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Curitiba Becomes Brazil’s Fastest City to Open a Business, Doubles Activities Without a License, Leads National Ranking in Economic Freedom, and Allows Starting a Business in Just 2 Hours

Written by Carla Teles
Published on 09/02/2026 at 15:19
Updated on 09/02/2026 at 15:20
Curitiba vira a cidade mais rápida do Brasil para abrir empresa, dobra atividades sem alvará, lidera ranking nacional de liberdade econômica e permite começar o negócio em apenas 2 horas
Facilita Mais torna Curitiba a cidade mais rápida na abertura de empresa, amplia baixo risco sem alvará e acelera alvará automático.
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With Municipal Decree, Capital Rises from 606 to About 1,200 Low-Risk Activities without Prior Permit, Accelerates Automatic Issuance for Medium Risk, and Reinforces Status as the Fastest City to Start a Business

Curitiba consolidates itself as the fastest city in Brazil to open a business by adopting the Facilita Mais program, which increases the number of economic activities exempt from operating permits and licenses. The change raises the categories considered low risk from 606 to about 1,200, promising less bureaucracy and a quicker start of operations.

The measure is set out in Decree No. 2,350, of November 11, 2025, which regulates the Economic Freedom Law (13,874/2019) in the municipality. According to the city hall, the set of rules also targets medium-risk activities, with automatic issuance of the permit after the creation of the CNPJ, and reinforces the capital’s performance in national rankings related to simplification.

Facilita Mais Doubles the Exemptions and Reinforces the Fastest City

The Curitiba City Hall starts adopting the Facilita Mais program this Monday, the 9th, with a direct goal: to increase the exemptions from permits and licenses for low-risk activities. Consequently, the total number of categories increases from 606 to about 1,200, expanding the universe of businesses that can start operating with fewer formal steps.

In practice, the fastest city leverages two instruments highlighted by the municipal administration for low risk: viability consultation and self-declaration.

The proposal, according to the foundation, is to allow businesses categorized as low risk to start activities without prior sanitary, environmental or Fire Department licenses.

Decree No. 2,350 Changes the Game for Medium Risk with Automatic Permits

In addition to low risk, the decree also alters the rules for medium-risk activities. The city hall states that, in this case, it becomes possible to automatically issue permits after creating the CNPJ, without prior requirements before commencing operations.

This framework aims to maintain Curitiba’s status as the fastest city not only in formal registration but also in the actual start of operations. The logic is to shorten the time between registering a company and starting operations, reducing steps that previously hindered the business startup.

Curitiba Takes the National Lead and Surpasses References in Permit Exemptions

According to the municipal administration, the expansion puts Curitiba in the first position of the National Ranking for Exemptions from Permits and Licenses, prepared by the Ministry of Entrepreneurship, Microenterprise and Small Business. In the survey for the fourth quarter of 2025, the capital of Paraná ranked seventh among the capitals.

With the new rules, the fastest city surpasses the total exemptions of Pinhalzinho (SC), which led the national ranking, as well as the total adopted by the government of Paraná.

Among the sectors included in the new list are transportation, postal services, financial institutions, civil construction, and education, expanding the reach of Facilita Mais to areas with a high volume of businesses.

Behind the Scenes of Implementation and Target to Raise Low Risk to 75%

The program was coordinated by the municipal secretariats of Planning, Finance and Budget, and Economic Development and Innovation, with participation from other areas such as Health, Environment, and Urbanism. Mayor Eduardo Pimentel stated that the measure aims to reduce bureaucracy and stimulate business openings.

In a statement, the Planning, Finance and Budget Secretary, Vitor Puppi, said that the initiative aims to facilitate the business environment. The Deputy Mayor and Secretary of Economic Development and Innovation, Paulo Martins, stated that the city hall wants to increase support for entrepreneurs.

In the same vein, Evelize Tarasiuk, registration manager from the Planning Secretariat, pointed out the expectation that the proportion of requests classified as low risk will rise from 45% to 75% of total opening requests, which could represent around 52,000 applications in 2026.

It is yet another sign of how the fastest city aims to concentrate business openings through simplified pathways.

Two Hours to Open a Business and 13% Increase in New Businesses in 2025

Curitiba is already among the capitals with the shortest average time to open a business, according to the Business Map from the federal government.

In the most recent survey, referring to the second quadrimester, the average recorded time was two hours, compared to a national average of 21 hours. Aracaju also registered the same time, while Recife, Porto Alegre, Vitória, and Florianópolis recorded an average of three hours.

Municipal data also indicate a 13% increase in business openings in 2025 compared to 2024. There were 79,677 new businesses formalized, up from 70,775 in the previous year, according to the Planning Secretariat.

The combination of short timelines, more exemptions, and automatic permits supports the narrative of Curitiba as the fastest city to open a business and start operations.

Do you think this exemption and automatic permit model should be adopted in more cities in Brazil, or could it increase risks and oversight failures?

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Carla Teles

Produzo conteúdos diários sobre economia, curiosidades, setor automotivo, tecnologia, inovação, construção e setor de petróleo e gás, com foco no que realmente importa para o mercado brasileiro. Aqui, você encontra oportunidades de trabalho atualizadas e as principais movimentações da indústria. Tem uma sugestão de pauta ou quer divulgar sua vaga? Fale comigo: carlatdl016@gmail.com

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