Corporate
Corporate Services: your company’s safe entry into Brazil
Legal representation of the foreign investor and the Brazilian company, CNPJ, CADEMP, registered address and pre-investment advisory: everything an international group needs to set up operations in Brazil before hiring its first employee.
Corporate Services is the set of services that allows a foreign investor to set up and maintain a company in Brazil without its own local structure: company incorporation, legal representation of the company and power of attorney for the foreign shareholder, registered address, representation before tax, regulatory and corporate authorities, governance and compliance support and upkeep of corporate records, plus pre-investment advisory.
Scope
What is included in PFM’s Corporate Services?
The service covers three fronts: establishment (incorporation, CNPJ, CADEMP, registered address and the roles of legal representative, attorney-in-fact and administrator), representation and governance (dealings with authorities, governance and compliance support, corporate records and filings) and capital and flows, with the design of the operation’s funding and of the future repatriation of funds.
Establishment
Establishment
- Incorporation of the Brazilian entity
- CNPJ and CADEMP registration
- Registered address
- Legal representative of the Brazilian company
- Attorney-in-fact for the foreign shareholder
- Administrator role in the local company
Representation
Representation and governance
- Representation before tax, regulatory and corporate authorities
- Corporate governance and compliance support
- Upkeep and updating of corporate records
- Coordination of registrations and filings
- Pre-investment advisory: regulatory, corporate, tax and labor
Capital
Capital and flows
- Funding planning for the local operation
- Registration of foreign capital
- Planning the future repatriation of funds
- Transition to ongoing operation with the BPO
Who we serve
Who are PFM’s Corporate Services for?
The service serves foreign companies entering Brazil (which need a reliable local representative, a CNPJ and a structure before hiring any employee) and established groups creating new entities that need an independent local administrator and a registered address while the structure is being set up.
Foreign companies entering Brazil
The group decided to operate in Brazil, and found out that nothing starts without a legal representative resident in the country.
- Trusted local representative and administrator
- CNPJ and CADEMP without trial and error
- Regulatory risks mapped before the investment
- Full communication with HQ in English or Spanish
Groups creating new entities in Brazil
Reorganizations, joint ventures and new vehicles that need an independent local structure.
- Independent administrator for the new company
- Registered address during the setup
- Funding and capitalization correctly registered
- Corporate design aligned with the group
Comparison
What is the difference between entering alone and entering with PFM?
Entering alone means learning the Brazilian process by trial and error: registration requirements, a resident representative, CADEMP and foreign exchange, and every mistake costs weeks. With Corporate Services, PFM already fills the roles required by law, handles the registrations in the right order and delivers the company ready to operate.
| Criterion | Entering on your own | PFM Corporate Services |
|---|---|---|
| Legal representative | You need to find and trust a resident | PFM fills the role, with professional accountability |
| Registrations (CNPJ, CADEMP) | Trial and error with successive requirements | Handled in the right order, without rework |
| Regulatory risk | Discovered during the process | Mapped in the pre-investment advisory |
| Initial local structure | Hiring before there is an operation | On demand, own structure only when it makes sense |
| Start of operations | Depends on setting everything up first | Direct transition to PFM’s BPO |
Method
How does entering Brazil with PFM work?
Entry follows four steps: pre-investment advisory, incorporation and registrations, local administration with a registered address and, finally, the transition to ongoing operation, usually with accounting and finance BPO taking over the new company’s routine.
01
Pre-investment advisory
Regulatory, corporate, tax and labor assessment of the intended business model, before any registration.
02
Incorporation and registrations
Incorporation of the company, legal representation of the foreign shareholder, CNPJ and CADEMP registration and registration of capital.
03
Local administration
PFM takes on the role of the company’s administrator and provides the registered address during the setup.
04
Transition to operation
Once the company is active, the accounting, tax, payroll and treasury routine moves to the BPO, and the representation adjusts to the new stage.
FAQ
Common questions about foreign companies entering Brazil
They are the set of services that allows a foreign investor to set up and maintain a company in Brazil without needing its own local structure: a professional partner fills the roles required by law (representative of the foreign shareholder, legal representative and administrator of the Brazilian company) and provides a registered address and regulatory support during the setup.
Yes. The foreign shareholder of a Brazilian company must appoint an attorney-in-fact resident in the country with powers to receive service of process, and the company needs an administrator who is resident or holds an appropriate visa. PFM fills these roles professionally, with governance and responsibilities defined in the contract.
CADEMP is the Central Bank company registry that enables a company to receive foreign capital. Without it (and without the correct registration of the investment), money from HQ does not formally enter Brazil and the future repatriation of dividends and capital is compromised.
It varies with the state, the activity and the licenses involved, from a few weeks for simple activities to a few months when specific licensing is required. PFM’s entry roadmap sets a realistic timeline for your case during the pre-investment advisory.
Yes. The administrator role in the local company is part of the Corporate Services scope, with authority, duties and limits defined in the contract, which gives the foreign group a professional, independent administrator until the operation justifies its own executive.
The natural transition is to PFM’s accounting and finance BPO: accounting, taxes, payroll, treasury and international reporting, with communication with HQ in English or Spanish, so the same partner that handled the entry runs the ongoing operation.
Litigation, audit and legal advice. PFM fills the representation roles and handles the company’s registrations and governance, in coordination with the group’s lawyers when the matter is legal. The responsibilities, authority and limits of each role are defined in the contract.
Related services
Natural complements to this service
Outsourcing
Accounting and Finance BPO
The ongoing operation of the newly created company, with reporting to HQ.
Your trusted partner in Brazil, from registration to operation
Book a diagnostic call, in English, Spanish or Portuguese. In one meeting, we map out your company’s entry roadmap into Brazil.