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 :)

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.