Bye Bye Power of Attorney. Hello e-notariado.

Signing a public deed at a notary office in Brazil has long been a challenge for foreign buyers of real estate. It usually meant either traveling to Brazil for the closing or granting someone a power of attorney to sign on your behalf.

Historically, if you couldn’t be there in person, your only option was to appoint an attorney-in-fact. That meant preparing a power of attorney, notarizing it abroad, getting it apostilled, translating it into Portuguese, and registering it locally.

Enter e-notariado. With a Brazilian digital certificate installed on your smartphone, you can now sign deeds and other notarial documents remotely. The notary can even witness and authenticate your signature through a secure videoconference.

So what does this mean in practice? In many cases, there’s no longer a need to give someone power of attorney to act on your behalf. As long as you have e-notariado, you can sign for yourself from anywhere in the world.

To get an e-notariado certificate, you’ll likely need to visit a notary office in Brazil with your original ID (such as your passport) and CPF. The process is simple, free of charge, and the certificate is valid for three years. Some notaries may even offer the option of issuing the certificate without the need for an in-person visit.

Powers of attorney still have their place, especially when ongoing legal or administrative representation is required. But e-notariado is quickly making powers of attorney the exception, not the rule.

The future of notarization in Brazil has arrived… and it’s online.