Need a Brazil SIM card? In today’s post, you’ll learn everything you need to know to stay connected during your trip.
If you’re visiting Brazilian, you might need a SIM card. I’ve heard from many travelers how difficult it was to find a working SIM card upon arrival.
So I decided to write this guide, which I hope will help you save yourself a lot of headaches when buying, activating, and using your Brazilian SIM card.
It’s pretty easy and cheap to get a SIM card in Brazil, especially if you have a smartphone to use here.
Do you even need a Brazil SIM card?
If you’re visiting Brazil and want to make a few calls and use the internet, this guide will help you get connected and solve all your questions regarding a SIM card in Brazil.
Still, if you are always connected and need tons of Mbs or want to use WiFi on your laptop, you might be better off with pocket WiFi.
Unfortunately, the internet in Brazil isn’t among the fastest ones, so this pocket WiFi can come in handy, especially if you’re traveling with friends as you can share the usage and the costs.
Click here to rent or buy your pocket WiFi
Brazilian SIM card companies and mobile operators
As mentioned above, the mobile internet in Brazil isn’t high-speed as in most Western European and North American countries, for example.
Still, it is pretty easy to buy a sim card, and depending on where you are – in the city or in the jungle -, the speed will most likely suffice all needs.
In terms of quality, they offer a similar service/quality, so there is no such thing as the best sim card in Brazil.
Note: Some operators work best in different regions of Brazil, so the quality might vary per city/state.
Here are some companies where you can get your Brazilian sim card from.
They usually offer a SIM card that comes with R$10 worth of credits, but can be topped off when needed.
You can use your SIM card to make calls in Brazil, use 4G, and send and receive SMS for a certain period.
Read next: How to call Brazil from the USA and Canada
Claro
I used to be a client, long ago, and for me (living in São Paulo City), the quality was good enough.
Claro is among the top three operators in the country, and it is known for being the fastest internet of them.
Vivo
I also was a client of this operator long ago and was satisfied with them. My mom is still a client.
While Claro has the fastest internet, Vivo has the most considerable internet coverage in the country.
So consider where you’re going and what is more important to you.
Tim
Tim is also a pretty popular mobile company in Brazil. It has the most considerable 4G coverage in the country.
Mind you, it’s unlikely to have a 4G connection in small, secluded towns.
FAQ about buying a prepaid sim card in Brazil
Here are some key questions to understand SIM cards in Brazil.
Good to know: Since most people in Brazil don’t speak English, here goes a handy tip. A SIM card in Brazil is called chip. It is pronounced as sheep.
Where to buy a sim card in Brazil
Since the publishing of this post, procedures have been changed, and many readers have reported not being able to buy a Brazil SIM card without a Brazilian ID.
Because this is obviously ridiculous, I went ahead and sent a message to the leading mobile operators asking what international tourists should do to buy a SIM card. I got some conflicting information.
Claro staff told me anyone should be able to buy it with a passport, while Vivo told me the Communication Ministry won’t allow them to sell a SIM card without a local ID…Not helpful, I know!
Still, recently a reader shared his workaround on this post, so I’ll post his comment here. Thank you, Charis!!! This is really helpful!!
Hello!
Charis from Canada
I am a Canadian travelling in Rio de Janeiro and I just got a sim card for my phone on January 20th 2022 so I wanted to update you on how I was able to get one. I went to 8 different mobile stores around the city(claro, vivo, tim) and they all sent me elsewhere or told me it was impossible for foreigners to get a sim without a CPF. Eventually I went to the Claro store in Rio Sur shopping mall and the guy there told me I had to buy a prepaid sim card(“chip pré pago”) at the newsstand(banca de jornal) outside of the store(beside the restaurant Camarada Camarão), and then bring it back to the Claro store where they activated it within 10 minutes with my passport. So to be clear, the store couldn’t sell me a sim card, I had to buy a prepaid one at the newsstand, and then I had to get it activated(for free) in the store with my passport. I believe the Claro store in Rio Sur Shopping is an official store, so I’m unsure if they are able to activate them at just any random Claro store in Brazil. I paid 24 réais total for 12GB of data for 1 month, with unlimited whatsapp text/video/picture messaging. It also includes phone minutes, sms and Claro apps but I don’t remember how much because I’m only interested in using data and whatsapp. They told me to keep the packaging the sim came with because if I want to recharge the sim after the month is over I can do so online with the pin and info on the packaging. I barely speak any Portuguese at all, but once I got the right information the process was very easy. Hope this helps someone!
