Brazil issues over 56 million new National Identity Cards

More than 55.8 million Brazilians have received the new Carteira de Identidade Nacional (CIN), according to the Ministry of Justice and Public Security. The document, which uses the CPF as a single identifier, is issued free of charge, with an average of 39,600 cards produced daily (about 1.13 million per month). By mid‑June 2026, Maranhão had issued 1.9 million cards (28.2 % of its population) and Alagoas 1.1 million (35.4 % of its population).

The CIN replaces the old Registro Geral (RG) and incorporates a QR code, biometric data and a digital version accessible via the gov.br app. It integrates with the Gov.br platform, granting users a “Gold” security level and allowing the inclusion of other documents such as driver’s licences and voter registration. The card can be used for travel within Mercosur countries and will become mandatory for accessing social‑benefit services from January 2027 for citizens without biometric registration, and from January 2028 for those already registered with biometric data. Validity periods are five years for children under 12, ten years for ages 12‑60, and indefinite for those over 60.