How to ship a laptop from the EU to Brazil for a remote employee

To ship a laptop from Europe to an employee in Brazil, a company needs to satisfy EU export rules on departure and Brazil's courier regime on arrival, where a single parcel is capped at US$3,000 and taxed at 60% plus state ICMS. This procedure is for European teams equipping a Brazilian hire one device at a time, and flags the points where euro pricing and EU paperwork change the outcome.

Estimated time: 1 to 2 hours of preparation per device · Level: intermediate · Prerequisites: your company's EORI number, the employee's CPF, the device's model and serial number · Verified on: Brazilian and EU regulations as of September 2026

What you need before starting

A shipment from the EU to Brazil involves identifiers on both sides: your company's EORI for the EU export and the employee's CPF for the Brazilian import. Collect them with the device details below, and get the tax budget approved before booking, because Brazilian courier taxes are high.

• Your company's EORI number, required on EU customs declarations.
• The employee's CPF, with their name and full address including the CEP.
• Device details: brand, model, serial number, value in euros and country of origin.
• The model's Anatel status, checked in Anatel's certification system.
• A courier account accepting laptops with lithium batteries to Brazil, and a decision on who pays Brazilian taxes.

Step 1: Check the laptop fits Brazil's US$3,000 courier ceiling

Brazil's simplified courier regime covers consignments with a customs value of up to US$3,000, freight and insurance included. When you price in euros, convert the full amount at the current rate and keep a margin: a laptop comfortably below the limit in euros can end up above it in dollars once transport is added. Above the ceiling, a formal import with a broker is required.

1. Convert the full customs value. The regime applies to international consignments of up to US$3,000 (Receita Estadual RS), and the base includes freight as well as the product (18 Cargas). Beyond it, the import needs a customs declaration filed by a broker and an importer registered in Siscomex (Radar) (Conexos).
2. Confirm Anatel compliance. Laptops with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth are telecommunications products in Brazil. An Anatel-homologated model clears normally; for others, the "own use" route is limited to products that can be homologated by declaration of conformity and stay within Receita Federal value limits (Anatel, Ato 18086/2025). European SKUs sometimes differ from Brazilian ones, so check the exact model number.

How to check it worked: the converted customs value is under US$3,000 with a margin, and the model's Anatel status is confirmed.

Step 2: Prepare and secure the laptop

Prepare the laptop so that it is useful the day it arrives and protected if it is lost or held in transit. That means enrolling it in your device management tool, encrypting the disk and removing anything that should not travel, before it goes into the box.

1. Enroll the device in your MDM so it can be locked or wiped remotely.
2. Turn on disk encryption (FileVault on macOS, BitLocker on Windows).
3. Remove local admin accounts, saved passwords and any data that is not needed on the employee's side.
4. Record the serial number: it goes on the invoice and customs may compare it with the device.

How to check it worked: the device shows as managed and encrypted in your MDM console, and the serial number is recorded.

Step 3: Register the employee as the Brazilian recipient with their CPF

The Brazilian leg is cleared in the name of the recipient, identified by their CPF, which must appear on the commercial invoice and the air waybill (Urban Remessas). The state tax is collected for the state where the recipient lives, in their name (Convênio ICMS 60/2018).

European address formats do not map neatly onto Brazilian ones: ask the employee for the address as they would write it locally, with street, number, complement, neighbourhood, city, state and CEP. A mismatch between the CPF holder's name and the consignee name is a common reason for a hold.

How to check it worked: the consignee name, CPF and complete Brazilian address are confirmed by the employee in writing.

Step 4: Handle the EU export side and the commercial invoice

From the EU, an express consignment worth up to EUR 1,000 that is not liable for export duty is deemed declared for export when presented at the office of exit, using the transport documents. Most business laptops are worth more, which means a standard export declaration under your EORI, usually filed by the carrier or a broker.

• Up to EUR 1,000: the transport document and invoice data act as the export declaration (European Commission).
• Above EUR 1,000: a standard export declaration is filed and generates an MRN. Keep it with the shipment file.

The same commercial invoice serves Brazilian customs: exact description, HS code 8471.30, serial number, real value, freight and insurance, country of origin, the employee's CPF, and the purpose (company equipment for an employee, not for resale).

VAT. A sale of goods shipped outside the EU can be invoiced without VAT under Article 146 of the VAT Directive, on condition that the exit from the EU is proven (EUR-Lex, CJEU C-563/12). If an EU reseller ships the laptop directly to Brazil, ask for a VAT-exempt export invoice; for equipment you already own and send yourself, confirm the treatment with your accountant.

How to check it worked: you hold the transport document (under EUR 1,000) or the export MRN, and the invoice carries the CPF and matches the device.

Step 5: Plan for 60% import tax and state ICMS

Brazil taxes courier imports at a single 60% rate on the customs value, which includes the laptop, freight and insurance (Receita Estadual RS). ICMS of 17% to 20%, depending on the employee's state, comes on top (Receita Federal).

Because ICMS is calculated on a base that includes itself and the import tax, the combined tax on a courier import can come close to the value of the device (Urban Remessas). Convert this estimate into euros for your internal approval, with a margin for the exchange rate on the day of clearance. The reduced Remessa Conforme rates only apply to individuals buying from certified e-commerce platforms, not to company shipments.

Book with duties and taxes billed to the sender (DDP) so the carrier pays at clearance and invoices your company. Under DAP, the employee receives a payment request before delivery.

