Hospitalar 2026: Temporary Import Guide for Exhibitors Coming to Brazil

Key Points

• Hospitalar 2026 is Latin America’s largest healthcare trade show — over 70,000 attendees and 1,200+ exhibitors from 36 countries at Expo Center Norte, São Paulo.
• Foreign companies cannot import medical equipment into Brazil — even temporarily — without a local importer holding an active RADAR license and ANVISA certification.
• Novatrade acts as Importer of Record (IOR), managing the full temporary import process: customs clearance, documentation, on-site delivery, and re-export.
• Starting the process 8–12 weeks before the event is strongly recommended to meet all customs and ANVISA deadlines.
• Case: A Swiss medical equipment manufacturer successfully exhibited at Hospitalar through Novatrade’s IOR service — without opening a Brazilian subsidiary

Index

1. Introduction
2. What Is Hospitalar 2026?
3. Why Brazil Is a Priority Market for Medical Equipment
4. The Temporary Import Challenge Most Exhibitors Don’t Anticipate
5. What Is Admissão Temporária para Demonstração?
6. ANVISA and RADAR: The Two Compliance Gates
7. How Novatrade Solves This as Importer of Record
8. Case Study: Swiss Medical Equipment Manufacturer at Hospitalar
9. Step-by-Step: How the Process Works
10. Timeline and Deadlines
11. Beyond Hospitalar: Turning Exhibition into Market Entry
12. Conclusion

Introduction

Hospitalar 2026 is the single most strategic event for international healthcare and medical equipment companies targeting Latin America. But exhibiting at this trade show in Brazil comes with a regulatory complexity that surprises many foreign manufacturers: even temporary import for demonstration purposes requires a licensed Brazilian importer.

This article explains exactly what is required to legally bring medical equipment into Brazil for Hospitalar 2026 — and how international companies can do it without opening a local subsidiary. It includes a real case study of a Swiss manufacturer that successfully exhibited using Novatrade’s Importer of Record (IOR) service.

What Is Hospitalar 2026?

Hospitalar 2026 — Key Facts

Detail	Information
Event Name	Hospitalar 2026
Venue	Expo Center Norte, São Paulo, Brazil
Expected Attendees	70,000+ healthcare professionals
Exhibiting Companies	1,200+ from 36 countries
Target Audience	Hospital managers, distributors, health system buyers, industry specialists
Sectors Covered	Medical devices, diagnostics, hospital equipment, dental instruments, healthcare IT
Geographic Reach	Brazil + Latin America

Hospitalar is Brazil’s largest and most important trade show for the healthcare, hospital, dental, and medical equipment sectors. Organized annually at Expo Center Norte in São Paulo, the event consistently attracts over 70,000 professionals and brings together more than 1,200 exhibiting companies from 36 countries.

The event serves as a convergence point for buyers, distributors, hospital purchasing managers, and health system decision-makers from across Latin America. For a foreign company looking to enter or expand in the Brazilian healthcare market, Hospitalar offers unmatched access to qualified commercial contacts in a single location.

Why Brazil Is a Priority Market for Medical Equipment

Brazil is the largest healthcare market in Latin America and ranks among the top 10 globally for medical device imports. The country’s public health system (SUS) and growing private hospital network create sustained demand for foreign medical technology, diagnostic equipment, and hospital supplies.

According to data from Brazil’s Ministry of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services (MDIC), the country imports billions of dollars in medical and hospital equipment annually. The combination of an aging population, expanding health insurance coverage, and public investment in hospital infrastructure continues to drive this demand.

For international companies, Hospitalar is not merely a trade show — it is the primary gateway to building distribution partnerships, meeting regulatory bodies, and assessing commercial viability before committing to a full market entry. Understanding the challenges of doing business in Brazil upfront is what separates companies that succeed from those that arrive unprepared.

The Temporary Import Challenge Most Exhibitors Don’t Anticipate

Many international companies assume that bringing equipment to Brazil “just for a trade show” is a straightforward administrative process — similar to shipping samples for a meeting. In practice, Brazil treats every import, including temporary ones, as a full customs operation.

The key problem is structural: Brazil requires all imports — including temporary admissions for demonstration — to be cleared through a local entity holding an active RADAR license issued by the Receita Federal (Brazil’s Federal Revenue authority). A foreign company without a Brazilian CNPJ and RADAR authorization simply cannot clear goods through Brazilian customs on its own.

