gov.br abroad: what works and what gets stuck
FortiSafe team ·
Your gov.br account works outside Brazil. We found no official text saying gov.br blocks access from other countries. What usually trips up people abroad is SMS, which only goes to Brazilian numbers, and the phone itself: two-step verification and the first sign-in to the app depend on a linked device.
What gets stuck, and what fixes it
| What gets stuck | What gov.br says | What fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| SMS codes | gov.br says SMS can only be sent to Brazilian numbers. | Keep a Brazilian number on the account, use your registered email or contact gov.br support. A VPN doesn't fix this. |
| Two-step verification | The access code is generated in the gov.br app on your phone. | Bring the phone with the gov.br app already set up. A VPN doesn't fix this. |
| First sign-in to the app | The device must be linked, by facial recognition, bank login or digital certificate, depending on the account level. | Link your phone before you travel. A VPN doesn't fix this. |
| A service that won't open abroad | We found no official text about blocking by country. | If a site won't open because you're abroad, a connection with a Brazilian IP may help: in our test, the services opened. |
Account levels, according to gov.br
- Bronze: data validated with the Federal Revenue or INSS, or in-person service.
- Silver: facial recognition in the gov.br app against the driver's licence database, or sign-in through an accredited bank's internet banking.
- Gold: facial recognition against the Electoral Court (TSE) database, the QR code on the national ID card, or a digital certificate.
Our test
Test run by the FortiSafe team on 13 September 2026, in Paraguay, on an iPhone 17 Pro Max, using the WireGuard app connected to the br1.vpn.fortisafe.net server in São Paulo. The FortiSafe app is still in development.
Government services (11)
gov.br · Meu INSS · Federal Revenue (Receita Federal) services · e-CAC portal · Meu Imposto de Renda · e-Título · Carteira de Trabalho Digital · FGTS · Meu SUS Digital · Portal do Empreendedor · state vehicle agencies (Detran)
The public services we accessed worked normally with the VPN connected.
This is the result of one device, in one country, on one date. Any service can change how it behaves at any time.
Before you travel
- Install the gov.br app and link the phone you'll use outside Brazil.
- Upgrade your account to silver or gold while you still have easy access to your bank, driver's licence or digital certificate.
- Turn on two-step verification in the gov.br app.
- Keep the account's email up to date: SMS only reaches Brazilian numbers.
Sources
Official pages (in Portuguese) checked on 13 September 2026.
- gov.br — requirements to access services — SMS only to Brazilian numbers.
- gov.br — two-step verification — Access code generated in the gov.br app.
- gov.br — account levels — How to reach bronze, silver and gold.
- gov.br — device linking — Device linking required on the first sign-in to the app.