Expert: Edison - 1/26/2009

Question
My Fiancee and I want to move to brazil but what are the steps what do I have to do first and then so on and so forth! How much money should I save up so we can live off it till we both get jobs! How much would rent be average for a year in rio as thats were we want to move and i wanna make sure we are set with money just in case it takes a while for a job! What kind of visa do we get how do we get it! Please help im stressing out alot! Thanks

Answer
Hello Katelyn,

I don't want to discourage, but it is not easy to get a Brazilian working permission. Also, it is be very hard to get a good job in Brazil without knowing Portuguese well.   

You could make some money by giving private English lessons, but not enough to pay your bills.  

The cost of housing depends where you live. But you would need at least US$ 1,500 per month for a reasonable life there.

Visa information can be found on the web site your country's Brazilian embassy:
http://www.mre.gov.br/ingles/endereco/embaixadas3.asp

Check these sites for job searching:
http://www.anyworkanywhere.com/jcg_br.html
http://www.the-backpacking-site.com/countries/brazil-working.html
http://www.consbrasmontreal.org/english/estrageiros.aspx
http://www.catho.com.br
http://www.manager.com.br
http://www.peopleconsulting.com.br

You can get a lot of tips about living in Rio from expatriates in Brazil:
http://www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/living/living_abroad/living_in_brazil
http://www.expat-blog.com/en/directory/south-america/brazil/
http://www.expatriates.com/classifieds/brazil/

Good luck!

Edison