You can easily buy your SIM card in big grocery stores and some small ones, at pharmacies, newspaper kiosks, or at the mobile operator stores.
The mobile operator stores are everywhere. You can find them in major streets, malls, etc.
Purchasing a SIM card in Brazil is easy if you follow the steps above.
The staff will set up your phone in-store straight away but be warned most Brazilians don’t speak English. Oh, and read up on our holidays as the stores might be closed.
Here are the operator’s store finders (some don’t have the option to translate):
How much is a sim card in Brazil?
The sim card usually costs between R$10-20 in local currency. Then, you need to top it up, of course.
What documents do I need to buy a Brazil sim card?
Usually, you don’t need any documents to buy it, only to activate the sim card.
If you try to do it online, it will always ask you for a CPF, so it’s best to head over to an official store.
Can I buy a Brazilian sim card at an airport?
Absolutely! Most airports in Brazil have lottery stores (Lotérica).
You can buy your sim card at the airport but be warned it might be more expensive than in the city.
How to activate a sim card in Brazil
Good question! To activate your sim card, I recommend you go to an official operator’s store.
The reason why I say this is 1) because the activation process on your phone is all in Portuguese, so you won’t understand much, and 2) because it will ask you a CPF number, which is a Brazilian national taxpayer number, and you obviously don’t have that.
At the store (again, not reseller), the staff will activate it for you and possibly ask if you want to top it up.
Once the staff activates your Brazilian number for you, it might take anywhere from a minute to a couple of hours to start working.
No matter what, be sure to bring your passport and relevant local ID, if any, for when you stop by a phone store!
How to top up my sim card?
All of these mobile operators mentioned above have an app where you can top up your sim card, see the top-up past transactions, and check when your credit will expire.
The app is usually called “(company name) recarga,” so “Claro recarga,” “Vivo recarga,” and so on.
The downside is they are all in Portuguese.
Alternatively, you can top up your phone online on the mobile provider’s website, by SMS, or at a provider’s shop.
Unless you speak Portuguese, I recommend you top up at the store where a person can help you.
For how long are my credits valid?
That depends on how much you are topping up.
Usually, a R$10 charge will be valid for a month, R$30 for 90 days, and so on. Each company has its own rules, but you can check that online.
Can I use my international roaming from the United States or Canada?
Yes, though, the charges for turning on international roaming will probably be A LOT MORE expensive than getting a local sim card.
Just make sure to have your provider unlock your phone.
Mind you, international calls are costly in the country. You’re better off using WhatsApp or Skype.
Brazil travel resources
I want you to make a memorable trip to Brazil! That’s why I created a number of resources that will be helpful.
If this is your first time in Brazil, you will want to read my Brazil travel guide as well as these steps for planning your trip and for budgeting your trip.
As for destinations and activities, you might want to get some inspiration from these massive articles about places to visit in Brazil and things to do in the country.
I also wrote some fun posts about Brazilian movies on Netflix, shows, and books you will want to check out.
Ryan
Wednesday 29th of November 2023
Thank you for these very helpful articles. I wish I discovered this site before I went. I, too, got the runaround when I went to Rio Sul Shopping when I was there last month. Eventually, the TIM store there helped me. I got the monthly plan which expired by now. I still have the chip, but I unfortunately lost the packaging that it came with. So, when I go to SP in March, I should be good with reinserting the chip, dialing *144 and recharging it, right? Or do I need to buy a new chip (because of the PIN which is long gone by now)?
