All About POAPorto Alegre

How to move to Porto Alegre

The practical sequence: visa, CPF, short-term housing, a bank account, then a lease.

This guide is the order of operations for moving to Porto Alegre from another country. If you already live in Brazil, skip to finding an apartment.

Before you move

Save money

You need cash before the first salary lands. Set aside money for:

  • Short-stay housing for 2–6 weeks. A furnished studio near Centro, Bom Fim or Cidade Baixa runs R$2,000–R$4,500 a month in 2026. These neighbourhoods are the best served for supermarkets, gyms and transit, and the most walkable in the city. Skip other areas unless you plan to have a car.

  • The rental guarantee. If you cannot produce a local guarantor (fiador), you will pay a security deposit (caução), often three months of rent, or rental guarantee insurance (seguro-fiança), roughly 8–15% of a year’s rent up front.

  • First month + condo fee (condomínio) + IPTU. Agencies want this on signing day, via PIX.

  • CPF and visa fees. A few hundred reais to a few thousand, depending on the consulate and whether you use a despachante.

  • A winter coat. Porto Alegre is not tropical. July nights drop below 5°C. At some times of year it is colder inside than outside.

Use the cost of living calculator to set a number. A comfortable single life here is roughly R$6,000–R$9,000 a month including rent. A family of four, excluding rent, is about R$11,600 on 2026 Numbeo figures.

Pick a visa

If you are not Brazilian and not from Mercosul, you cannot “just stay.” The useful paths in 2026:

  • Tourist eVisa: 90 days. The Polícia Federal can extend toward 180 in a 12-month window. Good for a scouting trip. It does not let you work.
  • VITEM XIV (digital nomad): US$1,500/month foreign income or US$18,000 in savings. One year, renewable once.
  • Family reunion: Brazilian spouse, união estável, or a Brazilian child.
  • Work visa (VITEM V): a Brazilian employer sponsors you.
  • Retirement / investor: pension of US$2,000/month, or a real investment.

Read Brazilian visas. Apply before you ship furniture.

Get a CPF

A CPF is the key that opens banks, SIMs, leases, and the Receita Federal. Get it at a consulate before you fly, or at Receita / Banco do Brasil / Correios after you land. Without it you are a tourist with cash.

How to get a CPF →

Prefer short-term rentals before you move

Besides Airbnb, many furnished studios now come with coworking, a gym, and even a small convenience shop in the building. They are a good way to spend the first month while you learn the city.

Your first month

  1. Land at Salgado Filho (POA). The airport is close to the centre. Uber is a solid option and a normal fare is at most R$25. If you want Trensurb, you have to take the aeromóvel. Buses are also easy depending on where you are staying. After dark, take Uber.
  2. Buy a SIM. You can buy one in pharmacies and supermarkets. If you already have a bank account, Nubank also sells a convenient, fairly cheap data plan.
  3. Open a bank account. Nubank or C6 are practical options for newcomers. Without a CPF you will not open an account.
  4. Get proof of address. Use a utility bill or a hotel/Airbnb declaration. You need it for the bank, the phone plan, and later the CRNM.
  5. Start the Polícia Federal process if you are converting a visa into residence. Appointments go through MigranteWeb(opens in a new tab).
  6. Walk the neighbourhoods at the hours you will live in them. Cidade Baixa at 11am is not Cidade Baixa at 1am. The orla on a weekend is not the orla on a Wednesday at 3pm. Visit the same place at different times of day.
  7. Ask every listing about the 2024 flood. Ground floors near the Guaíba and the Arroio Dilúvio carry real risk. Read floods.

Moving checklist →

After you have a lease

If you are coming from another Brazilian city

You still need proof of address here. A Porto Alegre agency may prefer a local fiador or paid seguro-fiança to a rental history from another city. “Near the metro” means little here, so use a street or a landmark.