President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has signed Decree 13.034/2026 creating the *Banco Nacional de Celulares com Restrição* (BNCR), a nationwide platform that consolidates information on mobile devices reported stolen or lost. The decree was published in the *Diário Oficial* on 24 June 2026 and takes immediate effect. The BNCR will integrate state police reports with telecom-carrier IMEI blocking systems under the umbrella of the National Public-Security Information System (SINESP). Travellers— whether Brazilian or foreign— will be able to query a handset’s status before purchase, rental or customs declaration, reducing the risk of inadvertently carrying a black-listed device that could trigger secondary inspections at airports. For business-travel managers, the new tool offers a compliance advantage. Companies can preload employees’ device IMEIs into travel approval workflows, ensuring rapid re-validation should a phone be stolen during a trip. Insurance providers are also expected to piggy-back on the BNCR API to automate claims validation. States have 90 days to connect their police databases, and the justice ministry will issue technical norms on data protection— a key concern given Brazil’s LGPD privacy law. The government also plans public-awareness campaigns in English and Spanish at major airports ahead of the high-season surge linked to summer events and business conferences. Mobile-device theft has long plagued inbound travellers, particularly in São Paulo and Rio. Industry groups such as the Brazilian Travel Association (ABAV) welcomed the BNCR, arguing it will enhance Brazil’s reputation as a safe destination in the run-up to the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
Source: Agência Brasil
