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National Identity Card will have international use in South American countries, but travelers still need to wait for official implementation and check boarding rules before replacing already accepted documents, such as state RG and passport.
Brazilians will be able to use the National Identity Card (CIN), known as the new RG, as a travel document to enter eight South American countries, after a agreement signed this Friday (29) at a meeting of Mercosur Justice and Interior Ministers, held in Paraguay.
The measure includes the CIN in the list of identification documents accepted by Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, countries that already allow the entry of Brazilians without a passport under certain conditions provided in regional agreements on the movement of people.
There is no official date yet for the start of the acceptance of the National Identity Card at the borders of these countries, but the informed expectation is that the document will begin to be used by Brazilian travelers from August, after the necessary administrative adjustments.
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New RG expands documents accepted for travel in South America
With the change, the CIN becomes part of the set of documents that can be used by Brazilians traveling to the eight South American countries covered by the agreement, alongside the passport and the identity models already currently accepted by immigration authorities.
In practice, the decision does not make the passport mandatory for these destinations nor immediately eliminate the validity of documents that were already used by Brazilian tourists, such as the RG issued by the states, as long as it is in good condition and allows the identification of the holder.
The National Identity Card was created to gradually replace the old state RGs and adopt the CPF as a unique identification number throughout the country, reducing differences between local registers and making it difficult for duplicate records to exist.
The new model also follows international security and identification standards, with elements such as QR Code and MRZ code, technology similar to that used in passports and travel documents, which facilitates reading by migration control systems.
Countries that will accept the National Identity Card
The agreement provides for the acceptance of the CIN by Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, all located in South America and members or associates of regional circulation mechanisms that facilitate the transit of Brazilian citizens.
| Country | Document provided by the agreement |
|---|---|
| Argentina | National Identity Card |
| Paraguay | National Identity Card |
| Uruguay | National Identity Card |
| Bolivia | National Identity Card |
| Chile | National Identity Card |
| Colombia | National Identity Card |
| Ecuador | National Identity Card |
| Peru | National Identity Card |
These destinations already receive tourists from Brazil with identity documents recognized in Mercosur agreements and associated countries, allowing travel without a passport for tourism purposes, provided the document presented is valid, legible, and updated.
Even with the expansion of the list, the recommendation for those planning to travel is to check migration requirements before departure, especially with airlines, international bus services, and consular pages, because implementation may vary until formal communication between governments.
The use of the CIN as a travel document also does not change entry rules that depend on other factors, such as length of stay, purpose of the trip, health requirements, authorization for minors, or proof requested by the migration authority upon arrival.
Digital CIN and physical document in international travel
The digital version of the National Identity Card is available on the Gov.br app after the document is issued, but the current guidance for international travel is to carry the physical version, as acceptance at borders depends on the procedures adopted by each country.
State identification agencies warn that the absence of the physical document may cause boarding impediments still in Brazil or refusal of entry abroad, especially in air travel, where document checks usually occur before arrival at the destination.
Therefore, those intending to use the CIN for travel should await confirmation of the start of international validity, ensure the physical document is in hand, and avoid relying solely on the digital card displayed on the phone during transit.
The same caution applies to the old state RG, which remains accepted for travel to countries in the bloc, but may cause issues if it is irregularly laminated, damaged, with a very old photo, or with data that complicates the traveler’s identification.
How to apply for the new national identity
The issuance of the National Identity Card is carried out by the identification bodies of the states and the Federal District, with scheduling according to local rules, and the first copy is free for all Brazilians who do not yet have the new document.
In São Paulo, Poupatempo informs that the CIN request can be initiated through the service’s digital channels, including the app, but the citizen must attend the scheduled appointment to present documents, take a photo, and perform biometric collection.
After issuance, the document can be collected at the location indicated by the responsible body or sent by mail when this option is available, a service that depends on the rules of the issuing state and may involve its own delivery time.
In the case of São Paulo, the card is ready in up to 22 business days, according to the state service, and the user can request delivery by mail, which enables receipt at home after the mandatory in-person stage.
In other states, the procedure may be different, as each federation unit organizes the service, scheduling channels, delivery, and availability of digital services according to its own administrative structure.
CPF becomes the unique identification in the CIN
The CIN was designed to unify civil identification in Brazil, replacing the previous model where the same person could have different RG numbers issued by different states, a situation that made it difficult to integrate public databases.
With the CPF as a unique number, the new document reduces registration inconsistencies and facilitates identity validation in public and private services, in addition to allowing integration with the Gov.br account when the digital version is made available to the citizen.
The card also has defined validity periods by age group: five years for children under 12 years old, ten years for people aged 12 to 59, and indefinite validity for those aged 60 or older.
Although the new identity is in the process of replacing the traditional RG, there is no requirement for immediate exchange for all Brazilians, and the old documents remain valid until the deadlines provided in the transition rules, as long as they are in good condition.
What changes for the Brazilian traveler
For the tourist, the main change will be the possibility of presenting the physical National Identity Card as a travel document in the eight countries covered, as soon as acceptance is operationalized by the migration authorities of each destination.
The measure tends to simplify the documentation for those who already have the NIC, but does not eliminate the need for planning, because the traveler must check in advance if the country is already accepting the new model and if the transport company recognizes the document at boarding.
Until full implementation, the passport and state ID continue to be alternatives for entry into the mentioned countries, observing the specific rules of each location and the need to present a document in good condition and compatible with identification records.
The expansion of the international use of the NIC reinforces Brazil’s transition to a standardized national document, but practical adoption at the borders will depend on communication between governments, updating of migration systems, and guidance to agents responsible for checking travelers.
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