Using Cell Phones in Brazil

[Lefeu]

Wrong. No problem for a tourist to use a pre-pago card without CPF.

I was in Sao Paulo about 4 months ago and I did the same. Went to the mall in Moema, walked into a Claro store and I was able to buy a SIM with prepaid service.

[Sperto]

All the Brazilian operators require to use the CPF (Brazilian document number), you would have to borrow it for someone, but I believe you will not be able to, try to convince the escort to do this favor, but I really do not know if there is a carrier that does not need the CPF.

Wrong. No problem for a tourist to use a pre-pago card without CPF.

[Paulisto]

Some time ago I bought a TIM (locals call it JIM) at a bus station. It would not work without entering a CPF number which tourist just don't have. The hotel where I stayed were very helpful and entered there CPF number for me. I also could not purchase domestic airplane ticked online and had to go to a travel agency. Is this idiocy still the case. Any advise.

All the Brazilian operators require to use the CPF (Brazilian document number), you would have to borrow it for someone, but I believe you will not be able to, try to convince the escort to do this favor, but I really do not know if there is a carrier that does not need the CPF.

[You69Me]

Some time ago I bought a TIM (locals call it JIM) at a bus station. It would not work without entering a CPF number which tourist just don't have. The hotel where I stayed were very helpful and entered there CPF number for me. I also could not purchase domestic airplane ticked online and had to go to a travel agency. Is this idiocy still the case. Any advise.

Vivo. Tim - Oi. Nextel - Claro- The main telephone operators in Brazil are these.

But I recommend using Vivo because it has great power and has weekly plans that you can contract through the website or through the mobile phone or application (not in English).

[Paulisto]

Vivo. Tim - Oi. Nextel - Claro- The main telephone operators in Brazil are these.

But I recommend using Vivo because it has great power and has weekly plans that you can contract through the website or through the mobile phone or application (not in English).

[Koolkid]

These Sims can be bought on level 1 in the drogaria in arrivals by the food court the 2 men serving were very helpful and set up Claro sims for people in front of me.

Tim visitor however can be done very easily yourself by dialling *144 if your porto is not too good.

[Koolkid]

Yes thanks Sperto I was aware Google did this. The last time I was in Rio the sims were not available at the local TIM store and no real explanation was given why. So that was my reason for asking the question if anyone has recently purchased one.

Regarding TIM Visitor. A 5 seconds internet search gives the answer. Google is fantastic...
http://www.tim.com.br/sp/para-voce/p...go/tim-visitor

[Sperto]

Thanks for your reply but I m looking for the local SIM.

Regarding TIM Visitor. A 5 seconds internet search gives the answer. Google is fantastic...
http://www.tim.com.br/sp/para-voce/p...go/tim-visitor

[Koolkid]

Thanks for your reply but I m looking for the local SIM.

I travel a lot, and I don't want to get a SIM for every country I visit. You can get T-Mobile in the US and other countries have it also, just get you a T-Mobile phone. I like AT&T better, but with T-Mobile I don't need to play any games, or I don't have to plan for anything. I've been to about 20 countries this year, and I will go to at least 8 more. I traveled and hopped around last year for more than 6 months straight. On my current trip I am near 4 months of continuous travel to various countries.

I never needed to go buy some other SIM card. I just got my T-Mobile and that's it. Said and done. Now if someone steals my phone, I will mostly be pissed about losing my SIM.

I just took a speed test not using Wifi. My phone data in Brazil is faster here than any Wifi I have gotten so far. Attached is a screenshot of a speed test I did just now.

35.86 Mbps download, 27.32 Mbps upload. Currently it might help me that it is late and I am on a very high floor. But the speed is awesome. Just a little too much of a ping time.

[Gagoo]

I travel a lot, and I don't want to get a SIM for every country I visit. You can get T-Mobile in the US and other countries have it also, just get you a T-Mobile phone. I like AT&T better, but with T-Mobile I don't need to play any games, or I don't have to plan for anything. I've been to about 20 countries this year, and I will go to at least 8 more. I traveled and hopped around last year for more than 6 months straight. On my current trip I am near 4 months of continuous travel to various countries.

I never needed to go buy some other SIM card. I just got my T-Mobile and that's it. Said and done. Now if someone steals my phone, I will mostly be pissed about losing my SIM.

I just took a speed test not using Wifi. My phone data in Brazil is faster here than any Wifi I have gotten so far. Attached is a screenshot of a speed test I did just now.

35.86 Mbps download, 27.32 Mbps upload. Currently it might help me that it is late and I am on a very high floor. But the speed is awesome. Just a little too much of a ping time.

[Koolkid]

Anyone who was there during the Olympics or who is there now know if these are still onsale?

Thanks.

This is available at certain Posto do Jornals or a TIM store.

For $50 R it comes with instructions in English.

Set up is easy:

Call the included number (free) to speak to a rep in English or Portuguese.

All they require is your Passport details.

$25 R is allocated to data of which you get 1. 5 gigs over the course of 7 days.

The other $25 is credit towards making calls.

[Gagoo]

I have a T-mobile plan from the USA. I have traveled to about 30 countries last year and about 20 this year. Some repeats of last year. Interestingly my data speeds in Brazil have been the fastest outside the USA using the speedtest app. I many times get at least 6 mbps download and about 2 mbps upload. In Curitiba I got a 16.86 mbps download and 15.66 mbps upload speed, and here is Sao Paulo I just got a 11.35 mbps download and 4. 19 mbps upload. My phone is showing 4 G LTE mode. I'm guessing T-Mobile isn't being throttled here. I think it was on July 1st when I was in Europe, T-Mobile sent me a text saying as of July 1st 4 G speeds are free in Europe, but I still didn't get great speeds in Europe.

[Member #4584]

Can you ever have more than one phone number connected to the same account? For instance, can I have a Brazil phone number, a US phone number, and a Colombia phone number? Or is that all unnecessary because people can dial any number without charges within WhatsApp? Sorry, I'm WhatsApp ignorant! Trying to plan ahead is all.

One whatsapp account works everywhere.

[Larry David]

Can you ever have more than one phone number connected to the same account? For instance, can I have a Brazil phone number, a US phone number, and a Colombia phone number? Or is that all unnecessary because people can dial any number without charges within WhatsApp? Sorry, I'm WhatsApp ignorant! Trying to plan ahead is all.

With Whatsapp, you can change the number associated with your account, but the only way that I know how to have more than one number associated with the app is to have multiple phones. I take two phones when abroad. One personal and the other business. Each phone has the app with a different number. I'm thinking it might be time to use a third phone for local sim that I won't care about loss or theft.

[Rodeo9112]

Or you can get a SIM card at Tim and nice you set up whatsapp with your new Brazilian phone number. You can keep it as your whatsapp number even after the SIM card is expired.

Can you ever have more than one phone number connected to the same account? For instance, can I have a Brazil phone number, a US phone number, and a Colombia phone number? Or is that all unnecessary because people can dial any number without charges within WhatsApp? Sorry, I'm WhatsApp ignorant! Trying to plan ahead is all.