e-MEI A1 — 1 year | In-Person Issuance

e-MEI A1 with identity verification done in person. Stored as a file on your computer, valid for 1 year. Same ICP-Brasil legal validity as the e-CNPJ (Brazilian company digital certificate) A1, at a price R$ 30 lower. Recommended for MEIs (Brazilian individual microentrepreneurs) who prefer in-person service or who have difficulty with video calls.

Accepted documents (in-person issuance): a valid official photo ID of the MEI holder issued by a public authority (RG (Brazilian ID card), CPF (Brazilian individual taxpayer ID), professional council ID card, work card or passport) + CCMEI (Brazilian MEI registration certificate) or a Rede SIM (Brazilian business registration network) document. Service at Rua da Glória, 108, Liberdade, São Paulo/SP.

What it is for

• Issuing NFS-e (Brazilian electronic service invoice) in any municipality
• Issuing NF-e (Brazilian electronic invoice, model 55) for retail MEIs (Brazilian individual microentrepreneurs)
• Access to the Portal do Empreendedor (Brazilian government portal for microentrepreneurs, gov.br/empresas)
• Filing the DASN-SIMEI (annual Simples Nacional tax return for MEIs)
• Access to e-CAC (Brazilian Federal Revenue online service center) for companies to check pending issues and regularizations
• Installment payment of debts on the Receita Federal (Brazilian Federal Revenue Service) portal
• Signing service agreements with legal validity
• Enrollment in Simples Nacional (Brazilian simplified tax regime) and Simei (its MEI version)
• Issuing the CCMEI (Brazilian MEI registration certificate) and making registration changes online
• Access to Caixa's Conectividade Social (Brazilian employer system for FGTS, the Brazilian severance fund, if you have an employee)
• Participation in simplified public tenders
• Signing digital sales proposals and quotes
• Communication with the Junta Comercial (Brazilian state business registry) to close or amend the MEI (Brazilian individual microentrepreneur)

Frequently asked questions

Why does an MEI (Brazilian individual microentrepreneur) need a digital certificate?

To issue NF-e (Brazilian electronic invoice) and NFS-e (Brazilian electronic service invoice) properly, access the Portal do Empreendedor (Brazilian government portal for microentrepreneurs), file the DASN-SIMEI (annual MEI tax return) and access Receita Federal (Brazilian Federal Revenue Service) tax systems. It is also mandatory in some municipalities for issuing NFS-e.

What is the difference between the e-MEI and a regular e-CNPJ (Brazilian company digital certificate)?

Technically they are the same certificate, both ICP-Brasil with full legal validity. The difference is commercial: the e-MEI costs R$ 30 less and offers priority service for microentrepreneurs, in recognition of their smaller financial means.

Can I use the e-MEI for everything the e-CNPJ (Brazilian company digital certificate) does?

Yes. Technically they are identical, same issuance by the Certificate Authority, same ICP-Brasil chain, same legal validity. The only distinction is the target audience and price.

Does an MEI (Brazilian individual microentrepreneur) need an A1 or an A3?

For most MEIs (Brazilian individual microentrepreneurs), the A1 (1 year, file-based) is sufficient and more affordable. The A3 (2 years, on a token) is recommended for those who will use the certificate on more than one computer or need extra security.