So how did I move to Brazil?

Hi all,

I am becoming very Carioca. Today was the beautiful sunny day, and I was able to knock off at noon. So rather than do the things I should have been doing, I went to the beach. And good lord was it great! Perfect weather. And it´s the winter break at the universities, so the scenery was incredible!

Makes me happy to be self-employed.

Which segues nicely into my post of today…

Last weekend I traded e-mails with Aleks from Copenhagen. (You have to love the internet. Here I am in Rio and some guy in Denmark stumbles across my blog.) Aleks visited Brazil 3 times a few years ago. He asked:

But, am mostly curious about how you were able to just move to Brasil, how you are able to stay there permanently in terms of a visa, and how about money? I mean, you need to work in order to pay your bills in Brasil right or how do you do it moneywise?

Am sure lots are interesting in moving to another country for whatever reasons (i.e. better weather, women, etc.), but the logistics like paperwork to stay and money to live for are 2 of the more important things that a person need to know about to go about. Perhaps you can share your thoughts about this?

So here is my reply:

To enter Brazil, you will probably need to obtain a visa. US and Canadian citizens do, though British citizens do not. Tourist visas are not difficult to obtain, and I’ve never heard of anyone being declined, but they are an additional hurdle which seems to deter many would-be visitors from coming to Brazil.

A tourist visa allows you to stay for 180 days. Actually, you may stay for 90 days, after which you must leave the country, though you can come right back. Jaunts to Buenos Aires are popular. Alternatively, you can visit the Federal Police (in Rio, the office is located in Galeao Airport) and obtain an extension.

I did neither. Since I knew that I planned to overstay the 180-day limit, I just did nothing. Actually, many visitors do this. The police do not come looking for you. There are no periodic roundups and deportations.

The problem is that you can’t leave the country and return freely.

What happens is that, once you do leave Brazil, the authorities will see that you’ve overstayed your visa and you will have to pay a fine. The fine currently is 8 reais per day (roughly US$5), capped at 800 reais. You also may not be allowed back in the country for the balance of the calendar year, or for a year. I’ve heard both versions. But you won’t be whisked off to Guantanamo and waterboarded.

I got lucky. Shortly after my visa expired and I officially became a wetback, President Lula announced an amnesty program. Provided you met a few minimal requirements (no criminal record, arrival in Brazil between certain specified dates), you could present yourself at the Federal Police and apply for amnesty.

So now I am legal. One day I will be able to pick up my national identity card. Meanwhile, I have a stamp in my passport. At Christmastime, I was able to return to the US to see for family and friends, and then to return to Brazil. A few questions, a few minutes delay, but no problems. Thanks, Lula!

What do I do here? A little travel journalism, but my main profession is English teacher to the stars. Actually, most of my students are businessmen or businesswomen, with a few attorneys thrown in. There is a lot of opportunity here if you are professional and reliable. I make a decent if not extravagant living teaching about 5 hours a day Monday through Thursday. You have to figure in preparation time, travel time, and idle time waiting for the next class. Still, all in all its not a bad life.´(Did I mention that I took off this afternoon to go to the beach?)

Actually, I am currently writing a book about teaching English in Brazil. If you might happen to be interested, drop a line and let me know so I can notify you when it´s ready.

Well, I need to go take care of a couple things. See you tomorrow with a Friday Postcard. If you have questions about life in Brazil, drop me a line: john@johninbrazil.org.

Ate breve, gente!

John

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