Do you need to call your family and friends back home but are a little broke to pay for it?

Don’t worry, we have the perfect solution for you! (but maybe not so perfect for whoever you are calling, ;D)

Here is how you can make an international collect call:

A Brazilian phone company (Embratel) offers a semi-automatic service for international collect calls. You just have to call 0800 703 21 11 from any phone (even the public ones), and follow the instructions given by the operator (the service is available in English as well). You will be asked to give the number you wish to speak to and the call has to be approved by the receiver.

Now if want to make a national collect call, the procedure is a little different:

–         For a local call, dial 9090 + telephone  number

–         For a long distance call, dial 90 + operator code + area code + phone number

Telephone numbers in Brazil have eight digits. To make a long distance call, you will need a two-digit area code (e. g. Curitiba is 41, Florianópolis is 48, Rio de Janeiro is 21.You have to check what is the code for the city you want to call) and a two-digit operator code (phone companies that are responsible for generating the call. You can choose whatever company you prefer, e. g. Oi is 14, Embratel is 21).

To make a long distance collect call to Curitiba using Embratel, for example: 90 21 41 + 8-digit phone number.

After the person you are calling to picks up, you both will hear a little tune and a female voice that says that you are making/receiving a collect call. If no one hangs up, you are good to go! Talk away!

If you have other questions or suggestions for posts about life in Brazil, don’t hesitate and leave a comment below!