Before you start

CPF
A Brazilian mobile number, which itself needs the CPF
Passport plus CRNM or the Federal Police protocol
Proof of a Federal District address, for traditional banks

Step-by-step

1
CPF before anything else
No Brazilian institution opens an account without it, and there is no workaround. Obtaining it from a consulate before departure is the single highest-leverage preparatory step.
OnlineWho: You
2
Open with a digital bank first
Nubank, Inter, C6 and PicPay approve app applications from CRNM holders in days and tolerate an empty Brazilian credit file. A branch of Banco do Brasil or Caixa will want more than you have, ironically enough in the city where both are headquartered.
Mobile appWho: You2–7 days
3
Register Pix keys immediately
Link CPF, phone and email. Pix settles in seconds, costs nothing between individuals, and works at any hour — for rent, the feira, a mechanic and splitting a bill.
Mobile appWho: YouDay 1
4
Raise your gov.br account to silver or gold
Federal and Federal District services are tiered by authentication level. A basic gov.br account will not let you do much; verification through a bank you hold an account with, or through biometric matching against the electoral or driving databases, upgrades it. Everything downstream — tax, health, vehicle, immigration status — becomes easier.
OnlineWho: You
5
Learn GRU, DARF and boleto
Government fees are paid by GRU slip, federal taxes by DARF, and rent, condomínio and utilities by boleto. All are barcoded documents any banking app will scan and pay. All have hard due dates after which interest accrues automatically and none can be part-paid.
Mobile appWho: You
6
Plan the relocation transfer around IOF
The federal financial-operations tax varies by purpose — consumption and availability transfers are taxed more heavily than investment ones. Compare the landed cost rather than the advertised exchange rate.
OnlineWho: You

Documents you’ll need

CPF
Passport
CRNM or Federal Police protocol
Brazilian mobile number
Proof of Federal District address, for traditional banks

Things most newcomers don’t know

The gov.br authentication level is the hidden gate on half of Brazilian bureaucracy.

Federal services are tiered bronze, silver and gold, and most of the ones you actually need — tax filing tools, vehicle records, health data, immigration status — require silver or gold. The fastest upgrade route is verification through a bank where you already hold an account, which is another reason to open one early. Newcomers spend weeks blocked without ever being told this is why.

Source: gov.br account levels

Pix is not a payment option, it is the payment system, and Brasília is no exception.

The market stall at the feira, the man who services the air conditioning, the school trip contribution — Pix, instantly, at no cost, at any hour. Newcomers who postpone setting up their keys spend a month withdrawing cash for transactions everyone around them settles with a QR code. Set a low night-time transfer limit at the same time.

Source: Banco Central do Brasil — Pix

IOF is levied by purpose, and choosing the wrong operation costs real money for nothing.

Bringing funds into an ordinary account, spending abroad on a card, and routing money into an investment account attract materially different IOF rates under the decree. On a relocation-sized transfer the difference is significant, and no bank will optimise it for you. One conversation with a Brazilian accountant before the first large transfer is worth the fee.

Source: Decreto 6.306/2007 and subsequent amendments

A fresh CPF scores as unknown, not as clean, and that matters most when you rent.

Serasa and Boa Vista files start empty. Digital banks will still open an account; seguro-fiança underwriters, which is the guarantee most Brasília agencies default to, generally will not. Paying utilities in your own name and using a secured card builds the file over a few months, so start immediately rather than when a landlord asks for a guarantee.

Source: community-reported, consistent across Brazilian arrivals

Common mistakes to avoid

Attempting any account before the CPF exists.
Leaving the gov.br account at bronze level and finding half of officialdom closed.
Missing a boleto, GRU or DARF due date and accruing automatic interest.
Comparing transfer providers on FX rate while ignoring IOF.
Leaving Pix night-time limits at the default maximum.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.