If you make payments from abroad to companies or service providers in Brazil, being a client who operates with crossborder payments, understanding how this flow works is key to ensuring everything runs smoothly and without surprises.
This type of operation is common in services like marketing, technology, consulting, or logistics, and involves a few important steps, especially when it comes to document validation.
Below, we explain in a simple way how this process works in practice.
How do payments to companies in Brazil work?
Whenever a payment is made to a Brazilian company (business account), supporting documentation must be included to validate the transaction. This step takes place before the payment is completed and ensures that everything is properly recorded and compliant.
The required documents are:
Per transaction:
Invoice/receipt issued by the Brazilian company (Nota Fiscal)
Invoice from the foreign paying company
On the first transaction with each supplier:
Commercial agreement between the parties (can be reused for future payments)
In practice, it works like this:
On the first payment, you submit the contract, the invoice, and the Nota Fiscal
On subsequent payments, only the invoice and the Nota Fiscal are required
All documents are submitted directly within the transaction. For the first payment, the SLA is 3 working days, and for the future ones, one working day.
Important note
The invoice and Nota Fiscal must show the same amount as the payment. Invoices and Nota Fiscal showing amounts different from the payment being made will not be accepted.
If the invoice has a fixed total amount and the payout is in installments - for example, an invoice for 10,000 reais and a payout of 2,000 reais - you must specify on the invoice and the receipt that the payment is in installments and which installment the payment corresponds to.
What happens after submission?
Once the documents are added, the payment goes through a validation step.
Our team reviews the information to ensure everything meets the operational requirements. If everything is in order, the payment is completed as usual. This process is designed to bring more clarity and predictability to each step.
Why is this process important?
International payments to companies in Brazil require supporting documentation for each transaction.
Following this process helps ensure that:
Operations remain compliant with applicable requirements
Payments are processed with greater predictability
Information stays organized and easy to access
There is greater security throughout the entire operation
In addition, you can rely on the support of our team during the validation process whenever guidance is needed.
We also clarify that certain restrictions applicable to this flow stem from compliance and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) guidelines already established for eFX operations. Although this review was already part of our compliance framework, we have increased the level of scrutiny applied to the validation of corporate relationships between payer and supplier following the recent enactment of BCB Resolution No. 561/2026.
The technical basis for this restriction is related to the need to ensure consistency between the customer profile, the nature of the operation, and the declared purpose of the transaction. In this context, when the beneficiary company shares the same ownership structure as the paying company, the identification of common shareholders may alter the expected operational nature of the eFX flow for the following reasons:
eFX is intended for specific types of transactions, such as the purchase of goods and services or unilateral transfers. Payments between companies with the same ownership structure may be interpreted as capital transfers or intercompany loans, purposes that are not permitted under this model.
To avoid regulatory misclassification, intercompany transactions must be carried out through the traditional foreign exchange market, which allows the correct classification of transaction purposes and is not subject to the value limitations applicable to eFX operations.
What should you keep in mind?
To make things easier, it’s important to have the required documents ready when creating a payment. This helps avoid delays and ensures a smoother process.
Also, keep in mind that the contract with each supplier can be reused, which simplifies recurring payments.
Additionally, our team is available to support you during the validation process whenever needed. We will also provide examples of invoice - or you can use this link Invoice-generatorFree Invoice Generator to generate one - and receipt in this article.
Conclusion
The payment flow for companies in Brazil is designed to be simple, secure, and predictable. By following these steps, you ensure that your operations run smoothly and without unnecessary risks.
If you’d like to learn more or need help, feel free to reach out, our team is here to support you.