For healthcare and medical equipment specifically, a second layer of complexity applies: the importer must also hold ANVISA certification to legally handle regulated health products. ANVISA — Brazil’s National Health Surveillance Agency — classifies most medical devices, diagnostic instruments, and hospital equipment under regulated product categories that require licensed importers.

Without IOR vs. With Novatrade as Importer of Record

Requirement	Without IOR	With Novatrade as IOR
RADAR License	❌ Not available to foreign companies	✔ Provided by Novatrade
ANVISA Certification	❌ Requires local certified importer	✔ Novatrade is ANVISA-certified
Customs Clearance (DI Filing)	❌ Cannot file without CNPJ	✔ Full DI filing handled
Local Subsidiary Required	❌ Required or blocked at customs	✔ No subsidiary needed
Re-Export Coordination	⚠ Risk of fines or equipment retention	✔ Managed end-to-end
Timeline Risk	❌ High — delays likely	✔ Low — structured process

What Is Admissão Temporária para Demonstração?

Admissão Temporária para Demonstração is the Brazilian customs regime that allows foreign goods to enter Brazil temporarily — without paying full import duties — provided they will be re-exported after the event. The legal framework is governed primarily by Receita Federal’s Normativa RFB 1600 and related regulations.

Under this regime, the importing party files a Declaração de Importação (DI) with a suspended duty status and signs a Termo de Responsabilidade — a formal commitment to re-export the goods within the authorized period (typically up to 6 months for events). The goods remain under customs control throughout their stay in Brazil.

Key characteristics of this regime:

• No permanent import duties paid — taxes are suspended, not waived
• Goods must be re-exported within the authorized period or duties become fully due
• A licensed local importer (IOR) must sign the Termo de Responsabilidade
• ANVISA compliance is required for regulated health product categories
• Each shipment requires individual documentation and DI filing

For a broader understanding of how temporary import works in Brazil beyond the trade show context — including other admission regimes such as leasing and technical assistance — Novatrade has published a comprehensive guide covering all modalities.

ANVISA and RADAR: The Two Compliance Gates

Any company planning to exhibit medical equipment at Hospitalar 2026 must understand the two distinct compliance requirements that govern the import process:

RADAR License — Receita Federal

RADAR (Registro e Rastreamento da Atuação dos Intervenientes Aduaneiros) is the authorization granted by Receita Federal that enables a company to operate in Brazil’s foreign trade system (Siscomex). Without an active RADAR, it is literally impossible to file import declarations in Brazil.

Foreign companies without a Brazilian CNPJ cannot hold their own RADAR. This is the foundational reason why an Importer of Record is required — the IOR provides the legal import infrastructure that the foreign exhibitor lacks.

ANVISA Certification — Healthcare Products

ANVISA (Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária) regulates the import of health products in Brazil, including medical devices, hospital equipment, dental instruments, diagnostic reagents, and related products. For an importer to legally handle these product categories, they must hold ANVISA certification as an authorized importer.

This requirement applies even under the temporary admission regime. The type and level of ANVISA documentation required varies by product classification — Class I medical devices have lighter requirements than Class III, for example. Novatrade’s team assesses each client’s specific equipment during the initial feasibility review to determine the exact ANVISA pathway.

For companies that plan to sell or distribute products in Brazil after Hospitalar, understanding ANVISA’s full regulatory requirements and the registration holder model is an important next step before the event.

How Novatrade Solves This as Importer of Record

Novatrade operates as a full-service Importer of Record (IOR) for international companies exhibiting at Hospitalar and other Brazilian healthcare trade shows. As IOR, Novatrade assumes full legal responsibility for the customs operation — meaning the foreign company can focus entirely on its commercial objectives at the event.

Planning to exhibit at Hospitalar 2026? Novatrade handles the complete temporary import process for international healthcare companies — RADAR licensed, ANVISA certified, and based in São Paulo. Request your free import feasibility assessment online and receive a tailored response within 24 business hours.

Case Study: Swiss Medical Equipment Manufacturer at Hospitalar

To illustrate how the IOR process works in practice, here is the experience of a Swiss manufacturer of medical aesthetic equipment that approached Novatrade ahead of a Hospitalar edition.

The Challenge

The Swiss company had identified Brazil as a high-priority expansion market and secured exhibition space at Hospitalar. Their product line — professional aesthetic medical devices — falls under ANVISA’s regulated health product categories. The company had no Brazilian legal entity, no CNPJ, and no import infrastructure of any kind.

Their internal team had initially assumed they could ship the equipment as “exhibition samples” through a standard freight forwarder. After consulting with their logistics provider, they discovered that without a licensed Brazilian importer, the equipment would be held at customs upon arrival — potentially missing the entire event.

