Moovit, a very useful companion

Moovit, a free app on public transit has been my best companion when I travel around cities in Brazil. It works perfect in combination with your device's map and GPS functions. You need internet connection to get the specific info though. It's got public transit info of about 500 cities over 45 countires.

This free application can be installed in smartphones with Android, Windows or Mac OS. Just type the word from phone's Google Play, Windows store or AppStore or download from the official website.

Moovit in Android phone

Moovit in Winows OS phone

Moovit in Apple's OS

Myself tried this app extensively in Brazil both in Rio de Jeneiro and Sao Paulo states and it works pretty good. The timings shown is not accurate but you can easily find where to get the bus from your current location. It will locate the exact bus stop and bus number near you and will also calculate approximate time to reach your destination. Once the GPS enabled, you are tracked in the map and its handy when you don't know the exact bus stop to de-board the bus.
Very useful in Brazilian cities where city bus is the major public transit affair!

Will be nice if they allow you to store your directions offline and yet use the GPS in that offline maps. Then you can plan your trip with an available wifi and use it later. At present, you need a data plan to use it outside or else the routing will just stop working once offline.

CPF, the God of all your id numbers in Brazil

CPF is a tax registration number for anyone living or visiting in Brazil (in simpler but not exact sense). It contains 11 digits. Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas (CPF) – Portuguese for Individual Taxpayer Registry.
And.. as they call it 'Normal persons register', you will not be normal without CPF ;)

With this database, the authorities can easily assess one's tax related information or keep track of them. CPF is asked even if you go to a supermarket to get your usual grocery stuff, but for small things you have the right not to tell them the CPF number. But for more serious things (e.g. renting a house, starting a bank account, getting a sim card, etc.) you must have your CPF number. So in short, the first thing to do once you reach Brazil is to get your CPF (temperory/permenant depending on your visa type). How to get CPF number is well described in this website (external link).
Best is you take your colleague/friend who can speak Portuguese (if you don't speak) because you cannot see many who speak English in these offices.
First you need to go to a post-office to pay a small fee (R$ 5.80) and then to assigned Tax offices (Receita federal) . These assigned tax offices can be found at this official link (New official web page of Receita federal is here. There is some official information about CPF in english and in spanish as well.) Click on the state and region where you live and you will get the address and opening times. In either offices, you will have to take a number as you enter. Normally there will be a helper if you don't know which option to select in these machines.

For CPF, they ask for mailing address and for an address in Brazil you need a CPF, funny huh! But luckily for CPF they don't really need your exact address in Brazil. I gave my home address (abroad) or my work address there.

Note: Its handy to by-heart the CPF number as it is used everywhere you go! seriously :)

Wish you all a happy and prosperous new year

Registering with Federal Police, after arrival in Brazil

So this is about the registration procedure of foreigners with long term/permanent visa after reaching Brazil. This applies to those who get a note along with their visa, 'to report/register at the Federal Police within 30 days of arrival'. This is similar to the registration to the national registry.

This is mandatory even if you have a visa stamped on your passport. This registration will issue you an identity card which comes handy (or at least the RNE - 'Registro Nacional de Estrangeiro' number) at many places. This number is your local identity number and stands next to the CPF with usage in documentations.

For the Federal Police registration, the general documents required are (exceptions may be there depending on the type of visa issued),
1. Valid travel document (passport for most, except for citizen of other latin american country for whom their national id will do)
2. Original and photocopy of valid pages of passport (front, back, visa). The copy should be attested by the officer at the Federal Police office/by a Notary
3. The form obtained along with the visa, indicated to be submitted at the Federal Police
4. Two recent photos (3x4) with white background
5. Payment receipts of corresponding fees (two fee to be paid by foreigners other than Portuguese and its previous colonies)
      i) 'Taxa CARTEIRA DE ESTRANGEIRO DE PRIMEIRA VIA' =  R$124,23 (code: 140120)
      ii) 'Taxa REGISTRO DE ESTRANGEIROS/RESTABELECIMENTO DE REGISTRO' =  R$64,58 (code: 140082)
(both as of December 2014)
These fees can be paid in any bank, post office or lottery shops.

