✅ 𝐔𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐈𝐗 𝐒𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐩 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 (𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩-𝐛𝐲-𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩) –

🛂 1. Get a Brazilian CPF — Before Traveling

This is essential for any banking activity in Brazil.

✅ Do this in the U.S. at a Brazilian consulate:

• Schedule an appointment at your nearest consulate:
  https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/consulado
  
  

• Required:
  
  

  • U.S. passport
    
    

  • Proof of U.S. address
    
    

  • Completed CPF request form
    
    

• They’ll issue a printed CPF number (or email it to you). Keep it safe.
  
  

✅ Now you're ready for banking upon arrival.

📶 2. Upon Arrival: Buy a Brazilian SIM Card (Face-to-Face)

Needed for banking apps and receiving PIX confirmations.

✅ Where to buy:

• Go to a TIM, Claro, or Vivo store (not kiosk).
  
  

• Bring:
  
  

  • Passport
    
    

  • CPF
    
    

  • Brazilian address (hotel or Airbnb)
    
    

• Ask for a prepaid plan with data + SMS
  
  

⚠️ Must be registered with your CPF. Do not use unregistered SIMs.

🏦 3. Go to a Full-Service Bank with Face-to-Face Support

Based on your need for guaranteed access + in-person help, avoid app-only banks like Nubank.

✅ Recommended Bank: Bradesco (Agência Prime or normal branch)

OR Itaú / Banco do Brasil (if Bradesco is unavailable)

📍 What to bring:

• Passport
  
  

• CPF
  
  

• Local Brazilian address (hotel)
  
  

• Your new Brazilian phone number
  
  

• A small amount of reais for opening, if needed
  
  

✅ Ask the bank for:

“Gostaria de abrir uma conta corrente com acesso ao PIX.”

They’ll:

• Open a checking account (conta corrente)
  
  

• Set up PIX via app or teller
  
  

• Give you a physical debit card and help install their app (you can ask for help in the branch)
  
  

💸 4. Exchange U.S. Dollars into Brazilian Reais

You cannot deposit USD directly. It must be converted first.

✅ How to do it:

• Go to an official casa de câmbio (currency exchange) near your bank.
  
  

• Exchange dollars into reais in cash.
  
  

• Ask for a receipt.
  
  

📌 Then, go to your bank branch and deposit the reais into your account.

✅ Now you’ll have funds in your account — ready for PIX use.

📲 5. Install the Bank's App and Activate PIX on Your Phone

• Bradesco: "Bradesco Celular" app
  
  

• Itaú: "Itau" app
  
  

• Banco do Brasil: "Banco do Brasil" app
  
  

Set Up:

• Log in with your CPF + phone + password (they’ll help you create this in the branch).
  
  

• Inside the app, register a PIX key:
  
  

  • Your CPF
    
    

  • Your phone number
    
    

  • Or generate a random key (“chave aleatória”)
    
    

Now you can send or receive payments instantly via PIX.

💼 6. Use PIX Across Brazil

• Scan QR codes or send money via CPF/phone/email
  
  

• Works instantly, 24/7
  
  

• Safe, free, and accepted nearly everywhere
  
  

🛫 7. Before Leaving Brazil — Retrieve Leftover Funds

✅ Options:

1. Withdraw your remaining reais from any ATM (in cash).
   
   

2. Send your balance via PIX to:
   
   

   • A Brazilian friend
     
     

   • A wise.com account (if you set it up later)
     
     

   • Or someone you trust who can exchange or hold your money
     
     

3. Ask the bank to close your account if you want.
   
   

Banks won’t return money in USD cash — you’ll need to convert it yourself before departure if needed.

✅ Summary Checklist

Task

✅ Status

Get CPF in U.S.

🟢 (Before trip)

Buy SIM card (registered)

🟢 Upon arrival

Open Bradesco/Itaú account in branch

🟢 Upon arrival

Exchange USD → BRL in official place

🟢 Then deposit

Install app + register PIX key

🟢 In branch or with help

Start using PIX

🟢 Instantly

Retrieve money before departure

🟢 ATM or convert

🧠 Pro Tips from a “250 IQ” Perspective

• 🧾 Photocopy your CPF and passport and email yourself a copy.
  
  

• 📍 Use central bank branches or mall agencies — safer, faster service.
  
  

• 🧍 Always speak to a “gerente” (bank manager) if you face issues.
  
  

• 🧾 Keep your ATM receipts and exchange receipts for recordkeeping.
  
  

• 🧠 You can open the account in any city, and use it nationwide.

🇺🇸❌ TL;DR: No, as of today (June 2025), there is no U.S.-based digital wallet or bank that supports Pix Roaming natively.

That means:

• You cannot use Wells Fargo, Chase, Cash App, Venmo, Apple Pay, or Google Pay to scan a Pix QR code and pay directly in Brazil using dollars.
  
  

• PagBrasil’s Pix Roaming program exists, but currently supports only a small number of LATAM wallets, and the U.S. is not yet onboard.
  
  

✅ Your Actual Options (as an American)

Here are realistic ways you can use Pix while visiting Brazil:

🔵 Option 1: Open a Brazilian digital account as a foreigner

You’ll need:

• A CPF (Brazilian tax ID) — you can apply online or through a consulate.
  
  

• A Brazilian address (can be temporary/hotel in some cases).
  
  

• A Brazilian phone number (SIM card).
  
  

Once you have that, you can open accounts with:

• Nubank
  
  

• Banco Inter
  
  

• Wise (Brazilian branch, via BRL balance)
  
  

• Banco do Brasil Americas (rare)
  
  

➡ These will give you a Pix key and let you send/receive money via Pix like a local.

🔵 Option 2: Use Wise + a friend’s Pix key

If you don’t want to open a Brazilian account but know someone in Brazil, you can:

1. Fund your Wise account in USD.
   
   

2. Convert to BRL balance inside Wise.
   
   

3. Use Wise to send BRL to a Pix key (e.g., your friend or a vendor with a workaround).
   
   

⚠️ But this is not the same as scanning Pix QR codes at stores — it’s a manual workaround.

🔵 Option 3: Use a prepaid international card or cash

This is your fallback:

• Bring an international debit card (Wise, Revolut, Charles Schwab).
  
  

• Withdraw cash from ATMs or pay with card where accepted.
  
  

• Use cash to pay local vendors who don’t take cards (Pix is for locals).
  
  

📣 Pix Roaming: Not Ready for U.S. Tourists (Yet)

The idea of using your U.S. banking app to scan a Pix QR code is real, but not currently available to Americans. PagBrasil is expanding regionally in LATAM first. No date has been given for U.S. rollout.

📝 Final Advice

If you really want to pay with Pix:

• Get your CPF.
  
  

• Set up a Brazilian fintech account (Nubank, Inter, etc.).
  
  

• Load it via Wise or Remitly from your U.S. bank.
  
  

• Pay locally with full Pix power (QR codes, strings, instant transfers).
  
  

Let me know and I can walk you through CPF + Nubank setup or a Wise + Pix strategy depending on how deep you want to go.

Would you like a step-by-step checklist for the CPF + Pix account route?