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Brazilian Postal/Zip Codes, Mail & the Post Office

Information about how to find Brazilian post codes, how to mail a letter or package and the mailing options for domestic and international mail. Also, information about the other services provided by the Brazilian Post Office (Correios).

Correios is the government run postal service in Brazil, overseen by the Brazilian Ministry of Communications (Ministério das Comunicações).

Correios website

There are over 3,800 post office (Correios) agencies throughout Brazil, employing almost 100,000 workers and distributing 34 million objects per day.

Post Offices are open from Monday to Friday from 09:00-17:00 in general, although Post Offices located in shopping malls have their own opening hours, from 10:00-22:00. There are no set opening hours at the weekend and as Post Office owners are franchisees they can choose when to open and close. Some Post Offices may be open until 13:00 on Saturdays.

Customer Service Centre
Tel: 0800 725 0100 (free call) Monday to Friday from 08:00-22:00
Website
To find the nearest Post Office in Brazil: Click here

Postal or Zip Codes in Brazil

Brazilian postal/zip codes (Códigos de Endereçamento Postal - CEP) are written as a sequence of eight digits, for example 10025-345. The eight digit system replaced the old five digit system in 1992 and all CEPs are stored in the National Directory of Addresses (Diretório Nacional de Endereços - DNE)

The first digit represents one of the ten postal regions in Brazil and this is followed by another digit: the sub-region. The following three numbers represent the sector, sub-sector and sub-sector division.

After the hyphen the last three numbers known as suffixes relate to avenues, roads, parks and squares within a municipality. The range of these three numbers is from 000 to 999.

Each of the ten postal regions is divided into ten sub-regions and each sub-region is again divided ten times. This division of ten is repeated until there are ten divisions of the sub-sector. For example: São Paulo State is region 1, Campinas is sub-region 3, so the first two digits of the CEP would be 1 then 3.

To search for a code in Brazil: Click here and type in the street name under Endereço
It is also possible to search for a code on Busca CEP Brasil

Sending Domestic Mail and Parcels

Standard envelopes when sending letters in Brazil are rectangular. Different shapes may cost more to send. A standard envelope should not exceed 5mm in thickness and should be sealed without the use of staples or clips.

Writing addresses

It is recommended to address letters and parcels in blue or black ink and in capital letters with the following information:

Name or company name
Name and number of the road and further information if required
Name of the district (Bairro)
City or region name and Brazilian Federal Union sign
Post code

For example:

MARCOS COSTA E SILVA
RUA AFONSO CAMARGO, 805
SANTANA
GUARAPUAVA - PR
85070-200

If the address is for an apartment or an office the second line will look like this:

RUA AFONSO CAMARGO, 850 -3° DIR

The 3° indicates that the apartment or office is on the third floor of number 850 Rua Afonso Camargo, and that it is on the right (Dir, or D, is short for direita). If the apartment or office is on the left, write Esq, or E (short for esquerda).

The sender's address should be included on the back of the envelope or parcel in the centre. The recipient's address must be written on the front in the centre of the envelope. The stamp is placed in the front top right hand corner.

Postage options and delivery times

Regular and priority mail letters can be sent using postage-paid envelopes, stamps or franking machines located within Post Offices.

Domestic postage-paid envelopes are available for:

Regular mail (Correio normal)
Express mail (SEDEX 10)
Same day national mail (SEDEX HOJE)

Regular mail: Domestic delivery estimated at between one and three days.

SEDEX 10: This is an Express service for documents and parcels with guaranteed registered delivery up to 10:00 the morning following the day of posting (from Monday to Saturday). Express mail can be tracked online: Click here and select Objetos Nacionais.

SEDEX HOJE: Same day recorded mail delivery service to some main Brazilian cities. Parcels can be declared up to a value of R$10,000 and can be tracked online: Click here and select Objetos Nacionais.

SEDEX MUNDI is the international registered mail service. Delivery time to Europe is from four to six days. Objects can be tracked online: Click here

Weight limits and sizes

Regular mail and SEDEX 10:

Box or Parcel: Length, width and thickness must not exceed 1,500mm
Roll or Prism: Diameter no greater than 104cm
Envelope: 11cm x 16cm minimum, maximum dimension no more than 60cm

SEDEX HOJE:

The maximum weight limit for SEDEX HOJE is 10 Kg and dimensions must not exceed:

Parcel: Minimum 9cm x 14cm, maximum length, width and thickness 150 cm
Envelope: Minimum 11.4cm x 1.62cm

SEDEX MUNDI:

The maximum weight limit for SEDEX MUNDI is 5 Kg and must not exceed:

Parcel: One side no more than 105 cm, sum of all sides no more than 150 cm
Envelope: Medium 250mm x 353mm (A4 format), large: 390mm x 460mm (A3 format)

Postal boxes (Caixa postal)

Post boxes can be bought from the Post Office for three, six or twelve months.

Easy Export (Exporta Fácil)

Exporta Fácil is a mail service for businesses and individuals who wish to export products without doing all the related paperwork. The post office registers the exportation of the product with the Brazilian Federal agencies (Sistema de Comércio Exterior - SISCOMEX).

It is not necessary to register as an importer or exporter if the value of the goods are below US$1,000. If the value of the export is over US$1,000, fill in a Simplified Declaration of Exportation form (Declaração Simplificada de Exportação - DSE). Exports with a value of up to US$50,000 and with a maximum weight of 30 Kg can be sent using this service.

For further information: Click here (in Portuguese)

Delivery deadlines vary depending on the service used and the final destination of the product:

Sedex Mundi: guaranteed delivery from 1 to 4 days
Expressa (EMS): delivery estimated at between 3 and 7 days
Mercadoria Econômica: delivery estimated at between 14 and 30 days
Leve Prioritária: delivery estimated at between 4 and 13 days
Leve Econômica: delivery estimated at between 14 and 30 days

Easy Import (Importa Fácil)

Importa Fácil is a service provided by the Brazilian Post Office for businesses, individuals or scientists who wish to import products to Brazil.

For further information: Click here (in Portuguese)

SEDEX A Cobrar

SEDEX a Cobrar is a guaranteed delivery service where the sender must declare the value of the goods. In the case of non-delivery the Post Service reimburses the sender. The cost of the insurance is one percent of the value of the merchandise. There is a 30 Kg weight limit with this service.

CPF applications

Individuals can apply for an Individual Taxpayer's Number (Cadastro de Pessoa Física - CPF) at the Post Office. It is also possible to apply for a replacement CPF card in the event of loss or theft.

See AngloINFO INFOrmation page, The CPF number in Brazil

Telegrams

National and international telegrams can be sent electronically via the Internet, by telephone or in a Post Office.

Tel: 0800 725 7282
For further information: Click here (in Portuguese)

Marketing Direto

The Post Office offers a direct marketing service which provides demographic and geographic information to businesses looking to target particular markets.

For further information: Click here (in Portuguese)

Post Office Banking Services

Some Post Offices provide financial and banking services (Banco Postal).

Glossary of Postal Terminology

English	Brazilian-Portuguese
Address	Endereço
Post office	Correio
Post office box	Caixa postal
Express postal service	SEDEX
Ordinary postal service	Correio normal
On the right	Dir (direita)
On the left	Esq (esquerda)
Ground floor	Terreno
Postal codes	Códigos de Endereçamento Postal
Stamp	Selo