TABLE OF CONTENTS
How to Ship MacBooks to Brazil
Looking to ship MacBooks to Brazil for your remote team? At Workwize, we specialise in managing IT hardware distribution across borders, making it straightforward to get your MacBooks to Brazil without the complexity. From handling procurement and logistics to ensuring compliance with local regulations and managing customs clearance, Workwize takes care of it all.
This guide covers everything you need to know about shipping MacBooks to Brazil: import regulations, customs duties, required documentation, carrier options, local equipment costs, public holidays that affect shipping, and how to retrieve devices when employees leave.
At a glance: Brazil
CURRENCY
BRL (Brazilian Real)
Local currency used
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE
Portuguese
Primary business language
TIMEZONE
BRT / UTC-3 (most of Brazil). Brasilia Time. No DST since 2019.
Local time zone
CUSTOMS DUTY ON ELECTRONICS
Import duty 10–20% + IPI + ICMS + PIS/COFINS (effective rate 50–70%+)
Rate applied to imported devices
SHIPPING LEAD TIME
5–10 business days
Typical delivery from order
CUSTOMS HANDLED BY WORKWIZE
Yes with caveats
DDP shipping included
Overview: IT landscape in Brazil
Brazil is Latin America's largest IT market, with major hubs in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Belo Horizonte. The tech sector is growing rapidly driven by fintech, e-commerce, and outsourcing. Brazil's import regime for electronics is one of the most complex globally — effective tax rates of 50-70%+ make local procurement often preferable to international shipping. ANATEL certification and SISCOMEX registration are mandatory.
Understanding the local IT market and regulations is important for companies planning to equip remote employees in Brazil. Workwize operates across 100+ countries and manages the full hardware lifecycle for IT teams shipping MacBooks internationally.
How Workwize ships MacBooks to Brazil
Workwize replaces the manual, multi-vendor process of sourcing, shipping, and deploying MacBooks internationally with a single platform:
- 1.Order from the Workwize dashboard
Select device type, quantity, and delivery address in Brazil. Workwize sources locally where possible to reduce import costs and complexity. - 2.Workwize handles customs, duties, and delivery
All import documentation, duty payments, and customs clearance for Brazil are managed by Workwize. DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) shipping means your employee receives the device with no customs involvement on their end. - 3.Employee receives a ready-to-use device
The MacBook arrives pre-configured and MDM-enrolled. Your employee opens the box and starts working immediately.
Shipping MacBooks to Brazil: what you need to know
Customs regulations
High import taxes; complex SISCOMEX process; local procurement preferred. All commercial shipments of electronics into Brazil are subject to standard import declaration and clearance procedures. Workwize manages this process on your behalf using DDP shipping terms.
Duties and taxes
- Duty rate: Import duty 10–20% + IPI + ICMS + PIS/COFINS (effective rate 50–70%+)
- Required certifications: ANATEL for wireless; INMETRO for safety
- E-waste compliance: PNRS National Solid Waste Policy
- Import restrictions: Complex import process; high taxes favour local procurement
Required documentation
Commercial Invoice, Packing List, Airway Bill, DI, SISCOMEX registration, RADAR/LPCO
Customs clearance process
Workwize handles customs clearance for Brazil using DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) terms. This means:
- All import documentation is prepared and submitted by Workwize before shipment arrives
- Duties and taxes are pre-paid by Workwize so your employee receives the device with no fees due on arrival
- A customs broker is engaged where needed for complex markets
- Pre-arrival filing is completed to avoid clearance delays
Penalties for non-compliance
Customs fraud (SISCOMEX): fines up to 150% of the customs value plus seizure. ANATEL non-compliance: fines up to BRL 50 million. Tax evasion (Receita Federal): 75-150% of evaded taxes plus criminal prosecution possible. PNRS (e-waste) non-compliance: fines under the Environmental Crimes Law.
Checklist for shipping MacBooks to Brazil
Follow this checklist to ensure your MacBooks shipment to Brazil goes smoothly:
- ✓ Select a trusted carrier: Workwize works with DHL, FedEx, UPS, and local carriers in Brazil. See carrier rates below.
- ✓ Prepare documentation: Commercial Invoice, Packing List, Airway Bill, DI, SISCOMEX registration, RADAR/LPCO
- ✓ Confirm certification compliance: ANATEL for wireless; INMETRO for safety must be in place before customs submission.
- ✓ Declare the correct value: Accurate commercial invoice value prevents customs delays and incorrect duty assessment.
- ✓ Use DDP shipping terms: Ensure duties are pre-paid so your employee in Brazil receives the device without being charged at the door.
- ✓ Ensure MDM enrollment: MacBooks should be enrolled in your MDM before dispatch so the device is ready to use on arrival.
- ✓ Verify e-waste compliance: PNRS National Solid Waste Policy
- ✓ Account for public holidays: Check Brazil public holidays (listed below) that may affect customs processing and delivery timelines.
- ✓ Protect against loss: Workwize provides end-to-end shipment tracking from order to confirmed delivery at your employee's address in Brazil.
Choosing the right shipping method for Brazil
Air freight
Fastest option for shipping MacBooks to Brazil. Ideal for urgent new hires or replacement units where the device must arrive quickly. Higher cost per unit.
Sea freight
Cost-effective for large fleet deployments to Brazil. Best when equipping a new office or large team over several weeks. Plan lead time accordingly.
