Internet in Brazil for travellers: which eSIM to choose

Which plan suits you, by trip length

On the left, what's usually enough for maps, messaging, ride-hailing apps and social media. On the right, the unlimited GB plan for the same number of days.

Prices include VAT and match the Brazil plan page. Validity: the 1 GB plan, 7 days; 3 to 50 GB, 30 days. There's also a 50 GB plan for €78.95.

If you're stringing together Rio, Salvador and Florianópolis, or you'll be using your phone for everything, allow for more than you think: work it out in two minutes from what you do on your phone.

Weighing up an unlimited plan instead? Compare the prices, duration by duration, in Glowi vs Holafly in Brazil.

When unlimited pays off, and when it doesn't

A week of unlimited GB in Brazil costs €28.95. The 10 GB plan costs €23.95 and lasts 30 days.

• With normal use, a plan by the GB is usually enough. There's no daily cap: what you don't use today is there tomorrow, for the whole validity period.
• Unlimited pays off if you'll watch a lot of video, share data with another phone or work from your phone, and would rather not keep count.
• For a month, look at both numbers: 20 GB for €43.95 or unlimited GB for €107.95. The gap is big, and it's only worth it if you really will use a lot more.

What the unlimited plan in Brazil actually includes

It gives you 2 GB a day at full speed. Once that allowance runs out you stay connected at 1 Mbps until the next day, when it starts again.

At 1 Mbps you can keep using messaging, maps and browsing; high-quality video no longer runs smoothly. It's written on the plan card, next to the price, and we explain it in full in the truth about "unlimited" plans.

Operators and coverage: 5G in the cities

Brazil has three national operators: Vivo, Claro and TIM. Our eSIM connects to their networks, so you get whatever coverage they have in each area.

Source: Opensignal report for Q4 2025, reported by Teletime on 28-01-2026. Checked on 06-11-2026.

In practice: 5G in the state capitals and big cities, 4G across much of the rest, and areas with no signal in the Amazon, in national parks and on inland roads, as in any large country. If you're heading out of the cities, download offline maps beforehand.

eSIM, Brazilian SIM or roaming

There are three ways to get data in Brazil. None of them is best for everyone; here's what each one involves.

• A local prepaid SIM. To activate a line, operators normally ask for a CPF, the Brazilian tax number, which tourists don't have. There are passport-based alternatives: with Claro, activation is done at an official store; with TIM, by calling *144 with your passport and the address where you're staying, according to travel guides that explain it (Claro, TIM). Check in the store before you pay.
• Vivo's tourist eSIM. In October 2025 Vivo announced a prepaid eSIM for visitors, with 25 GB for 30 days, sold on its website (alertify.eu, 31-10-2025). We haven't been able to check its current price on vivo.com.br: if you're interested, look it up there before you decide.
• A travel eSIM like ours. You buy and install it at home, pay in euros and there's no CPF or Brazilian registration. You have data as soon as you land, with no airport queues.

And your own operator's roaming: we cover it just below.

Roaming in Brazil with a Spanish SIM

Brazil is outside the EU, so "roam like at home" doesn't apply: each operator charges its own rate. These are the rates of Spain's three big operators, according to their official websites.

Rates checked on 06-11-2026 on each operator's website. They can change and depend on your contract: confirm with yours before you travel. If you're not buying anything, turn off data roaming on your line to avoid surprises.

If you're travelling from Argentina, Chile or Uruguay, check on your operator's website whether Brazil is included in its roaming pack and with how many GB: we haven't been able to confirm it from official sources. Torn between the two? We explain it in eSIM vs roaming: how to decide.

Where your traffic exits

In Brazil, your traffic exits via Brazil.

Websites and apps see you where you really are: search engines give you local results and Brazilian apps work just as they would with a local SIM. The network is 5G, with whatever coverage each area has.

If Brazil is only part of the trip

The Brazil plan covers Brazil. If you're crossing into Argentina at Iguazú, or combining it with Chile, Peru, Ecuador or Uruguay, the South America pack covers those six countries with a single QR code, from €6.95.

One difference worth knowing: with the pack, your traffic exits via the United Kingdom, not via the country you're in. For maps, messaging and social media, nothing changes; some websites will see you as if you were there. If you're staying in Brazil for the whole trip, the Brazil plan makes the most sense. And if you're crossing the border, we also have a guide to internet in Argentina.

How many GB is enough?

It mostly depends on whether you watch video on your phone and whether automatic photo backup is switched on, which is what eats through a plan without anyone noticing.

• Maps, messaging, ride-hailing apps and the odd search: a one-week trip uses very little.
• Normal use with social media and music: that's where 5 or 10 GB make sense.
• Video, video calls or sharing data every day: go for the big plan or unlimited.

The ranges, with figures, are in how much data a trip uses.

How to activate it: install before, activate on landing

1. Install it at home, on Wi-Fi. Installing uses no plan data and doesn't start the clock.
2. When you land, turn on data roaming for the eSIM line and keep your usual line for calls and texts.
3. The days start counting from your first connection to a Brazilian network, not when you buy or install.

Steps for each phone are in the installation guide. And before you buy, check that your phone supports eSIM with the compatibility checker.

Frequently asked questions about internet in Brazil