What's the best mobile-data option in Brazil for nomads?

#1

Hi everyone. I am new on this forum and will post in the introductory thread when I have some more time. My question is:

What’s the best mobile-data option in Brazil for nomads?

background info to the question: I bought a vevo (vivo?) sim the other day and charged up around $7US on recharge.com. it seems now that I can only send text messages but cannot call other people or get internet. I will be in brazil for min 5 weeks max 3 months. sorry if I’ve posted this in the wrong section.

#2

When you call do you get a recorded voice? I had TIM but I believe you have to register the number. For that you need some sort of Brazilian ID/fiscal number. I speak portuguese and the gentleman at the kiosk did it for me. Do you know someone there or go to a coworking space? Maybe a native can help.

#3

@phil.spyrou I am in Rio and went into a TIM store and got a monthly data plan. You may need some form of ID. I used my driving license.

  • 3GB, 30 Days for BRL90
  • 5GB, 30 Days for BRL110

Not sure about online. I don’t speak Portuguese so I don’t do any purchases online here - because I can’t dispute in Portuguese if something goes wrong and they have my credit card on file.

#4

Hi all just to let you know what happened . A Brazilian friend of mine used his Brazilian ID to sign up to a data only plan. 14GB for one month costing 120 reals

I found vivo to not be very accommodating for tourists/digital nomads but luckily found a solution

#5

Here’s what I ended up doing when I lived there for these last 3 months:

  • VIVO as my carrier. (O2, Claro, and TIM were pretty awful. I tried switching between them when I was roaming.)
  • Prepaid SIM card with no voice plan.
  • “VIVO TURBO” prepaid data for 14.99 BRL/week (~65 BRL/month)
    • Gets you 1 GB per week, no rollover

4 GB/month for ~$21/month isn’t a bad deal. You really don’t need voice or SMS in Brazil. Literally everyone uses WhatsApp. For any calls/texts outside of Brazil, you’re better off using VoIP (like Skype or Google Voice).

You do not need a CPF (Brazilian tax ID number) for a prepaid plan. You can just go to any VIVO store and show them your passport. In São Paulo, you’re likely to be able to find a store with an English-speaking manager.

Tip: After you get your prepaid phone, you can manage the account online with the “Meu Vivo” mobile app, including managing your plan. You can also manage your prepaid account using the Meu Vivo website. Instead of authenticating with a CPF, use “Mobile Connect Log-in” to authenticate via SMS.