Express courier
DHL, FedEx, and regional carriers offer door-to-door delivery to Brazil with simplified customs clearance. Best for individual new hires or executive shipments.
Local procurement
Where Workwize has local supply relationships in Brazil, devices are sourced locally and delivered without any cross-border customs process. No import duties, faster delivery. Workwize will advise at time of booking whether local procurement is available.
Why ship MacBooks with Workwize
MacBook procurement and delivery through Workwize means your team gets Apple hardware sourced locally where possible, enrolled via Apple Business Manager (ABM), and ready to use out of the box — no IT setup required on arrival. Workwize handles everything from order to zero-touch deployment.
Workwize supports Apple MDM via ABM (Apple Business Manager). MacBooks are automatically enrolled in your MDM of choice — Jamf, Mosyle, Kandji, or Workspace ONE — before they reach your employee. The device is ready to use from first boot.
Workwize vs. using a courier directly
| What you need | Courier only | Workwize |
|---|---|---|
| Procurement | You source the device | Local or global sourcing via Workwize |
| MDM enrollment | You configure before shipping | Pre-enrolled before dispatch |
| Customs and duties | You handle all documentation | DDP shipping, managed end-to-end |
| Delivery to employee | Courier drops at address | Tracked door-to-door, confirmed delivery |
| Asset tracking | Spreadsheet or nothing | Live dashboard from order to disposal |
| Device retrieval | You coordinate collection | Workwize retrieves on employee departure |
Public holidays and IT work hours in Brazil
Public holidays in Brazil can affect customs processing times, carrier operations, and last-mile delivery. Plan your shipments around the following dates:
New Year's Day (Jan 1), Carnival (2 days, February, varies), Good Friday (April, varies), Tiradentes Day (Apr 21), Labour Day (May 1), Corpus Christi (June, varies), Independence Day (Sep 7), Our Lady of Aparecida (Oct 12), All Souls Day (Nov 2), Republic Day (Nov 15), Christmas Day (Dec 25). Each state and city has additional holidays.
Typical IT work hours in Brazil:
- Standard work week: Monday to Friday, 40 hours
- Typical hours: 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM local time (BRT / UTC-3 (most of Brazil). Brasilia Time. No DST since 2019.)
- Note: factor in local holidays and timezone differences when coordinating device delivery with your employee
Let Workwize handle MacBooks delivery in Brazil
Workwize is a zero-touch IT hardware platform built for companies managing distributed and remote teams across multiple countries. Instead of dealing with separate vendors for procurement, logistics, MDM, and asset management, you do everything from one dashboard.
For Brazil specifically: Local sourcing capabilities in Brazil. Your team typically receives their MacBooks in 5–10 business days, fully configured and ready to use.
What Workwize covers for every Brazil deployment:
- ✓ Procurement: local sourcing in Brazil where available; global with DDP where not
- ✓ Zero-touch deployment: MacBooks arrive pre-enrolled in your MDM of choice
- ✓ Customs and duties: DDP shipping, all fees handled by Workwize
- ✓ Delivery in 5–10 business days: tracked door-to-door to your employee's address in Brazil
- ✓ Asset tracking: live inventory from order to disposal
- ✓ Compliance: PNRS e-waste regulations apply
- ✓ End-of-life retrieval: Workwize collects the device when the employee leaves
Retrieving MacBooks from employees in Brazil
When an employee leaves your company in Brazil, retrieving their MacBook promptly is important for security, compliance, and asset reuse. Workwize manages the full retrieval process:
- Collection: Workwize coordinates pickup from the employee's address in Brazil. Workwize retrieves devices from major Brazilian cities (Sao Paulo, Rio, Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Curitiba, Porto Alegre) using DHL, FedEx, or local carriers including Loggi and Jadlog. Collection in major cities: 2-3 business days. Other regions: 4-7 business days. Remote Amazon region: 7-14 business days.
- IT inventory management: Retrieved devices are logged back into your Workwize dashboard. Assets are tracked from collection through to redeployment or disposal.
- Offboarding procedure: Device retrieval is coordinated with your offboarding workflow. Workwize ensures the device is collected before or on the employee's last day.
- Data wiping: Workwize performs certified data erasure on all retrieved devices before redeployment or disposal, PNRS e-waste regulations apply.
Disposing of MacBooks in Brazil
When MacBooks reach end of life or need to be retired in Brazil, proper disposal is a legal and environmental obligation. Workwize manages ITAD (IT Asset Disposition) in compliance with local regulations:
Data wiping
- Workwize uses certified data destruction tools to fully wipe all data from retired MacBooks
- Physical destruction is available for devices where data wiping is not sufficient
- Workwize provides a certificate of data destruction on request
E-waste compliance
PNRS National Solid Waste Policy.
Workwize disposes of retired devices in compliance with Brazil's PNRS (National Solid Waste Policy, Law 12.305/2010) and the Acordo Setorial for e-waste (Green Eletron and other compliance schemes). Manufacturers and importers are responsible for EPR (reverse logistics) obligations.
- Workwize ensures retired devices are disposed of in compliance with Brazil e-waste regulations
- Devices are taken to authorised recycling or disposal points
- Batteries are disposed of separately in accordance with hazardous waste guidelines
Donation or reuse
- Devices with remaining value can be refurbished and redeployed to new employees via the Workwize platform
- Charitable donation is available for devices that are still functional but no longer needed
