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How to search for a company in Brazil

Every Brazilian company and organisation has a CNPJ number registered with the Receita Federal, the federal tax authority. The Receita's free CNPJ lookup issues a registration certificate (comprovante de inscrição) showing status, address, legal nature and activity. The whole register, including partners, is published as open data. Articles of association are held by state commercial boards (juntas comerciais).

What it publishes

• Company name, trade name, CNPJ, opening date and registration status.
• Legal nature, main and secondary activity codes (CNAE) and address.
• Partners and administrators (QSA) in the open data file.
• Simples Nacional tax regime status.

Key datasets

• CNPJ lookup
  Registration certificate for a single CNPJ.
  Updated: Continuous
• CNPJ open data (dados.gov.br)
  Full register as downloadable files.
  Updated: Monthly

APIs and downloads

• Brazilian open data portal
  Federal government datasets including the CNPJ file.

When it publishes

The lookup is live; the open data file is refreshed about monthly.

How to use it to check a claim

1. Search by the 14-digit CNPJ to avoid confusion between similar names.
2. Registration status 'ativa' does not mean a company is trading or solvent.
3. For contracts with government, check the federal Transparency Portal and the PNCP procurement portal.

Common mistakes

• Treating the CNPJ certificate as proof of ownership; ownership documents are at the state commercial board.

Is the CNPJ lookup free?

Yes. The Receita Federal lookup and the open data file are free.

Links checked 14 October 2026. This page describes what the source publishes and gives no verdict on any claim.