Prepaid SIM / eSIM in Brazil: how to buy a 4G internet chip?
Roaming fees
Wondering if you can use your French SIM card in Brazil to access the internet? The answer is no, unless you’re okay with getting a bill for several hundred, or even thousands, of euros. Except with Free Mobile!
For reference, here are the roaming fees charged by the main French operators for using a single measly megabyte of internet (roughly equivalent to loading two photos).
| Carrier | Rate |
|---|---|
| Free Mobile | Included in the €20 plan |
| Bouygues Telecom | €10.24 / MB |
| SFR | €13.20 / MB |
| Orange | €13.31/MB |
If you don’t want to be in debt for three generations, plan another solution.
Buy a SIM card before you leave
First option: buy a SIM card before you fly to Brazil. You’ll receive it by mail at your home. Once you arrive, all you have to do is put the SIM card in your phone, and you’ll have internet within moments!
With Holafly
Holafly is a specialist in this field.
Click here to see their offer and get a PROMO CODE.
For Brazil, Holafly offers two different deals.
| Validity | Internet data volume | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 8 GB | 34 € |
| 30 days | 12 GB | 44 € |
Interestingly, this SIM card will also be usable in other South and Central American countries: Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, and Uruguay. Handy if you plan to travel to multiple countries.
On Amazon
Amazon sometimes offers prepaid SIM cards usable in Brazil, but unfortunately that’s not the case right now.
Buying an eSIM valid in Brazil
If you have a phone that supports eSIM, you can also purchase one from Holafly (read our test of the Holafly eSIM offer).
Click here to see Holafly eSIM offers in Brazil. Feel free to use the promo code NOMADBENTO
The eSIM offer is less interesting than the physical SIM card offer. It will cost you €47 for 5GB of internet valid for 30 days. It’s still a good option if you’re doing things last minute and won’t have time to receive the SIM by mail.
Buying a 4G SIM at the airport
Buying a SIM card at the airport will cost you more than buying it in town (you’ll have access to tourist offers, not local ones), but it can be much simpler.
Many sellers will indeed ask for your CPF (tax ID), although a passport number is theoretically sufficient for foreigners (but complicated to explain if you don’t speak Portuguese :D). Airport sellers are, of course, aware of this and it won’t be a problem. The employee can also handle the SIM activation, which isn’t straightforward either.
Buying a SIM card in town
If you speak Portuguese or have a Brazilian contact willing to help you or let you use their CPF, buying a SIM card in town will be far more economical.
There are 4 main operators in Brazil:
- Vivo
- TIM
- Claro
- Oi
As an example, with Claro you can get a plan for R$ 29.90 that gives you 12GB of internet + unlimited WhatsApp and local calls for 30 days.
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