RADAR and Siscomex: How to Get Authorized to Import into Brazil
Short answer. You cannot legally clear an import in Brazil until the importing company is habilitated in RADAR — the registration that unlocks the Siscomex foreign-trade system. RADAR is tied to a Brazilian CNPJ, so a foreign company with no legal presence in Brazil cannot obtain it directly. The practical routes are two: incorporate a Brazilian entity and habilitate it, or import through a third party — a trading company or Importer of Record (IOR) that owns the CNPJ and the RADAR and imports on your behalf. This brief explains the registration, its modalities, and how foreign groups structure around it.
What RADAR and Siscomex actually are
Siscomex (Sistema Integrado de Comércio Exterior) is the government platform through which every Brazilian import and export declaration is filed and cleared. RADAR (Registro e Rastreamento da Atuação dos Intervenientes Aduaneiros) is the credential that lets a company operate in Siscomex — without it, the import declaration simply cannot be registered.
RADAR is granted by the Receita Federal (the federal tax and customs authority) and requested through the Portal Único Siscomex, in the “Habilita” module. It is not a one-time licence tied to a shipment; it is a standing authorization tied to the company and its estimated operational capacity. [Source: IN RFB 1.984/2020 — Receita Federal]
The CNPJ requirement — the wall foreign companies hit first
RADAR habilitation is granted to a CNPJ (the Brazilian corporate taxpayer number) and requires a legal representative in Brazil holding a valid digital certificate (e-CNPJ/e-CPF) to access the Portal Único. A company incorporated only abroad has neither, so it cannot habilitate itself.
That leaves two clean options:
- Set up a Brazilian entity. Incorporate a subsidiary (typically a Ltda or S.A.), obtain its CNPJ, then habilitate that CNPJ in RADAR. This is the route when Brazil is a real, ongoing market for you — see Setting Up a Company in Brazil: Ltda vs. S.A. and the branch vs. subsidiary decision.
- Use an Importer of Record. A Brazilian trading company or import agent that already holds a CNPJ and RADAR imports the goods in its own name (or on your account) and then delivers or resells to the end buyer. You avoid incorporating, but you give up direct control of the import and add a margin.
There is no third door: the customs system will not register a declaration against a foreign entity that has no CNPJ and no RADAR.
The RADAR modalities
Habilitation is not one-size-fits-all. Receita Federal grades it by the company’s proven financial and operational capacity, which caps how much it can import per period:
- Expressa (Express). A fast-track tier for qualifying profiles — for example certain established companies, public bodies, and specific categories — with lighter scrutiny and, in practice, no operational value ceiling.
- Limitada (Limited). For companies that have not yet demonstrated large financial capacity. Imports are capped at a defined value per six-month window (the thresholds are set and periodically updated by Receita Federal). New importers usually start here.
- Ilimitada (Unlimited). No import ceiling, granted where the company demonstrates sufficient financial capacity (equity, tax payments, operational substance).
Because the exact monetary thresholds for the Limited tier are adjusted over time, confirm the current figures with Receita Federal or your customs broker before planning volumes. [Source: IN RFB 1.984/2020 — Receita Federal]
What habilitation does not give you
RADAR gets you into Siscomex. It does not, by itself, make a specific import lawful. On top of it you still need to:
- Classify the goods under the correct NCM code and confirm the applicable tax stack — see Import Taxes in Brazil.
- Obtain any import licence (LI) where the product requires prior approval from a regulator (health, agriculture, defense, telecom, etc.).
- Handle ICMS at the state level. The state tax on imports is separate from the federal clearance — see ICMS on Imports.
RADAR is the gate; the tax and licensing rules are what you pay and prove once you are through it.
How it fits the bigger picture
For a foreign group, RADAR is where the “should we set up in Brazil?” question becomes concrete. If you only need occasional imports, an Importer of Record may be enough. If Brazil is strategic — recurring imports, local sales, inventory — a habilitated subsidiary gives you control, lets you use duty-relief regimes like drawback, and positions you for the ex-tarifário reduction on capital-goods duty. The consumption-tax reform (IBS/CBS) changes which taxes apply on import over the transition, but not the basic fact that the importer of record must be a habilitated Brazilian CNPJ.
Practical takeaway
- Decide who the importer of record will be before anything ships — your own Brazilian entity, or a third party’s CNPJ.
- If incorporating, budget time for CNPJ registration and RADAR habilitation; they are sequential.
- Start in the tier you qualify for. Most new importers begin Limited and move up as they demonstrate capacity.
- Line up the digital certificate and legal representative early — no e-CNPJ, no Portal Único access, no RADAR.
FAQ
Can a foreign company get RADAR without a Brazilian entity? No. RADAR is granted to a CNPJ and requires a legal representative in Brazil with a digital certificate. A company incorporated only abroad must either set up a Brazilian entity or import through a third party that holds the CNPJ and RADAR.
What is the difference between RADAR and Siscomex? Siscomex is the government foreign-trade system where import and export declarations are filed. RADAR is the habilitation that authorizes a specific company to operate inside Siscomex.
What is an Importer of Record in Brazil? A Brazilian company (often a trading company or import agent) that already holds a CNPJ and RADAR and imports goods in its own name on behalf of a foreign supplier or buyer, then delivers or resells them locally.
How long does RADAR habilitation take? It ranges from near-automatic for qualifying express profiles to a review period for companies whose financial capacity must be assessed. Timing depends on the modality and the documentation submitted through the Portal Único.
What are the RADAR modalities? Express (fast-track, no practical value ceiling for qualifying profiles), Limited (capped import value per six-month period), and Unlimited (no ceiling, granted on proven financial capacity).
📚 Related: Import Taxes in Brazil and Setting Up a Company in Brazil: Ltda vs. S.A..
Sources
Official sources reviewed for this brief: the customs habilitation rules of the Receita Federal governing RADAR and access to Siscomex (Instrução Normativa RFB nº 1.984/2020), together with the Portal Único Siscomex and its “Habilita” module. Import-tax treatment and licensing rules are covered in the linked briefs. This is general information, not tax or legal advice; confirm current thresholds and procedures for your case.