whether someone is applying for a temporary cpf number as a tourist in brazil, or a permanent cpf number as a resident, applicants must fill in a cpf form, provide a photocopy of their passport, and pay a small fee at the post office (correios).

this can be done within the country in just a few days, or in a brazilian consulate on foreign soil, with the application usually taking about two months to process.

on this page, the receita federal publishes the detailed instructions and application form in English on how to obtain a cpf.