Brazilian promissory note (nota promissória)

How it works

1. Enter the total amount and choose one nota, or one for each monthly instalment with the first due date. The amount is written out in Portuguese for you.
2. Fill in the maker (the borrower) with their CPF and address, the payee (the lender) and, if there is one, the guarantor.
3. Add the city and date of issue.
4. Download, print and cut along the dashed lines. The maker signs every nota, the guarantor signs beside, and the payee keeps them.

Frequently asked questions

What makes a nota promissória valid?

Article 75 of the Uniform Law as Brazil enacted it (Decree 57.663/1966) asks for seven things: the words “nota promissória” in the text itself, an unconditional promise to pay a fixed sum, the due date, the place of payment, the name of the payee, the date and place of issue, and the maker’s signature. Every nota made here carries all of them; only the signature is left to you.

Why one nota per instalment?

A nota with several successive due dates is void (articles 33 and 77 of the Uniform Law), so a debt paid in instalments becomes a numbered set, each nota with its own due date: 1/10, 2/10 and so on.

Does it need witnesses or a notary?

No. A nota promissória is enforceable on its own (Brazilian Code of Civil Procedure, art. 784, I): if it is not paid, the payee can go straight to enforcement. Having the signature certified at a cartório is optional but makes it harder to deny later.

What is the avalista?

A guarantor who signs on the face of the nota, in the “Por aval ao emitente” block, and is liable for it just as the maker is (art. 32 of the Uniform Law).

How is interest handled?

On a nota with a fixed due date an interest clause counts as unwritten (art. 5 of the Uniform Law). If you enter a rate, the interest is built into the amounts instead: each nota becomes an equal instalment that already includes it.

Is this legal advice?

No, it is a form. For large amounts or if you expect a dispute, ask a Brazilian lawyer.