Courier or formal export from Brazil: how to ship heavy cargo with a DHL store

A courier export from Brazil covers shipments with a customs value of up to US$ 1,000, under simplified clearance. Above that value, a formal export is mandatory and requires a Single Export Declaration (DU-E). In both cases DHL Express accepts pieces of up to 70 kg and shipments of up to 3,000 kg, and the DHL store team prepares the paperwork with you.

Anyone sending a small machine, a batch of products or several boxes abroad from Brazil tends to get stuck on two questions. Does the weight fit an express shipment? And is the paperwork the same as for a regular parcel? The answers are simpler than they look, because the export type depends on the value and the kind of product, not on the size of the box.

What is the difference between a courier and a formal export in Brazil?

The difference lies in the value of the goods and the type of customs clearance. Courier exports use simplified clearance and suit small volumes, usually with no commercial purpose. Formal exports suit companies that sell and resell. Source: MyDHL+ Brazil, service types, October 2026.

In a formal export, you may also need a customs broker in the destination country. The store team tells you when that applies to your shipment.

What weight and size does DHL Express accept for exports from Brazil?

With Express Worldwide, the export service delivered by the end of the next possible business day, each piece can weigh up to 70 kg and the whole shipment up to 3,000 kg. Palletised shipments take up to 1,000 kg per pallet, with dimensions of up to 300 x 200 x 160 cm. Source: DHL Express Brazil, delivery services, September 2026.

Two rules help you plan the load:

• Any single piece above 70 kg must travel on a pallet. A shipment of four 25 kg boxes, for example, does not need one.
• The price uses the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight. Volumetric weight is length times width times height, in centimetres, divided by 5,000.

Both rules come from the DHL Express 2026 Service and Rate Guide for Brazil. Very heavy or very large pieces may carry an extra handling charge, and the store shows the final price before you confirm. To build the pallet properly, see the guide on shipping large items.

Which documents does each export type require?

A courier export needs three documents. A formal export needs more, but DHL can handle the clearance. Source: MyDHL+ Brazil, service types, October 2026.

For a courier export:

• Waybill, showing the exporter's CNPJ or CPF tax number.
• Export invoice (nota fiscal) or a substitute declaration, for those exempt from issuing one.
• Commercial or pro forma invoice, with the freight value declared.

For a formal export:

• Waybill showing the exporter's CNPJ and the description "FORMAL EXPORT".
• Original, signed commercial invoice, with the freight value and the Harmonized System code.
• Packing list.
• Single Export Declaration (DU-E).
• A valid CPF or CNPJ registered with Brazil's Federal Revenue.

If you have never filled in a commercial invoice, the commercial invoice guide goes through it field by field.

How does a DHL store help with a heavy shipment?

You do not have to decide alone whether the shipment is courier or formal. Tell the team what you are sending, its value and the destination, and the consultants point to the right export type and prepare the shipping documents. The usual path:

1. Contact the store on WhatsApp before bringing the cargo and share weight, dimensions and value.
2. The team tells you whether it goes as courier or formal and which documents to gather.
3. You take the cargo to the store or arrange a pickup at your address.
4. The store prepares the documents, shows price and transit time, and you confirm.
5. The shipment travels with tracking until delivery at destination.

For pieces above 50 kg, the express service for heavy cargo has its own guide: the DHL Heavy Weight Express guide.

Do heavy shipments get a discount at DHL stores in Brazil?

Yes. At DHL stores in Brazil the rule is the more weight, the bigger the discount: heavy shipments get special conditions, which the team confirms at the counter according to weight and destination. Current promotions are listed on the DHL discount coupons page.

Ask for a quote with the right weight and measurements. Because the price uses the greater of actual and volumetric weight, a box that fits the product usually costs less than an oversized one.

How do you protect high-value cargo?

By adding Shipment Value Protection. Without it, DHL's liability is limited to about US$ 35 per kilogram for air transport. With the protection, compensation considers the declared value, for US$ 16 or 1% of the protected value on international shipments, whichever is greater. Source: MyDHL+ Brazil Terms and Conditions and Optional Services, October 2026.

Details are in the shipment insurance guide.

Frequently asked questions about courier and formal exports from Brazil

Sources

• MyDHL+ Brazil: Service types: courier and formal clearance
• DHL Express Brazil: Delivery services: export, import and domestic (in Portuguese)
• DHL Express Brazil: 2026 Service and Rate Guide (in Portuguese)
• MyDHL+ Brazil: Optional services
• DHL Express: Terms and Conditions of Carriage

Ship your heavy cargo through a DHL store

Tell the team what you need to export and leave the paperwork to the consultants. Find your nearest DHL store or talk to a specialist on WhatsApp +55 11 94037-2982.