getting a cell phone

welcome to the most absurdly priced cell phone services on the planet!


alright! hopefully, by now you should have your CPF in hand and are ready to start getting some new amenities like a cell phone.


first, i would strongly recommend bringing your cell phone with. have it unblocked before you leave. its the law. call your cell phone provider in your country and have them unblock it.


have a cell phone, but didn't unblock it? 
no worries. just about every cell phone store (not the actual providers like Oi, Claro, Vivo, etc.) will offer an unblocking service. this should run you no more than 50 reais. if its more expensive than that find somewhere else, they're ripping you off.


dont have a cell phone?
you have two options: buy a brand new one, or buy a used one. if you buy a used one make sure that it is able to accept a chip from the provider you plan to use. if you're buying a new one... that's a no brainer. go to the store and shop away.


cell phone plans
i'm not going to cover this one in much detail as they can explain to you at the store what you need and how much it costs. however, with almost any plan, expect to have the following ready to get service:

• ID (duh)
• CPF or the printout from the receita federal showing proof of your CPF. i've talked about this here.
• Proof of address. now this does not mean proof of residency or citizenship or anything like that. this means that you have a physical location that you call home here in brazil. this sometimes will require a bill of some sort or a rental contract. apparently, homeless people are not allowed to get cell phone plans. more on this later...

prepaid cell phone plans

if you have a phone, and just need the chip this is pretty easy. all you need to do is visit either a newstand or a pharmacy and buy the chip. they run about 10-15 reais.

in my experience the easiest to deal with is Vivo. you only need to pop in the chip, turn it on, follow the prompts and put in your CPF number. your number will be written on the back of the card. after that, you just need to buy credit for your phone. these can also be purchased at newstands or pharmacies.

remember... cell phones plans and minutes are expensive here in brazil. don't expect to be bored texting your friends with messages like, "hey ;)" it just costs to much. picture messaging is for the rich. internet on your phone? doable, but watch as your piggy bank cries as you drain its innards.

i would also recommend a fairly basic phone. between safety, functionality (you might not be using your hot new android phone for anything but calls and simple texts) and you breaking them being on the beach, its just a good idea. i've had about 4 phones in less than a year.

also, get used to talking to people who have eternally ran out of credit. it happens to everyone and often. being popular here in brazil can cost you a pretty penny.

questions? comment it up!