Looking for an eSIM in Brazil? You have two kinds of options. The three big local carriers, Vivo, Claro and TIM, all support eSIM, and Vivo and Claro now sell eSIM plans made for visitors that you register with your passport. Or you can buy a data-only travel eSIM, like the SimOptions Brazil eSIM, and install it at home before you fly. This guide compares the eSIM providers in Brazil, explains the CPF and passport rules and shows you how to set everything up.
eSIM providers in Brazil
Here's what Vivo, Claro and TIM offer you as a visitor, checked on their own websites and in the Brazilian trade press in October 2026.
Vivo eSIM in Brazil
Vivo sells the Vivo Tourist Plan, an eSIM plan for foreign visitors with mobile data plus calls and texts within Brazil. You can buy it on Vivo's website before you travel, in English, Spanish or Portuguese, or in a Vivo store in Brazil. You need an eSIM-compatible phone and your passport number, and you pay with an international credit card (Teletime: Vivo launches a plan for foreign visitors).
Teletime reports that the plan is valid for 30 days and that, because it's an eSIM, you can buy it before you arrive in Brazil. Check the current data allowance and conditions on Vivo's Tourist Plan page before you pay.
Claro eSIM in Brazil
Claro's offer for visitors is Claro flex pass, an eSIM-only plan you buy in the Claro flex app. It includes mobile data and unlimited calls and texts within Brazil, and you get a Brazilian mobile number when the eSIM is activated (Claro: flex pass for international visitors).
- Download the Claro flex app from the App Store or Google Play.
- Tap "I'm an international visitor", choose a plan and register.
- Enter your passport number and a temporary address in Brazil, such as your hotel. Claro says you don't need a CPF.
- Pay with an international credit card that supports 3D Secure. Claro says the eSIM activates within minutes.
Claro also offers help in English in the app. To renew, you buy a new plan in the app before or after the current one ends.
TIM eSIM in Brazil
TIM's visitor offer is a prepaid SIM card that you buy in a TIM store. You activate it by dialling *144, with your passport and the address where you're staying in Brazil at hand. TIM says its staff on *144 speak English, Spanish and Portuguese. Data comes as a weekly pass that you renew by text message (TIM: prepaid SIM card for international visitors).
TIM also supports eSIM. Its help page says every TIM plan for individuals can switch to eSIM in the Portal Troca Chip, and iPhone and Motorola users can switch directly in the phone's settings. But the portal asks for a CPF, and TIM's visitor page only talks about a physical chip (TIM: eSIM help). If you want a TIM eSIM without a CPF, ask in a TIM store first.
Travel eSIMs (like SimOptions)
A travel eSIM is a data plan you buy online before your trip. You get a QR code by email and install it at home. The SimOptions Brazil eSIM plans are data-only, with no Brazilian phone number. They activate automatically when you arrive in Brazil, and you can top them up if you run low. You don't need a CPF or a visit to a Brazilian shop.
CPF and passport rules for a local SIM in Brazil
Brazil ties every prepaid line to a real person. Anatel, the telecoms regulator, says that when you activate a prepaid line you give your CPF, the Brazilian tax ID, and confirm your identity with a photo ID and a selfie (Anatel: prepaid registration). Most visitors don't have a CPF, so the carriers have separate routes for foreigners:
- Vivo Tourist Plan: eSIM bought with your passport number, no store visit needed.
- Claro flex pass: eSIM bought in the app with your passport number and a temporary address in Brazil. For a regular Claro prepaid chip without a CPF, Claro says you must activate it in a Claro store with your passport or RNE (Claro: activate your chip).
- TIM: a physical chip registered with your passport number, RNE or, for Mercosur citizens, a national ID card, plus the country of issue and your address in Brazil (TIM: foreigners in Brazil).
Keep your passport with you when you buy a local SIM or eSIM, and only buy from the carriers' own apps, websites and stores, since you're sharing your ID.
Local eSIM or travel eSIM: which suits you?
A Vivo, Claro or TIM line makes sense if
- you need a Brazilian phone number, for example for local calls or services that send a code by SMS,
- you're staying for a while and want local prepaid prices,
- you don't mind registering your passport and, for TIM, going to a store.
