Expert: Sandra - 8/30/2010

Question
Oi,
I am from Saudi Arabia, I work and live there. I have a
bachelor degree in English. I have a Brazilian girlfriend,
from São Paulo. We got together for several times. Our plan
now is to get married and live in Brazil. So, I have some
things in my mind I have to know before I come to Brazil.

1- Is it possible that I can get my bachelor degree's
certificate validated(attested) in Brazil? If yes, how? so I
can have a better chance finding a job there ( I have 5
years experience as an English teacher, and I plan to learn
Portuguese )
2- Which visa is the best for my situation here? ( If i
can't go as a worker )
3- What do I need to do to get married when I arrive there ?
4- What is the cost of life in São Paulo? I mean, how much
do I need to be paid per month? to cover rent, food, grocery
and transportation. ( General opinion is more than enough )
5- What obstacles or problems could prevent me of doing
this? what are the chances of not achieving all this? ( I
can at least just go there and get married first, the degree
validation and the job can be solved after, i guess )

Sorry for all these questions, but I really need to know
what I am doing and if I can do it. Also, I have at least
one complete year, before I actualy do all this. So, I need
to know how prepared I should be.


Obrigado.

Answer
1- Is it possible that I can get my bachelor degree's certificate validated(attested) in Brazil?

Yes, there is an official agency that does this.
Note: An English teacher probably would not make sufficient salary to survive comfortably in Sao Paulo

2- Which visa is the best for my situation here?

You would go on a tourist visa to get married. When married, you would apply for permanencia, which comes with permission to work.

3- What do I need to do to get married when I arrive there?

Your girlfriend needs to go to the Cartorio that she intends to use to ask for a list of documents they require. (Each is an independent business and this can therefore vary.) All of your documents need to be recognized at the Brazilian Consulate that has jurisdiction over where they were emitted. Then they must be translated in Brazil by an official translator. (And while you are doing this process, add to the list a police report that will be needed for your permanencia application.) Then your girlfriend can take your documents and hers to the Cartorio and apply for a marriage date (usually a month after submitting documents).You might want to draw up a procuracao (power of attorney) allowing her to do some of this on your behalf before your arrival.

4- What is the cost of life in São Paulo? I mean, how much do I need to be paid per month? to cover rent, food, grocery and transportation. (General opinion is more than enough)

To have a decent, comfortable life in Sao Paulo, which has a high cost of living, would probably take about R$10,000/month. To live more cheaply, you might live on the outskirts of the city and spend several hours per day commuting through heavy city traffic.

5- What obstacles or problems could prevent me of doing this? what are the chances of not achieving all this? ( I can at least just go there and get married first, the degree validation and the job can be solved after, i guess )

Most jobs, as many other things in Brazil, depend on contacts, who you and your family (or girlfriend’s family) knows. It takes time for you to make these contacts as a new arrival, so you should have considerable savings on which to live for the first year or so.
There are many well trained Brazilians, who are under or un-employed, who are your competition for jobs.
You need to have fluent Portuguese, without which you will find the going even tougher.

Good luck.