Planning – Things to do before you travel

The first thing to do is decide to study Portuguese in Brazil at the Federal University of Parana (UFPR) Celin language school. Português como Lingua Estrangeira (PLE), Portuguese as a foreign language is taught in 90 hour modules over eight weeks. Courses start 5 times a year in late-January, early-April, mid-June, mid-August and mid-October. If in doubt check out the course details and starting dates  on the intercambiohelp4u website at  www.intercambiohelp4u.com/.

UFPR

In my opinion you need to book your course at least one month before the start date and preferably two as you will need this time to get your documentation organised. Booking your curse with intercambiohelp4U is the first step and you can pay for it in the UK in pounds sterling or Euros without having the hassle of having to do an international transfer in Brazilian Reais. Within two weeks of booking and paying for your course you will receive an official invitation letter from Celin, which is required if you are going to apply for a student visa.

Celin Logo

Celin School

Do I Need a Visa to Study at Celin?                                                                                                                             The answer to the question is it depends. I went through the process of applying for and obtaining a student visa, however, it is not strictly necessary. Most information you read states that if you are to study at a Brazilian University then you should apply for a student visa at your local Brazilian Consulate before you travel. However, if your course lasts for less than 90 days then a visa is not required. If you wish to open a bank account on your arrival in Brazil then you will need a student visa. If you are intending to study for more than 90 days even though your first course lasted less than 90 days you need to obtain a student visa before you travel. It is relatively easy to extend a student visa within Brazil but impossible to apply for one from within the country.

Student VisaMost student visas are valid for 12 months, however, for some reason mine is only  valid for three. If you need help applying for your student visa, then CartorioHelp4U, a sister company of IntercambioHelp4U, has experts who deal with the Brazilian Consulate in London on a daily basis. In the UK student visa applications have to be made online, you will need a police check to see if you have any convictions, this can be obtained through any police station but can take several weeks, a quicker but more expensive option is to use ACRO Criminal Records Office www.acro.police.uk where a certificate is normally issued within 10 working days. In addition to your police check and invitation letter from Celin, you will need a passport photo, a bank statement showing you have at least the equivalent of USD 2,000 and a copy of your passport. All these documents must be scanned and uploaded to the consular website, you can then go online and book an appointment. All original documents must be taken to your interview. If any are incorrect your application may be rejected. The issue of your visa from your interview takes 3 working days. If you do obtain a student visa and enter Brazil with it then by law you must register with the Federal police within 30 days of arrival, if you don’t you are liable for a fine for each day over the 30 days. I will do a separate post of registering with the Policia Federal as in theory it is straightforward, without a “Brazilian Buddy” it is not that easy.

What is a CPF and do I Need One?                                                                                                                             CPF stands for “Cadastro de Pessoas Física (Individual Taxpayer Registry.) It is a document that any person living in Brazil needs to, purchase a property, a car rent an apartment, open a bank account or activate a SIM card for a mobile telephone.  By law if you live in Brazil for less than 12 months you do not need to apply for a CPF. However, even though you can register and pay for your course at Celin, within the first 7 days after the course starts you will be asked for your CPF number. I had to provide a CPF number to rent an apartment                                                                     CPF 3At the checkout in a supermarket you will usually be asked if you want to register your CPF with the purchase, this allows you to claim some tax back at the end of the year, presumably you also have to pay tax.. A CPF is a unique number to you given once in your lifetime. You can apply for your CPF after arrival or before travel at your local Brazilian consulate.  It is reportedly easy to apply for a CPF in Brazil, You just have to fill up the application form at either any Banco do Brasil, Caixa Econômica Federal or Correios agency or directly at the Federal Revenue (Receita Federal). As a foreigner you will need the following documents. Your passport or other identity document applicable to your country of residence which must be translated by a certified translator. You can follow the status of your application on the internet, at Receita Federal’s website, using the attendance number provided during your application. Your CPF number should be available within 48 hours of your application.  Unless your Portuguese is good, but then why would you be applying to study Portuguese at Celin, or you have a “Brazilian Buddy” I recommend applying for your CPF, at your local Brazil consulate before you travel. Although it will take several weeks and sometime months to arrive, it takes all the hassle of having to do it on arrival, when you are new to the country, city and language. If you need help applying for your CPF in the UK then CartorioHelp4U can help you.

Other things worth doing before you leave home:

  • Photocopy the main pages of your passport so that whilst in Brazil you do not have to carry your actual passport with you. I had the photocopy of my passport certified at a local notary, not strictly needed, but more of a belt and braces job. You can have this done in your own country but it will probably cost more than the few pounds it costs in Brazil.
  • Make sure you have adequate travel insurance. Many policies only cover trips for up to 30 or 60 days, ensure your policy covers trips for up to 90 days or more if required.
  • Inform your bank of when you will be travelling and where to so that your debit and credit cards will not be blocked on arrival
  • Photocopy or scan all your documents including credit and debit cards

Useful Contacts:

IntercambioHelp4U

28A Queensway

London

W2 3RX

Tel: +44 207 636 8500

Email: intercambio@londonhelp4u.co.uk

www.intercambiohelp4u.com

 

CartorioHelp4U

28A Queensway

London

W2 3RX

Tel: +44 207 636 8500

Email: cartorio@londonhelp4u.co.uk

www.cartoriohelp4u.com

 

 

                                                 

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