São Pauloculture & etiquette

Entering on a temporary visa starts a 90-day clock to register and obtain your CRNM residence card. This deadline is enforced, and without the CRNM your renewal becomes difficult and in some cases impossible. Book the appointment before you need it — slots in São Paulo go quickly.

The CPF is Brazil's tax ID and it gates everything: bank accounts, phone plans, leases, online purchases, sometimes a supermarket discount. You don't need residency to obtain one, so get it first and remove the dependency from everything else.

São Paulo is a large city with real property crime. Locals don't walk around anxious — they just don't display phones on the street, use ride-hailing after dark, and stay alert at traffic lights. Adopt the local habits and the risk drops sharply.

Brazil's instant payment system is genuinely transformative and used universally — splitting a bill, paying rent, buying from a market stall. It's free and instant. Once your bank account exists, this is the first thing to enable.

Distances that look short take an hour at rush hour. Where you live relative to where you work matters more here than in almost any city on this list — many people choose an inferior flat to avoid a two-hour daily commute.

Neighbourhood bakeries serve coffee, pão de queijo, lunch specials and beer, from early morning to late. It's where the city eats and socialises, and finding your local is a genuine milestone in settling in.