How to check it worked: the booking shows who is billed for duties and taxes, and the amount is approved internally.

Step 6: Pack the laptop and label the lithium battery

A laptop travels with its lithium-ion battery installed, which makes it a regulated item for air transport. Most business laptops use batteries of 100 Wh or less, which fall under the simplified rules for batteries contained in equipment. Pack it so it cannot move or switch on, and label it the way the carrier expects.

Under IATA Packing Instruction 967, Section II applies to lithium-ion batteries of 100 Wh or less contained in equipment (DHL guide, IATA DGR). In practice:

1. Switch the laptop off completely (not in sleep mode) and pack it with its charger.
2. Use a rigid box with cushioning on all sides, ideally the original packaging inside a second carton.
3. Declare the lithium battery when booking; the carrier adds the UN3481 handling mark and the statement required on the air waybill.

How to check it worked: the carrier has accepted the booking with the lithium battery declared.

Step 7: Track the EU exit and the Brazilian release

The parcel passes two checkpoints: the EU office of exit, which confirms the export, and Brazilian clearance in Siscomex Remessa, where taxes are assessed and ICMS must be paid before release. Keep the MRN or transport document available for the first, and make sure the CPF and value are consistent for the second.

When the laptop is delivered, ask the employee to power it on and confirm it reports in your MDM. Store the invoice, air waybill, EU export proof and Brazilian tax receipts together: they support your VAT position in the EU and any later return.

How to check it worked: the device is delivered, powered on and reporting in your MDM console.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

EU-to-Brazil shipments combine two sets of pitfalls: missing EU export paperwork on higher-value laptops, and Brazil-specific issues with the value ceiling, tax ID and tax bill. The table lists the most frequent ones.

Going further

Brazilian courier taxes make one-by-one shipping from Europe expensive, and returns need planning too: sending a laptop back out of Brazil requires its own export formalities, which your carrier can confirm before you commit to a return process.

At scale, shipping from the EU one device at a time becomes slow and expensive. Companies hiring several people in Brazil often switch to sourcing laptops locally, which removes the import step entirely. Fleet delivers IT equipment to employees in more than 150 countries, pre-enrolled in your MDM, through local suppliers (Fleet).

Our global guide to employee laptop shipping covers the general rules for other destinations.

Recap checklist

• Customs value converted to dollars, freight included, under US$3,000; Anatel status checked
• Device enrolled in MDM and encrypted, serial number recorded
• Employee's CPF and full Brazilian address confirmed
• EORI ready; export declaration and MRN if above EUR 1,000
• Invoice with CPF; VAT-exempt export invoice requested from the supplier if applicable
• 60% import tax plus ICMS approved, DDP booked
• Lithium battery declared, laptop packed switched off
• Delivery confirmed in MDM, export and import documents filed together

Simplify laptop shipping from Europe to Brazil with Fleet

Getting a laptop from the EU to an employee in Brazil doesn't have to mean converting values under the US$3,000 courier ceiling, filing EU export declarations, checking Anatel homologation and prepaying 60% import tax plus ICMS yourself. You can do it manually, but every step adds time, risk and extra cost.

Fleet runs the entire process end to end in one platform, across 150+ countries, from the moment someone signs their offer to the day they leave:

• Local sourcing: buy or lease Macs and PCs from Fleet's catalogue, sourced locally so EU export paperwork, the Brazilian courier ceiling and import taxes drop out of the process
• Fast delivery: devices are delivered to employees in Brazil and 150+ countries in under 5 days
• Ready on day one: laptops arrive pre-configured, with the employee's tools installed and your security policies enforced through Fleet's MDM
• Real-time visibility: every device, every employee and every security status tracked in one dashboard, connected to your HR tools
• Onboarding and offboarding in a few clicks: order a device when someone joins; when they leave, transfer it to a colleague or let Fleet retrieve, wipe, store and redeploy it locally, with no re-export needed
• IT support on Slack: your employees get help with device issues, replacements and access changes where they already work, with teams in Paris, Barcelona and New York

Book a demo and see how Fleet helps you equip teams in Brazil and beyond.

FAQ

What taxes apply to a laptop sent from Europe to Brazil?

Brazil charges a 60% import tax on the customs value of courier imports, then state ICMS of 17% to 20%. Nothing is due on the EU side if the export is proven: the supply can be VAT-exempt as an export. The combined Brazilian tax can approach the value of the laptop.

Is the US$3,000 limit calculated before or after shipping costs?

After. The customs value includes the product, freight and insurance, so a laptop priced just under the limit can exceed it once transport is added. For shipments priced in euros, convert the full amount at the exchange rate of the day.

Does a laptop need Anatel certification to enter Brazil?

A laptop with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth is a telecommunications product and should be Anatel-homologated. For non-homologated devices, the own-use route is limited to products that can be homologated by declaration of conformity and whose value stays within Receita Federal limits.

Do I need an EORI to ship one laptop from the EU to Brazil?

If the laptop is worth more than EUR 1,000, a standard export declaration is required and identifies your company by its EORI number. Below that value the transport document serves as the declaration, though carriers commonly ask business shippers for an EORI anyway.

Conclusion

From the EU, a laptop reaches an employee in Brazil without being blocked when its converted value stays under US$3,000, the EU export is documented, the CPF and address are correct and Brazilian taxes are prepaid.