6. Print of the fully filled electronic form available in this link (the first option)
(Note1: In bigger cities who deals with more number of foreigners/aliens, one might also need to schedule an appointment before going the office. For this process one must fill the code obtained.
Note2: Carry a proof of address when going to the Fed Police office near your residence)

Once you go to the nearest/assigned federal police office, the officer responsible for 'estrangeiros' will help you in processing your registration. He will also take your biometric data at this time.

They will issue a temporary paper citing that you've initiated the process. And mostly will give you the RNE number generated, but you have to wait about a month to get the actual id card. If you've given a valid email id, they will sent you an invitation once the id card is ready for collection. Its a laminated photo id card which is bigger than a credit card with no chip/magnetic strip on it. The number on it is more important, I guess.

GRU international airport - how to

So I want to start my experience about Brazil, by sharing my experience with the Sao Paulo international airport at Guarulhos (code: GRU). Also locally known as Cumbica. (The date provided may not be accurate and is only intended to sharing information as per the date mentioned. Please write in the comments section, if there is any misleading info.)
Much information is available in the web (and in their official website) but I missed some and I am adding them after my trip recently to GRU international airport.

When I am writing this blog (December 2014), all the international bound flights are operated from terminal 3 of GRU airport. As of now, terminal 3 only got prepaid taxi services (Guarucoop, very reliable). Thus, the connection from terminal 3 to 2 will be needed also if you want to get the 'airport bus service' and similar bus services, which are connecting to the various locations of São Paulo city. There is a free terminal transfer bus service connecting all 4 terminals, every 15 minutes. From terminal 3 to terminal 2 you can also easily walk (15-25 minutes) through inside the terminal (look for direction marks towards terminal 2 at the first level/floor of the building. For example, if you are arriving at terminal 3, you will reach in the ground level and then you should first go to the first level and then walk towards terminal 2.

GRU (São Paulo international) airport to Bus Terminal Barra Funda / Tietê :
1) 'Airport Bus Service' is the cheapest option to reach one of these bus terminals. They provide service every hour from the airport and back and the buses are comfortable and even provide wifi on-board. The journey time is approx. 1 hr 20 min. The fare/cost is 38 reais (BRL) as of 3/12/2014. Airport bus service has an official website (also available in portugese and spanish) which describes the timings and lines to-n-fro to all their destinations.
However, note that these buses (as of now) only operate in terminal 1, 2 and 4. Thus if you reach in terminal 3, which is the case with most international flights, consider 15-25 minutes to reach them. There are ticket counters for 'airport bus service' in all these terminals except terminal 3.

(source: Airport Bus Service website)

2) If your connection bus from Barra Funda/Tietê is within 1 hour after you exit arrival area of terminal 3, then consider taking a taxi to save time, but at additional cost.
The official taxi service of the airport - Guaracoop (white vechicles with blue lines on them) have their counters at all terminals. You can spot them just outside the arrival halls (ground level).
The fare / cost / price for taking a taxi from Guarulhos international airport terminal 3 to Barra Funda bus terminal was 116 reais (BRL). Distance was something like 28 kms. This was the rate for 2 persons with 3 baggages paid at 7:15 pm. The night charges will start from 8 pm and one should expect slightly higher prices.

(source: Guarucoop official website)

It took 30 minutes for us to reach Barra Funda bus terminal. However we were lucky to get less traffic on the road. In peak traffic hours, it can take atleast 1 hr from airport to Barra Funda. The service was good and the driver we got was friendly and even helped us loading and unloading of our baggages and the taxi fare was fixed. So no further crib when you arrive at Barra funda / Tietê.
The taxi from Guarulhos international airport terminal 3 to Tietê might be slightly cheaper due to less distance. There is a metro line both at Tietê and Barra Funda.
The taxi option is wiser if there is atleast 2 persons travelling together, more than 2 heavy baggages and arriving at terminal 3. Because for 2 persons,
Airport bus service tickets = 38 x 2 = 76 BRL;
Approximate time from your baggage collection till Barra Funda = 15 minutes to terminal 2 + 1 hr 20 minutes to Barra Funda bus terminal.
Airport prepaid taxi (guarucoop) = 116 BRL (but you reach in 30-40 minutes).