Bruna
Thursday 30th of November 2023
Hey Ryan, thanks for your kind words. Glad to hear it is helpful. I don't think you can use the same sim card in March because they usually cancel the number after there hasn't been a top up in 90 days. However, I see on Tim's website they offer an e-sim card, which is interesting looking into if you phone supports it. I hope it helps!
pancho
Tuesday 28th of November 2023
Hi Bruna, Thanks so much for your guide, I will be arriving to Rio (from Mexico) next week with my family, very excited abut it! and I hope I can get a chip without too much hassle. Just wanted to ask, which company would you recommend most, I will be traveling by cruise along the cost. Also, would this chip work in Argentina, Uruguay and Chile?
Obrigado!
Bruna
Wednesday 29th of November 2023
Hi Pancho, you're welcome! Thank you for your kind words! I hope you can get one, too. Personally, I prefer vivo. In my experience, it is the one with the best coverage. The Brazilian sim card would only work abroad if you enabled international roaming, but charges may apply. I hope it helps!
Philipp
Wednesday 26th of October 2022
Hey, I would like to add to Charis’ comment. I’m a Traveller from Germany without CPF number and pretty much no Portuguese skills.
To get the SIM card, we went to a Shopping Center and bought a Tim card at a newspaper stand.
The nice lady then called Tim and got us to an english speaking guy, I had to tell him my name and passport number and then my card was activated.
I would highly recommend that, so just try to get a Portuguese speaker to help you, we were pleasantly surprised by how easy it was (even without CPF).
Best, Philipp
Ana
Monday 12th of June 2023
Buying a TIM sim card and dialing *144 worked easily for me! Just so you know, before doing this i tried buying a VIVO sim card but i couldn't activated it anywhere (a CPF was needed). Then I bought a TIM sim card and tried dialing the number above. After hitting 3 twice, there is a record that says that you can activate your sim card by phone or in any TIM store with your passport and any adress in Brazil, so i tried going to two TIM stores and in both places I was told that they could activate me a sim card just using my passport but the sim card has to bought in their store and not placed yet in the phone. It didn't make sense to me because in the previous phone call the TIM record said that i could activate my sim card there, so i tried calling again to the same number and doing the whole process by phone. It worked and I didn't need to buy a second TIM card. By the way, by phone they only asked me for my passport, no address was needed.
Lachy
Saturday 11th of February 2023
To add to this - I also went to about 10 different stores today across Rio. I had bought a prepaid Vivo sim at a street vendor, then gone to an official Vivo store in Botafoga Praia Shopping Mall. They told me I could only get it activated at the Vivo shop in Rio Sur. Well, I got a bus over to the Rio Sur shopping centre. I went to a Vivo shop, a Claro shop as well - all of them told me, not possible, they don't allow it without a CPF. The people at the Tim shop said they could sell me a 3 month plan (60 real/month, early cancellation fee 60 real), but they couldn't help me with the prepaid SIM. They did explain that I could go to a regular newstand and buy a Tim prepaid card. I did that - and the nice lady at the shop explained, you put the SIM card in, restart your phone, then dial a phone number *144, then hit 3, then 3, and ask to speak to someone in English. Then, give them the details from your passport. This worked for me just fine. I do speak decent Spanish but my Portuguese is horrible - so it is possible I suppose that I misunderstood some of the earlier shops but I don't think so.
Madeleine
Wednesday 21st of September 2022
Thanks Bruna for this article. I’m a Canadian and just arrived in Florianopolis 2 days ago. I especially appreciate the message from Charis and will look for a Vico store to activate the prepaid chip that I bought yesterday. Fingers crossed that it’s as easy as you say!
L
Saturday 17th of September 2022
Make sure your phone is truly unlocked. Bring your passport. Its not that cheap as one thinks. At the vivo store, we ended up buying the cheapest phone (usd $250) for our stay and to top up, would not accept any of our cc. We had enough for 2 weeks for text, calls, wifi.The local vendors outside said if you purchase a sim card, they are now required to take a picture of you holding up your CPF card so many will not even sell you one if the CPF. At the airport in SP, there is a person roaming around who will sell you a sim card with no cpf for $100 usd good 2 weeks. .