Whether you are planning to move to Brazil or take a long vacation, you should educate yourself on the financial system before you leave the United States. You may then decide to either transfer money to Brazil prior to your arrival, or simply use a prepaid debit card while you are there. Either way, some knowledge about Brazilian currency and banks is advised.

Brazil's currency is the Real, which is called the Reais in plural form. Currently, $1 USD is equal to 1.77858 Real, thought this rate changes often so you should check it right before you leave. If your bank in the United States does not exchange money, you might choose to wait until you arrive to do so. However, it is usually best to have some Reais when you get to Brazil, in case you cannot easily find a place to exchange the money.

The majority of Brazilian airports offer exchange services. Additionally, scattered throughout the country are exchange rate shops called Cambio. These usually offer some of the best rates you will find for changing your U.S. dollars to Brazilian Reais. If you do not want to bring a lot of cash with you in either currency, there is another option.

You will find that it is often expensive to transfer money to Brazil through a bank. Many people prefer to open a bank account in the country they move to in order to get around high fees for wiring money. However, if you had planned to transfer money to Brazil in this way, be warned that you cannot open an account until you arrive in the country. You could still keep your U.S. account open and transfer all your funds once you open a new account, but there are easier ways to arrive in the country with money to spend.

If you want to get around the high fees and inconvenience of exchanging or wiring money, you can use a prepaid debit card. You would just send a debit card to yourself using your preferred prepaid debit card service, and then add funds from your bank account as you need them. You would then bring the card with you to Brazil and either withdraw cash in Reais, or use the card at retail shops and restaurants. Larger cities like Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Salvador have widespread ATMs and retailers that accept debit cards. One warning is that some visors and residents alike have had problems getting cash out of an ATM on weekends or after most banks have closed. For this reason, if you plan to use a prepaid debit card in Brazil, try to get cash out while you are in the larger cities during bank business hours.

If you hope to transfer money to Brazil using a bank, expect to pay some fees. If you think you can get by using a prepaid debit card, it is advised in order to avoid high fees, as it only costs $5 to transfer any amount of money. Either way, it is best to decide in advance of your vacation or move so you can budget accordingly.