Companies with operations involving foreign investment in Brazil and/or Brazilian capital abroad must manage a series of periodic obligations required by the Central Bank of Brazil (“BCB”). These filings are designed, among other objectives, to map the volume of investments into and out of Brazil. While each declaration has its own specific rules, the most common source of confusion is the logic of the regulatory calendar.

In practice, it is common for teams to struggle with varying base dates, distinct periodicities, and different reporting systems—especially the alternation between annual, quarterly, and quinquennial (five-year) declarations. This article objectively outlines the primary declarations, submission deadlines, and how they should be organized throughout the year.

A significant portion of notices and penalties related to BACEN obligations does not stem from technical errors, but rather from missing deadlines. This typically occurs when:

• a empresa não observa que é obrigada a declarar;

• confunde a periodicidade aplicável à sua data-base; ou

• entende que uma obrigação substitui a outra, quando isso não ocorre.

Ter uma visão consolidada ajuda a estruturar rotinas internas e a evitar retrabalho, sobretudo em períodos de transição de equipe ou de reorganização societária.

The following is a summary of the most frequent types of declarations and censuses:

• Censo de Capitais Brasileiros no Exterior (CBE)

• O CBE reúne informações sobre ativos, direitos e valores mantidos fora do País por residentes no Brasil, com periodicidade aplicável dependendo do valor total dos ativos no exterior. A obrigação pode ser:

• Anual, com data-base em 31 de dezembro; ou

• Trimestral*, para datas-base intermediárias, quando atingido os critérios definidos pelo BACEN.

Importante destacar que, não há declaração trimestral do CBE para a data-base de 31 de dezembro, pois essa data está vinculada à declaração anual.

Focused on foreign investment within Brazil, this census takes two forms

Annual: Applicable every fiscal year, except when the quinquennial census is required; and

Quinquennial: Required every five (5) years, featuring a broader reporting scope.

The DEF is part of the reporting system for foreign direct investment (SCE-IED–Foreign Capital Information Reporting System–Foreign Direct Investment). Its purpose is to update the economic and financial data of companies receiving foreign capital. Submissions are made periodically throughout the year, according to the base dates defined by the Central Bank

The table below consolidates the declarations mentioned above and their respective filing windows:

Implementing best practices is essential to mitigating risks:

1. Map out, in advance, which declarations apply to the company and deadlines;

2. Link each obligation to its correct base date;

3. Maintain oversight of corporate changes, reorganizations, and/or foreign exchange and financial operations that may impact your filing status; and

4. Periodically review mandatory information registered within the Central Bank’s systems

Beyond fulfilling formalities, BCB obligations require strict consistency between accounting, corporate, and financial data. An integrated view of the regulatory calendar allows a company not only to avoid penalties or inquiries from the Central Bank but also to gain predictability and regulatory security.

PLBrasil Paralegal assists in monitoring these obligations, helping companies correctly identify their filing requirements, meet deadlines, and organize the information required by the Central Bank—always in alignment with the operational reality of each business.