A travel eSIM makes sense if
- you want to be online the moment you land in São Paulo or Rio, without an app sign-up or a shop visit,
- you mainly need data for maps, ride-hailing, messaging apps and bookings,
- you want to keep your home number active for calls and texts at the same time (see how to set up a dual eSIM),
- you'd rather not share your passport details for a short trip.
Spending about two weeks between Rio, São Paulo and the coast? This Brazil plan covers 15 days. It's data-only, with no Brazilian number, and you install it at home before you leave.
How to set up an eSIM for Brazil
Before you fly: install it on Wi-Fi
- Check your phone. It must support eSIM and be unlocked. Dial *#06#: if you see an EID, your phone supports eSIM. More ways to check eSIM compatibility. On iPhone, go to Settings > General > About and look for "No SIM restrictions" next to Carrier Lock (Apple: Unlock your iPhone).
- Buy your eSIM. A travel eSIM arrives by email with a QR code. For Vivo or Claro, follow the carrier's own steps with your passport.
- Install it at home on Wi-Fi. Apple says your iPhone needs a Wi-Fi network or hotspot to set up a travel eSIM. On iPhone, go to Settings > Cellular > Add eSIM and scan the QR code. On Android, go to Settings > Connections > SIM manager (Samsung) or Settings > Network & internet > SIMs (Pixel). Step-by-step help: how to activate an eSIM. Can't scan the code? See how to enter an eSIM code manually.
When you land: switch on the right settings
- Turn on the travel eSIM line if it isn't on already.
- Pick it for mobile data. On iPhone, go to Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data and choose the travel eSIM.
- Turn on Data Roaming on the travel eSIM. Keep it off on your home line if you want to avoid roaming charges from your home carrier (Apple: Use eSIM while traveling). More on how to turn on data roaming.
Depending on your region, your iPhone may say Mobile Service instead of Cellular. The steps are the same.
Travelling beyond Brazil?
Many trips to Brazil also cross into Argentina, Paraguay or Uruguay, for example around Iguazu Falls. A Brazilian SIM is made for Brazil. The SimOptions South America eSIM covers Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay on one plan. Heading to Argentina too? See our guide to eSIM providers in Argentina. Going on to Europe? Read eSIM providers in Italy.
Pick the plan that matches your trip. All of them are data-only, and you install them before you fly.
Brazil and South America plans shown · data-only eSIMs, no phone number · All Brazil eSIMs · Find the eSIM for your destination
FAQs
Which eSIM providers are there in Brazil?
The three big local carriers, Vivo, Claro and TIM, all support eSIM. You can also use a travel eSIM from an international provider such as SimOptions, which you buy online and install before your trip.
Does TIM Brazil have an eSIM for tourists?
TIM's visitor offer is a physical prepaid SIM that you buy in a TIM store and activate on *144 with your passport. TIM supports eSIM for its customers, but its eSIM portal asks for a CPF, so ask in a TIM store if you want one.
Can tourists get a Vivo eSIM in Brazil?
Yes. The Vivo Tourist Plan is an eSIM you can buy online before your trip or in a Vivo store, with your passport number and an international credit card. It's valid for 30 days.
Does Claro Brazil have an eSIM for tourists?
Yes. Claro flex pass is an eSIM for international visitors that you buy in the Claro flex app. You need your passport number, a temporary address in Brazil and an international credit card. You don't need a CPF.
Do I need a CPF to get a SIM or eSIM in Brazil?
Not as a visitor. Brazilians activate prepaid lines with their CPF, but Vivo's and Claro's visitor eSIMs use your passport number, and TIM and Claro register foreigners without a CPF in their stores. A travel eSIM needs no Brazilian ID at all.
Can I get a Brazilian phone number with a travel eSIM?
Not with SimOptions: the Brazil and South America plans are data-only. If you need a Brazilian number, get a line from Vivo, Claro or TIM. You can keep your home number active next to a travel eSIM for calls and texts.
Should I install my travel eSIM before I fly to Brazil?
Yes. Install it at home on Wi-Fi. When you land, choose it for mobile data and turn on Data Roaming for that line. The SimOptions Brazil plans activate when you arrive in Brazil.
Does my eSIM work in Brazil if my phone is locked?
No. A carrier-locked phone only works with eSIMs from the carrier it's locked to. Ask your carrier to unlock it before you travel (see how to unlock your phone).
