Russian community in Florianópolis: first steps and daily life

Deciding to move to Florianópolis is the easy part. The first ninety days call for a sequence of paperwork that almost nobody gets right by improvising. The order matters: CPF before bank account, bank account before a postpaid phone plan, and a SUS health card within the first week even without a medical emergency. On top of that official layer sits an informal one that is just as useful. A Russian-speaking community that has already been through it now counts more than 1,170 people registered in the city alone.

The first steps, in the order that avoids repeat trips

Each step depends on the one before it. Starting with the wrong document means redoing a line you already stood in.

1. CPF (Cadastro de Pessoa Física). It is free and issued at a Receita Federal office, Banco do Brasil, Caixa Econômica Federal, or the post office (Correios). A passport is the only document needed, and the number is usually issued within one business day. Banks, phone carriers, and health units ask for it as the first identifying detail, so it is worth handling in the first week.
2. Bank account. Traditional banks —Itaú, Bradesco, Banco do Brasil, Caixa— require the Carteira de Registro Nacional Migratório (CRNM, the document that replaced the old RNE), the CPF, and proof of address under 60 days old. Digital banks, Nubank among them, in some cases accept the provisional Federal Police protocol while the CRNM is being processed. That speeds up account opening for new arrivals, though the CPF stays mandatory either way. About 650,000 foreign residents hold active accounts at Brazilian banks today, according to a 2026 survey by ZS Advogados.
3. SIM card. Since 2014, a passport alone is enough to buy a prepaid SIM at a physical Vivo, Claro, TIM, or Oi store. Switching to a postpaid monthly plan does require the CPF. Tourist plans start at low prices and work as a bridge until the rest of the paperwork is settled.
4. SUS health card. It is requested at any Unidade Básica de Saúde (UBS) by presenting the CPF and either the provisional protocol or the CRNM. It is free and grants access to the entire national public health network, not only Santa Catarina's.

Healthcare: the public network plus a private plan as backup

Brazil's Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) treats any foreigner present in the country, whether their residency is settled or still in process, at no cost. Registration happens once. The Cartão Nacional de Saúde then works at any public health unit in the country, not just the one where it was issued.

A large share of the foreign community in Florianópolis pairs SUS with a private health plan (convênio médico) to cut wait times for routine appointments. Price depends on age and coverage. An entry-level individual plan such as Unimed Personal starts at R$ 271,87 per month for the youngest age bracket, according to public operator tables surveyed in 2025. Group plans, contracted through an employer, tend to run cheaper than individual ones.

The Slavic network: support among those who already arrived

Florianópolis's Russian-speaking community organizes mainly through Telegram. Communities aimed at Slavic speakers in the city reach more than 10,000 members, according to a Seu Dinheiro report from September 2026. Smaller, more personal WhatsApp groups add to that. One of them, cited by journalist Beatriz Rohde, brought together about 130 people from what its own members call the Russian diaspora. There, neighborhood recommendations, contacts for Russian-speaking doctors, and notices for community dinners circulate.

The footprint shows up offline too. In the Ingleses neighborhood, on the north of the island, there are already signs in Russian and businesses catering to that public. Since January 2022, 141 businesses owned by Russian nationals have been formally registered in Santa Catarina, about 12% of those who arrived. They include cafés, wellness studios, saunas, and beauty salons, according to the same survey.

What to expect in the first weeks

Brazilian bureaucracy moves through in-person visits and scheduled appointments, not instant resolution. Keep a physical and digital copy of every document —CPF, Federal Police protocol, proof of address— since they get requested repeatedly across processes that are not linked to one another. Portuguese, not English or Russian, is the working language at notary offices (cartórios), banks, and health units. The already-settled Slavic community tends to be the fastest resource for one-off vocabulary or paperwork questions while the local language is still not fluent.

Sources

• Seu Dinheiro — "Turismo de parto e sauna da Sibéria: como Florianópolis se tornou a capital da Rússia no Brasil" (September 2026).
• ndmais — "Russos trocam a neve pelas praias de Florianópolis e capital já conta com mais de 1,3 mil imigrantes em 15 anos" (August 2026).
• JDV — "Imigrante da Sibéria conta por que milhares de russos estão vindo para Santa Catarina".
• ZS Advogados Associados — "Conta Bancária no Brasil para Estrangeiro: Requisitos 2026" (March 2026).
• ZS Advogados Associados — "CPF para Estrangeiro: Como Obter Antes e Depois de Chegar" (January 2026).
• Tudo Sobre Documento — "Guia Completo para Solicitar o Cartão do SUS para Estrangeiros".
• Seu Convênio — Unimed Personal Florianópolis price table (surveyed 2025).
• Como Comprar — "Como Comprar Chip de Celular 2026 (TIM, Vivo, Claro)"; ACEL — foreigners and prepaid SIM cards with passport only.
• Beatriz Rohde (Medium) — "Do inverno russo às praias de Florianópolis".