.
With the CPF card or print out from the Receita Federal, the next steap is to open a "firma" at the cartorio where you will pass the title deed to your name, this is usually done on the same day you are there for your closing. The "firma" is a small form the asks for your personal information which is checked against the origional documents. Your singature on this form is used to compare to your signature on future documents, such as land deeds and contracts where the cartorio is asked recognize your signatire for similarity to the one on your "firma". The form requires your passport number, CPF, address, profession, and civil state (marital status). This last field can be complicated; declaring that you are married, divorced, or widowed, both the cartorio and the Registro de Imóveis (real estate registry) will require proof of this status. Your origional documents will have to be legalized by the consulate in your home country and translated by an official Brazilian translator. Being single you don't need any other documents.
If you do not speak Portuguese, some cartorios may require you to hire an official translator to be present for the transaction. Some cartorios have a staff person that they allow to do this service, and some allow you to use a trusted friend or family member.
For more information and the FCPF application see the following page:
Receita federal - CPF - requests from abroad (only in Portuguese):
http://www.receita.fazenda.gov.br/Aplicacoes/ATCTA/
CpfEstrangeiro/default.htm