How to Find a CEP Postal Code in Brazil

The most dependable way to find a Brazilian CEP is to search in the lookup service of Correios, the national postal operator. You can search in two directions: from an address to a CEP, and from a CEP to an address.

From address to CEP

Enter the state, the city and the street name (or part of it). The lookup lists matching streets with their CEPs, often with neighbourhood and a number range. When a long street has several CEPs, choose the one whose number range includes your house number. For an address in a small municipality, the result may be a single general CEP for the whole town.

From CEP to address

If someone gave you a CEP, enter it and compare the street, neighbourhood and city that come back with the address you were given. This is the quickest check that the digits are correct. Many online shops do exactly this: they fill the street, bairro and city automatically from the CEP, and ask the customer only for the number and complement.

Other sources

• Existing mail. Invoices, bank letters and previous parcels show the CEP.
• The recipient or the business. They typically know it or print it on their contact page.
• Maps and apps. Useful as a hint, but the data may be older than the postal operator's.
• Building management. A condominium or company with its own unique CEP can tell you which one to use.

How to verify

Check there are eight digits in the 00000-000 pattern, that the returned street and neighbourhood match, and that the number you have falls within the range listed. Pay special attention to the difference between a street CEP and a general city CEP. The CEP format guide explains the structure.

If you are unsure

• Prefer the postal operator's result over a code inferred from a nearby address.
• A new street or development may not appear until the CEP is created, so ask the developer or the local post office.
• If you get two possible CEPs, use the number range and the side of the street (odd or even) to decide.
• If the place is rural or informal, supply a description of the access and, optionally, an exact point.

Adding a precise point

A CEP gets a courier to the right street, but not always to the right gate. You can add a UPCS code such as BR-XXXX-XXXX (placeholder) beside it. It is not an official code and does not replace the CEP. Read the Brazil overview or the address format guide for more.