Updated July 2026

Do You Need a CPF for Shopee in Brazil?

Shopee is one of the most-used shopping apps in Brazil, with prices on everything from electronics to household basics that are hard to beat. If you are settling in and trying to kit out your place without paying tourist prices, Shopee is where a lot of locals go. But try to check out and you will run into the same wall foreigners hit everywhere here: it wants a CPF. Here is exactly why, and how to sort it.

Short answer: yes, you need a CPF

Shopee asks for your CPF at checkout for most orders, and it is required for anything coming from abroad to clear Brazilian customs. Without one, your order can be held, taxed incorrectly, or simply blocked. Adding a CPF to your account is what lets you shop the way a local does, with correct pricing and deliveries that actually arrive.

Why Shopee asks for it

Two reasons. First, Brazil requires the buyer's CPF on the tax invoice, the nota fiscal, that comes with a purchase. Second, when an item ships from outside Brazil, customs uses your CPF to process and release it. Shopee collects your CPF so your orders are invoiced properly and your imports do not get stuck. It is the same reason marketplaces like Mercado Livre ask for it too.

What you need to shop on Shopee as a foreigner

• ✓ A CPF. For checkout, invoicing, and customs.
• ✓ A Brazilian delivery address. Your apartment, or a host's address to start.
• ✓ A local payment method. A Brazilian card or Pix, both of which also need a CPF to set up.

You will notice the CPF sits underneath all of it. It is the same story with your bank, your phone plan, and your rental. Get the CPF first and the rest of your setup falls into place.

Frequently asked questions