Updated March 2026 · 5 min read

GET CPF vs DIY: which is right for you?

Should you get your CPF yourself or use GET CPF? An honest comparison of both approaches, costs, and what you are actually paying for.

The free option exists and it works

Let us be upfront: you can absolutely get a CPF by yourself for free (or R$7 at Correios). The Brazilian government issues CPF numbers to foreigners at Receita Federal offices across the country. No service, including ours, can issue a CPF. Only the government does that.

So why does GET CPF exist? Because the process of getting a CPF is simple in theory and surprisingly complicated in practice.

What actually goes wrong with DIY

About one in ten foreigners gets rejected on their first attempt. The reasons are specific and preventable but hard to find clearly explained anywhere online. You are piecing together information from blog posts written in 2019, Reddit threads that contradict each other, and embassy websites that cover the basics but miss the details.

The most common issues: going to an office that does not process foreigners, bringing a proof of address that looks valid but gets rejected, and a name formatting issue on the application that you would not know about unless someone told you.

What GET CPF actually does

We do not apply for your CPF. We do not interact with the government on your behalf. We do not do anything that requires a lawyer or a third party.

What we do is prepare everything for your specific situation before you leave the house. The right documents for your living arrangement, the right office for your city, the right way to fill in the form for your nationality, and the exact Portuguese phrases you need at the counter. Five minutes of preparation versus a potential full day of wasted trips.

The cost comparison

DIY costs R$0-7 at the office plus your time. If everything goes right on the first try, you save $29. If it does not, you lose half a day minimum and potentially multiple days across multiple attempts.

GET CPF costs $29 plus R$0-7 at the office. You get a personalised Ready Pack, document checklist, office finder, Portuguese phrases guide, and a money-back guarantee. If you follow our steps and still get rejected, we refund you in full.

The question is not whether $29 is worth a CPF. The question is whether $29 is worth avoiding a wasted day.