Before you start

CPF, for the SUS card
Proof of address
Employer plan enrolment, where offered

Step-by-step

1
Get your Cartão SUS
Register at a local health unit (UBS) with your CPF and proof of address. The card is free and gives access to the public system.
In personWho: YouFree
2
Enrol in your employer's private plan
A plano de saúde is a near-standard benefit for professional roles in São Paulo. Check the coverage tier and which hospital network it admits you to.
Via employerWho: You
3
Or buy an individual plan
Individual plans are available but noticeably more expensive than corporate ones, and carry waiting periods for pre-existing conditions.
OnlineWho: YouCommonly BRL 500–1,500 per month for an adult
4
Know your hospital
Albert Einstein, Sírio-Libanês and Oswaldo Cruz are among the best hospitals in Latin America. Which one your plan admits you to matters more than the monthly premium.
In personWho: You
5
Use SUS for emergencies wherever you are
Emergency care through SUS is available to anyone, and the ambulance service (SAMU, 192) does not check documents.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

CPF
Proof of address
Private plan card, where applicable
Vaccination records

Things most newcomers don’t know

SUS covers foreigners, including those without residency.

Brazil's constitution frames health as a universal right, and in practice SUS does not turn people away over immigration status. That's an unusual and genuinely valuable safety net that many newcomers don't know they have.

Source: Brazilian constitutional health provisions and SUS practice

The hospital network matters more than the premium.

Private plans are tiered by which hospitals they admit you to. A cheaper plan that excludes Einstein and Sírio-Libanês is a materially different product, and this is where people economise without realising what they gave up.

Source: Brazilian private health plan structure

Private plans price by age band and rise steeply.

Premiums step up at defined age thresholds, and the increases at older bands are large. Budget for the trajectory, not just today's premium, if you plan a long stay.

Source: ANS age-band regulation

Waiting periods apply to new private plans.

Carências are contractual delays before certain procedures are covered, longer for pre-existing conditions. Joining through an employer often reduces or waives them, which is another reason to check the corporate option first.

Source: ANS carência rules