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Registration guide

Aircraft Transfer at the RAB: Documents, Deadlines and Pitfalls

In Brazil, the purchase of an aircraft is only complete before the registry when the transfer is recorded in the Brazilian Aircraft Registry (RAB, Registro Aeronáutico Brasileiro). The Brazilian Aeronautical Code is direct: the transfer instrument does not transfer ownership before it is recorded in the RAB.

This guide summarizes the path, the documents and the deadlines, based on the rules and official pages cited at the end. Cases involving an attorney-in-fact, an estate, a company or a contract signed abroad have additional requirements, and Flap checks each one before filing.

The transfer path, in order

  1. 1

    Check the aircraft's status before signing

    The public RAB lookup, on ANAC's aircraft portal, lets you search by the aircraft's registration marks (prefix). Before paying any amount, confirm the owner and status. If there is a mortgage or other encumbrance, the rule requires the document releasing the lien, and an aircraft with a real encumbrance is not registered without the creditor's express consent.

  2. 2

    Formalize the bill of sale

    According to the official service page, the instrument is signed by seller, buyer and two witnesses, in original, with signatures notarized for authenticity. ANAC Resolution No. 293 also requires notarization for authenticity in the transfer of ownership. A public deed is filed with its certified copy.

  3. 3

    Gather the parties' documents

    Individual: copy of ID and CPF (Brazilian tax ID). Company: CNPJ (Brazilian company tax ID), constitutive documents and the minutes appointing the officers. Attorney-in-fact: specific powers, with notarized signature. A contract signed abroad requires notarized signatures and apostille.

  4. 4

    Request the transfer in RAB Digital

    The request is made in the RAB Digital system, and the applicant is always an individual registered on Gov.br, who represents the company where applicable. The originals of the registration certificate and the airworthiness certificate must be returned.

  5. 5

    Respect the 30-day deadlines

    The buyer has 30 days, counted from the transaction, to request registration of the instrument, subject to a fine. The transaction date is the date of the last notarization of signature for authenticity. The seller, in turn, must send the RAB the notice of sale, with notarized signature, within 30 days; it is waived when the instrument is registered within the deadline. After filing, the RAB has 30 days to register.

  6. 6

    Consider the purchase complete only with the recording

    The recording in the RAB is the act that transfers ownership. Until then, the buyer is paying for something that is not yet legally theirs, which makes the prior check of history and liens even more important.

Flap supports the buyer and the seller from the initial check to the recording, so that no deadline expires and no document comes back for correction.

ANAC fees and amounts change, and the official service page and the RAB Digital guide are the reference. Flap provides the current amount at the time of filing.

Talk to a specialist

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Frequently asked questions

How long does the transfer at the RAB take?

Under the rule, the RAB has 30 days to register after the instrument is filed, and the official service page states processing in up to 30 calendar days. The practical timeline depends on the file going in complete.

What happens if the buyer does not register within 30 days?

The rule provides for a fine for the acquirer who does not request registration of the instrument within 30 days counted from the transaction.

Can an aircraft with a mortgage be transferred?

Under ANAC Resolution No. 293, an aircraft with a mortgage or other real encumbrance is not admitted to registration without the creditor's express consent. That is why the lien check comes before signing.

How do I look up an aircraft in the RAB?

ANAC's aircraft portal has the RAB lookup, with search by the aircraft's registration marks (prefix).

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