Updated April 2026 · 5 min read

Your first week in Brazil: the expat checklist

Just arrived in Brazil? Here is exactly what to set up in your first week, in the right order, so you can actually start living here.

Day 1-2: Arrive and get connected

Welcome. Brazil is about to become your favourite country if it is not already.

Buy a prepaid SIM at the airport or any phone shop (no CPF needed for prepaid). Vivo or Claro are the safest bets. Get the smallest plan, you will upgrade once you have your CPF.

Download the essentials: Uber, 99 (Brazil's local ride app, often cheaper), Google Translate, and WhatsApp. Brazil runs on WhatsApp for literally everything. Your landlord, your dentist, restaurants, delivery. If it is not on WhatsApp, it does not exist.

Day 2-3: Get your CPF

This is the single most important thing you will do in your first week. Your CPF is the key that unlocks everything else: bank account, phone plan, apartment, food delivery, online shopping, gym membership.

The process is one visit to a Receita Federal office if you show up with the right documents prepared. Your CPF then arrives by email three to four days later. Once it lands you can actually function in Brazil instead of just visiting.

Do not put this off. The difference between having a CPF and not having one is the difference between living here and just visiting.

Day 3-4: Open a bank account and unlock Pix

With your CPF in hand, download Nubank and open an account. It takes about 10 minutes on your phone. You will need your CPF, passport, and a selfie.

Once your account is active, set up your Pix key (use your CPF number). You now have access to Brazil's incredible instant payment system. No more foreign transaction fees. No more fumbling with cash. You pay like a local.

This is the moment Brazil starts feeling like home.

Day 4-5: Upgrade your phone plan

Now that you have a CPF, walk into a Vivo, Claro, or TIM store and get a postpaid plan. Bring your CPF and passport. For R$55-80/month you get 15-25GB of data with unlimited WhatsApp.

If your phone supports eSIM, you can do this from the carrier app without visiting a store. Either way, you go from a tourist prepaid plan to a proper connection. No more topping up at the padaria.

Day 5-7: Start apartment hunting

If you are planning to stay more than a month, start looking at apartments on QuintoAndar (requires CPF to register). The platform is excellent and the apartments in Brazil offer incredible value compared to most Western cities.

Begin with the neighbourhood you are staying in and expand from there. Most leases are 30 months but you can negotiate 12 months as a foreigner. Expect to pay 3 months rent as a deposit.

By the end of your first week, you should have: a CPF, a bank account with Pix, a proper phone plan, and apartment viewings scheduled. Everything else builds on this foundation. You are no longer a tourist. You live here.