Week one is for the Federal Police booking and the CPF; everything else in Brazil — bank, phone, lease, health card — hangs off those two.
Overview
Your first month in Brazil is about converting a visa into functioning residence. The hard legal deadline is generous — temporary-visa holders have 90 days from entry to register with the Polícia Federal (30 days from publication for in-country grants) — but the practical clock is tighter: PF appointment queues in big cities run weeks, and until you register you have no RNM number, no CRNM card and no protocolo, and without a CPF from the Receita Federal nothing commercial works. The optimal sequence is fixed: book the PF slot and obtain the CPF in week one; attend registration and collect your protocolo as early as the calendar allows; then chain through bank account, Carteira de Trabalho Digital, the Cartão SUS at your local UBS, and address-proof housekeeping. Brazil runs on the gov.br login, GRU payment receipts and the comprovante de residência — establishing all three early prevents most first-year friction. Sequencing verified against gov.br/pf, gov.br services portal and servicos.receita.fazenda.gov.br as of June 2026.
Week-by-Week Plan
| Week | Do | Why it can't wait |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Create/upgrade gov.br account; complete the PF registration form online, pay GRUs (R$204.77 CRNM; R$168.13 if filing an in-country residence request) and book the appointment; obtain CPF (if not issued at the consulate); buy a SIM; secure a comprovante de residência | PF queues in SP/Rio run weeks — booking date, not card delivery, protects your 90-day window; the CPF gates every commercial step |
| Week 2 | Attend PF registration with passport, visa, photos, GRU receipts and address proof; collect and photograph the protocolo; start the bank account with protocolo + passport + CPF | The protocolo is your interim ID; salary and rent payments need the account |
| Week 3 | Generate the Carteira de Trabalho Digital via gov.br; register at your local UBS for the Cartão SUS; arrange private health plan if desired (mandatory to maintain for digital nomads) | Employers need the digital work card before payroll; UBS registration ties you to primary care and vaccination |
| Week 4 | Put a utility bill or lease in your name; check Detran rules for your foreign driving licence (≈180-day usability, conversion varies by state and reciprocity); calendar your CRNM renewal and any residence-condition obligations | Address proof in your own name simplifies every later contract; licence conversion can require booked exams |
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See Paid Plans →Frequently Asked Questions
What is the single most urgent thing to do in my first week in Brazil?
Two things in parallel: book your Polícia Federal registration appointment and get your CPF. The PF booking matters because temporary-visa holders must register within 90 days of entry and big-city units can queue appointments weeks out — and until registration you have no RNM, CRNM or protocolo. The CPF matters because virtually every commercial act — bank account, SIM registration, lease, online purchases — requires it; it is free from the Receita Federal and can even be issued at a Brazilian consulate before you fly. Everything else in the first month (bank, work card, SUS card, Detran) chains off those two registrations.
Can I work, get paid and rent an apartment before my CRNM card arrives?
Yes — on the protocolo. The receipt issued at your PF registration appointment records your RNM number and documents regular status while the card is produced, and with your passport and CPF it is accepted by employers, banks and most landlords. Your work rights flow from the visa or residence authorisation itself, not from the plastic card. Generate the Carteira de Trabalho Digital through gov.br so a formal employer can register the contract. Practical caveats: photograph the protocolo, carry it with the passport, and expect occasional pushback from clerks unfamiliar with it — the PF service page is your reference that it is valid.
How do I get a CPF if I didn't get one at the consulate?
The Receita Federal offers three routes: the online enrolment channel for foreigners (servicos.receita.fazenda.gov.br), in-person service at Receita Federal units, and partner desks at Banco do Brasil, Caixa and Correios in many locations. Bring your passport and, where asked, proof of address; the number is free and usually issued on the spot in person. The CPF has no connection to migration status — tourists can hold one — so there is no reason to wait for PF registration first. Once issued, memorise it: Brazilians quote their CPF daily, from pharmacy discounts to invoice issuance, and every system you touch will request it.
How do I register with the public health system, and what does it cost?
Nothing — SUS is universal and free at the point of use, regardless of nationality or migration status. Go to the UBS (Unidade Básica de Saúde) covering your address with an identity document (CRNM, PF protocolo or CPF) and a comprovante de residência, and request your Cartão Nacional de Saúde. Registration links you to the local family-health team for GP consultations, free vaccination (including yellow fever, recommended for most states) and referrals to specialist and hospital care. Many residents add a private plan, regulated by ANS, for faster elective access; digital nomad visa holders must in any case maintain health insurance valid in Brazil.
Can I drive in Brazil on my foreign licence during the first months?
Generally yes for a limited period — 180 days is the commonly applied window for driving on a valid foreign licence (carry it with your passport; an international driving permit helps where the licence isn't in Portuguese). After establishing residence you move to the state Detran for exchange or requalification: countries with reciprocity agreements typically convert without practical exams (medical and psychological assessments still apply), while others require the full CNH process. Rules and document lists vary by state Detran, so check yours — São Paulo, Rio and others publish foreigner-specific checklists — well before the window lapses, since exam and appointment queues add weeks.
What deadlines and traps should I calendar for the rest of my first year?
Five recurring ones. (1) Registration: 90 days from entry (or 30 from an in-country grant) — late filing brings art. 307 fines. (2) Exigências: demands to fix your file carry their own short deadlines and arrive electronically — check MigranteWeb/gov.br messages weekly. (3) The 10-day recurso window after any denial. (4) Renewal/conversion: two-year authorisations (Mercosur, investor) should be converted to indefinite duration in the 90 days before expiry, with criminal certificates and subsistence proof ready. (5) Address updates with the PF whenever you move. Add tax: after becoming resident you fall under Receita Federal worldwide-income rules, with the annual declaration due around April.