About DavidNZ

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Some Forum Posts:

Brazil: Duties:

Hi T, You don't say where you will be sending your effects from, which may be a deciding factor. I recently sent my effects from New Zealand and had a terrible experience. I selected an international and reputable moving company and had great service in NZ. The problems started when my goods arrived in Rio de Janeiro. They sat on the port for almost 5 months. I had all the appropriate clearances etc but it was a case of priority is given to mining and petroleum imports first and people like us are relegated to the last place for customer clearance. Before my goods left NZ I paid my account which included R$3,250 in port clearance fees. I paid for a full door-to-door service. After the 5 months of sitting on the port, when I finally received an email from my removal company to say that clearance had been achieved they said the the customs agents needed another R$8,750 in port charges (mainly storage charges because of the delay). They said that NZ would pay R$3,250 (that's the amount that I had pre-paid for port charges…as per the quote received from the Rio office of the moving company). In the end I had to pay and extra R$5,500 to get my goods. I'm currently in negotiation with the moving company to receive either all or a major part of this money back. Howver, I have been waiting now for 3 months for this to be sorted out as well. I'm giving them one more week and then will file a claim through the small claims courts in NZ. Unfortunately, according to my contract any legal action must be made in NZ, which is unfortunate as the NZ office was fantastic but their Rio office is the worst I have ever experienced. My advice to you is minimize what you want to bring and, if you can, bring it with you.

Brazil: married, moving here, visa and customs regs:

It sounds like you are at the beginning of the process if you have been here for 4 months only. Just a heads up for you, your trip to PF may be the first of many. You are going to need a lot of forms, some which you will be able to obtain here in Brasil while others you will need to get back in the UK and have officially authenticated by the Brasilian Embassy in the UK. When you go to PF they will give you a form with all the details. Usually you get the visa extension once you submit all the forms but they will be able to advise you on that.

Brazil: Best Place to Live in Brazil:

Hi, I live in Rio and it's a great city for young people. The beaches are great and it has a varied nightlife scene. The Zona Sul are of Rio is expensive but there are other options within Rio that will give you a smaller city feel at a morte affordable cost of living. For example, Barra de Tijuca and Recreio are large beach neighbourhoods to the west of the city. Or there are the ocean beaches of Niteroi to the east of the city. Both options are about 1- 1.5 hours by public transport to Centro (depending on traffic flow). Barra and Recreio are especially good for beach life. This are is known as the Miami of Rio. It has many huge shopping malls but is a place where having a car is an advantage as the metro will not reach here until 2016. Hope this helps.

Brazil: police check for residency:

Hi, I'm from New Zealand and living in Brasil and just submitted my list of documents to Police Federal. I have a few tips. Any documents that originate from outside of Brasil will need to be authenticated by the Brasilian Embassy in the country where the document originated. Contact your local Brasilian Embassy for details. Take a copy of everything before you submit them. Any documents originated in Brasil are best to be authenticated at a notary here. Hope this helps.

Brazil: Gays to Brazil:

Hi, I'm a New Zealander living in Rio de Janeiro with my same sex husband. I have lived here for 1 year. We had our civil union in NZ last December and submitted my visa and work applications in February. No problem with the visa but a major issue with the work visa. The law in Brasil is very clear regarding discrimination based on sexual orientation. It is illegal. However, the Minister of Work here in Brasil has decreed that a foreigner "gringo" who has a civil union partnership with a Brasilian is not allowed to work. So, discrimination is unfortunately alive and well here and surprisingly comes from high levels. I am currently suing the Ministry of Works and Police Federal for the right to work. I've had my first stumbling block in that the judge requires written proof from the Ministry showing that they deny me the right to work. This will take a bit of effort to get but I am determined to see an end to this petty discrimination so will pursue it to a conclusion.

Brazil: How bad is the crime thing, really?:

My experience being a New Zealander living in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro is that it's just like anywhere, There are parts that are relatively safe (Zone Sul Rio de Janeiro) and there are parts that you just would'nt want to or need to go to (Zona Norte). Saying that some friends rwere robbed at a bus stop on a Saturday afternoon in Copacabana. The news here loves reporting crime. I remember when I did a Psyc 101 paper something about peoples perception of crime is much higher than their actual exposure to it becuase of media over-reporting it. Crime here is not just murders and gangs it is also fraud and theft which I have sadly experienced three times now. You need to be really careful when using your credit/debit card anywhere. Luckily my bank in NZ has reimbursed me for the R$5,800 that was taken from my account. With that said, it's a marvelous country, the vast majority of people are fantastic but as a gringo you are definitely a target...just try not to look or act like one.

Date Joined:

3/6/2012

Total Posts:

8

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