The Solution

The company engaged Novatrade as their Importer of Record approximately 10 weeks before the event. The process began with a feasibility assessment that confirmed:

• The equipment’s HS codes and applicable ANVISA product classification
• That the Admissão Temporária para Demonstração regime was the correct import pathway
• The full documentation checklist and commercial invoice requirements
• Timeline viability given the event date

Novatrade then coordinated directly with the Swiss company’s logistics team to prepare the documentation package. The equipment was shipped from Geneva to the Port of Santos, where Novatrade’s team managed the entire customs clearance process under the temporary admission regime — including the DI filing and Termo de Responsabilidade.

The Result

The equipment arrived at Expo Center Norte on time, fully compliant with Brazilian customs and ANVISA requirements. The Swiss team was able to demonstrate their devices to Brazilian distributors, hospital purchasing managers, and potential partners throughout the event — generating commercial contacts that subsequently led to distribution agreements in Brazil.

Following the event, Novatrade coordinated the re-export of the demonstration units. The Swiss company later returned to Novatrade to begin a more permanent commercial presence in Brazil — starting with setting up local stock to support their newly appointed Brazilian distributor, with Novatrade continuing as their ongoing IOR.

Step-by-Step: How the Process Works

For companies engaging Novatrade as IOR for Hospitalar 2026, the process follows a structured five-stage workflow:

Timeline and Deadlines

One of the most common mistakes foreign companies make is underestimating the lead time required for Brazilian customs processes. Unlike express courier imports, the Admissão Temporária regime involves multiple regulatory touchpoints that require adequate planning time.

Recommended Planning Timeline for Hospitalar 2026

Weeks Before Event	Action Required
12 weeks	First contact with Novatrade — feasibility assessment initiated
10 weeks	Documentation package confirmed, commercial invoice aligned
8 weeks	Equipment shipped from origin country
3–4 weeks	Customs clearance at Port of Santos or Guarulhos Airport
1–2 weeks	Last-mile delivery to Expo Center Norte, setup coordination
Event days	Equipment on-site, fully compliant under Admissão Temporária

For equipment requiring additional ANVISA pre-clearance steps or special handling — such as temperature-sensitive products or large-format machinery — starting at 14–16 weeks before the event is strongly recommended. The customs clearance process in Brazil can involve additional inspection channels (parameterização) that add time unpredictably.

Beyond Trade Fairs: Turning Exhibition into Market Entry

For many international companies, Hospitalar serves as the first serious test of their product’s market fit in Brazil. The relationships formed at the event — with distributors, hospital procurement teams, and regulatory consultants — often determine the shape of a company’s Brazil market entry strategy.

Novatrade supports companies through the full post-Hospitalar journey, including:

• Distribution as a Service: Acting as ongoing IOR to support a Brazilian distributor — no subsidiary required
• Local Stock Setup: Importing and warehousing inventory in São Paulo for just-in-time delivery to hospitals and clinics
• ANVISA Product Registration: Managing the full product registration process for companies seeking definitive market authorization in Brazil
• Subsidiary Setup: For companies ready to establish a permanent legal presence, Novatrade provides full subsidiary creation and management in Brazil
• Full E-Commerce: Enabling direct-to-consumer sales via Brazilian marketplaces and branded stores, managed end-to-end

Understanding how to properly prepare for business expansion in Brazil before trade fairs will help your team get the most out of every conversation on the exhibition floor and convert trade show leads into commercial agreements faster.

Conclusion

Hospitalar 2026 represents a significant commercial opportunity for international healthcare and medical equipment companies targeting Brazil and Latin America. But participation requires navigating a regulatory environment that is more complex than most foreign exhibitors expect — particularly around temporary import rules, RADAR licensing, and ANVISA compliance for health products.

The good news is that this complexity is entirely manageable with the right local partner. As the Swiss case study demonstrates, a foreign company with no Brazilian infrastructure can successfully exhibit at Hospitalar, generate distribution agreements, and use the event as a launching pad for deeper market entry — all without opening a local subsidiary.

The key is to start early, work with an IOR that holds both RADAR and ANVISA credentials, and align the logistics and documentation process well in advance of the event deadline.

Novatrade is a Brazil market entry consultancy specializing in import operations, regulatory compliance, and commercial establishment for international companies. Services include Import / Export as IOR, ANVISA regulatory support, full e-commerce, supply chain management, BPO, and subsidiary setup. To discuss Hospitalar 2026 logistics, request a free import feasibility assessment — response within 24 business hours.