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Moving to Curitiba? If you are in the planning stages of your move to Curitiba and have time, one of the best things you can do is to start learning Portuguese. Although these days you will hear quite a lot of English it is still difficult to get around without the language. Make sure that you learn Brazilian Portuguese. Packing Be sure to keep a very detailed inventory of what you pack, even down to the number of shirts and dresses in each carton. You will have to provide this inventory (in Portuguese) to clear your things through Brazilian customs. If you are bringing electrical items it is useful to make a note of the serial number and model on the carton and the inventory. If you have an unusual number of electrical or electronic goods, be prepared to explain why they are part of your household goods. What to bring Electrical goods (110v/US standard) - there is a limited but reasonable range of all electrical items here although electric kettles are sometimes hard to find. Some houses do have 220v available, but the cycles are still at 60, so only goods that do not use motors (such as kettles) should be brought. It would be useful to bring a couple of transformers. Electronic goods (110v/US standard) - again there is a reasonable range here of televisions, radios, music systems, computers and printers. If you bring a television or VCR check compatibility (NTSC, PAL and PAL-M) and SAP function. See the section on Shopping for more details. Bring your favourite software. Beds and Bedding - beds in Brazil are both box spring and mattress combinations and mattresses lying on low wood bed frames. Beds are slightly different sizes from European beds or US. Queen sizes can be found but King sizes are more difficult to source. Cotton and wool blankets are scarce (most are acrylic), as are duvet (comforter) covers. An electric blanket or underblanket (available in Curitiba) can make a wonderful difference. Towels, like bedlinen, are easily available but for good quality, bring your own. Children's toys - the current favourites are probably already on your list but advance purchasing is highly recommended. Books & stationery - bring plenty for both adults and children. There are more and more English language books and magazines available but they are expensive. English language newspapers are not available. Bring what Portuguese language books you can get together with a good dictionary and a good general medical book. Christmas crackers are not used here, bring a selection of greeting cards, birthday cards and Christmas cards, as these are not widely used and the selection is poor, also only in Portuguese. Clothes - many foreigners find it hard to find clothes that suit them, especially in the beginning. Cosmetics - generally available except for Estee Lauder and Prescriptives, but they are expensive. Kitchen supplies - for great tea drinkers bring a supply of your favourite tea. Also cereal bowls, cake tins and baking pans. Cutlery does tend to be quite lightweight. Some things you don't need to bring Personal care products - toothpaste and shampoo to cotton swabs are readily available, often in familiar brands Kitchen supplies - such as pots and pans, plates, glasses etc. are readily available. When you first arrive Your shipment cannot arrive until you have your visa; so your accompanied baggage should contain enough clothes, books etc. for 3 or 4 months. Again until you have your visa you cannot open a bank account and will have to make arrangements for cash to be available. When you leave to collect your visa you must return to the country where your first visa was issued. It is useful to have a few US dollars in small notes the first time you enter Brazil in case you need to pay an entry tax if it hasn't been included on your ticket. You will not be able to acquire Brazilian currency overseas. São Paulo is the port of entry where you will have to clear immigration and customs even if you are continuing your journey. Don't forget.... Relevant medical records, immunization records, prescriptions for drugs you take regularly, prescriptions for eyeglasses.
Do you have more questions? Please feel free to e-mail us at iwcpcontact@yahoo.com.br and we will do our best to help you. Return to the newcomer’s guide information main page
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