Intro
When dealing with important legal documents, most people would want to make sure that they're authentic before making moves. It's only logical that the Brazilian government wouldn't be any different.
When incorporating your LTDA in Brazil, the local authorities will want to see the documentation for its shareholders, and that means your Delaware LLC. For that to be possible, your US documents will have to go through two processes known as notarization and apostille.
What is notarization?
Have you ever heard the expression "reconhecer firma"? Notarization is the US' equivalent of it.
A notary public is someone with the authority to certify the authenticity of the signatures in any legal document. Notarization is the process of getting their stamp of approval saying that the document in question is the real deal.
The notary is like a neutral third-party witness saying "yup, that checks out", except their nod of approval carries legal weight.
What is apostille?
Apostilles are part of a global convention to verify the authenticity of documents issued in a different country. Both Brazil and the US abide by that convention.
Put simply, apostilling is a verification method on an international scale, like a Twitter check mark for your incorporation. They're a pretty standard requirement for any legal transaction taking place in more than one jurisdiction.
In the US' case, a notarized document can be apostilled by the Secretary of State so that it's legal standing can be verified by other countries.
Why do my docs need this?
Technically speaking, your Brazilian LTDA will be set up as a subsidiary of your Delaware LLC. Whenever you set up a company, you have to disclose information about its shareholders, and this case is no exception.
Brazilian authorities require that your LLC's documents are notarized, apostilled and translated so they can be valid in Brazilian soil, and that's really important if we want to set up your US as the sole owner of the LTDA.
And don't worry, we'll also take care of the translation for you.
How long does the process take?
It typically takes 15-20 days from start to finish. This timeline is not something we can control since it's up to US government agencies to get things done, but we'll consistently follow up with them and keep you updated on the progress.
Have any questions?
Reach out to us via WhatsApp or email at go@latitud.com and we'll be happy to help.