Brazil
 Brazil
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Capital
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Brasilia
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Population
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198,739,269
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Area
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8,511,965 sq km
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Language
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Portuguese (official), other languages
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Currency
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Brazil, Real (BRL)
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1.000000R$ (BRL) = 0.569862$ (USD)
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Brazil, famous for Copacabana beach, coffee and beautiful women, is a huge country…it occupies over half of the South American continent and is the 5th largest in the world. Discovered by Portuguese explorers in the 16th century, it retains its cultural mix of European settlers as well as native Indians and a number of African descendents. The main language is Portuguese along with English, Spanish and French.
2/3rds of the 188 million population are concentrated on the eastern, narrow coastal belt which is where the main cities are located; the greater proportion of the country is taken up by the vast Amazon Basin and its dense rainforest.
The climate ranges from tropical in the north east, to temperate in the south and the weather variables are incumbent upon the diversity of the landscape.
In winter temperatures in the south range from 13 to 18degC, with the odd frost; temperatures in the summer months, December to February are in the top 30sdegC. The northeast is drier, and the coastal towns cooler due to the sea breezes. Cities at altitude such as Sao Paulo and Brasilia are also cooler.
Although Brazil has a long history of economic and social problems, since 1985 when military rule was abandoned, the civilian government has slowly been trying to bring stability to the country. However, a vast proportion of this nation still remains in abject poverty, living in urban slums with the attending environmental problems. Despite all this Brazil remains an economic and regional power in Latin America.
Where to Live
Many of the expatiates currently living in Brazil are retirees and favour the coastal resorts such as Fortaleza or Ceara. These areas are cooler and less humid than the inland regions. It is easy to find all types of property to rent in these areas; there are a lot of Europeans with holiday homes here too. So short term rents are easy to find. Expats who live in the main cities tend to live in gated communities with 24 hours security. These have the advantage of being near shops, galleries, restaurants and cinemas, but do have the added problems of inner city crime.
There are some smaller towns such as Alphaville and Tambore, outside of the main cities which are popular with foreigners; these are cheaper in terms of rental but have the problem of commuting time into town.
Currently there are no restrictions on foreigners buying land or property (apart from agricultural land). You do not even have to have your residency in place before buying. Due to price rises in the country and the increasing numbers of expats moving to Brazil, rental prices, especially during high season – July/August and December, January and February, have increased significantly and rental properties are harder to come by.
Senior Living and Health
Brazil is an increasingly popular retirement destination due to the clement climate, low prices of property and cost of living. Foreign nationals over the age of 50 can apply for a retirement visa, the main requirement being that the retired person can transfer to a bank in Brazil a minimum of $2,000 per month. This transfer has to be properly documented. This visa applies to up to two dependents, but there must be an additional transfer of $1,000 per dependent/per month.
Brazil has double taxation agreements with a number of countries eg with Canada, the UK, and many other European countries. There is no double taxation agreement with the USA.
On arrival in Brazil, any holders of visas other than tourist visas, who are going to stay for more than 90 days have to register with the Federal Police, and obtain an identity card. To qualify for application for Brazilian citizenship, a foreign national has to have lived in Brazil for a minimum of 15 years and have no criminal record.
There are a number of serious health risks in Brazil, including dengue fever in urban areas, and endemic malaria and yellow fever in the Amazon and central western regions.
Brazil has a system of universal, government-funded healthcare, administered through the Sistema Unico de Saude (SUS) programme. Anyone can access this free healthcare at a SUS hospital, however due to underfunding and overcrowding it is an inefficient system and expatriates are better advised to have private insurance.
In tandem with the public healthcare system is an extensive system of private healthcare for those with private health insurance - private healthcare in Brazil is of a good standard, particularly in the main cities but is expensive. Good dental treatment is also available in Brazil. Cosmetic surgery is a growing industry and Brazil is now one of the prime destinations for ‘medical toursism’.
There are a number of private ambulance services in Brazil as well as the publicly-funded Servico de Assistencia Medica Urgente (SAMU), which is free to all citizens.
Infrastructure and safety
The public utilities are generally of a good standard, but there are occasional power cuts, mainly in the smaller cities and towns, and especially during the rainy season. Electricity is expensive, but utilities are often included in the rental charges for an apartment so this should be checked prior to signing an agreement. Utilities bills can be paid by electronic transfer from your Brazilian bank account.
Water is unsafe to drink straight from the tap in Brazil and should be boiled or sterilised, although the quality does vary from place to place.
Brazil is a technically-advanced country and has sophisticated telecommunications, internet and broadcasting facilities. The fixed-line market has been privatized and the four main operators are Telesp, Telemar, Brasil Telecom and Embratel. Mobile phones are a lot more popular than fixed-line telephones. Mobile phones mainly use the GSM system, and coverage varies in different parts of the country..pre paid costs are about 50 cents/minute. Brazil reportedly has the 10th largest number of internet users in the world, and this too is a huge area of growth.
Brazil has hundreds of TV channels and thousands of radio stations. Cable and satellite TV are both popular in Brazil and there are a number of English-language channels.
Intercity travel in Brazil is generally by road and there is a good network of long distance bus services. These services are reasonably priced but there have been instances of passenger bus hijacking. There is also a good network of inter city flights which is how most foreigners prefer to travel. Foreigners also prefer to hire drivers in town rather than taking a taxi as this is generally safer. Road conditions vary widely; some of the highways are well maintained, but in town roads are variable. Driving at night is best avoided. There are still some tourist railway services, but no longer any big commercial network.
Food is generally very cheap particularly beef, and fresh fruit and vegetables are always available, although meats should be well cooked and vegetables well washed before consuming. It is not safe to drink the tap water so buy bottled water for drinking and boil the tap water for cooking. Dairy products are safe in the urban areas, but take care in the rural areas.
The Brazilians are generally friendly and helpful, but as foreigner, or ‘gringo’ you will be seen as fair game for the dual pricing structure that exists for almost any goods or services. Having said all that, Brazil is a vibrant country with some of the most fabulous beaches in the world, great climate and fabulous carnival atmosphere almost all year round.