A Guide of How to Live in Brazil

Starting life in a new country and having to adapt yourself to a new culture is always a challenging task, especially when the little that is known about the destination country, in this case Brazil, may not be positive.

However, in order to clarify your questions and offer a reliable portrait of the country, on behalf of EMDOC Servi?os Especializados we prepared this brief guide on what it is like to live in Brazil. If you find yourself in this situation, we recommend reading the article.

An overview of Brazil

Brazil is a country of continental dimensions, the largest in South America and the fifth largest nation in the world. With a coastline of 7,491 kilometers along the Atlantic Ocean, it borders all South American countries except Chile and Ecuador.

According to the last census, the population of Brazil is over 212 million people. S?o Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Bahia, Distrito Federal and Ceará are the most populous states. Amazonas is the Brazilian state with the largest territorial extension.

Regarding the administrative division, the Federative Republic of Brazil has 27 autonomous federative units, 26 of which are states and one federal district. Regarding the political division, the Brazilian State is formed by the union of Three Powers that act in different areas:

• Executive Power: responsible for administering the interests of the people, enforcing laws, and dividing administrative management in education, health, security, urban mobility, among other areas, among the three levels of government.
• Legislative Power: responsible for producing the laws that will guide our society in order to regulate life in common;
• Judiciary Power: responsible for defending the rights of individuals, legal entities, animals or the environment. In this way, it promotes justice and resolves conflicts that may arise in society.

The weather

In Brazil, about 78% of the territory is at altitudes below 500m and only about 0.5% exceeds 1,200m. In this sense, the predominant climate in the country is temperate tropical.

The Brazilian summer is defined by warm temperatures and rainy weather, with an average temperature between 30o C and 38o C, mainly in the period between December and February. In winter, the temperature is a little colder, recording an average of 10o C to 22o C and the rains are less frequent, especially in the months of July and August.

Economy

Regarding the Brazilian economy, agriculture is responsible for a large part of exportation. Currently, Brazil is ranked by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as the thirteenth largest economy in the world.

The Brazilian currency is the Real (R$) and can be found in banknotes in the values of R$ 2.00, R$ 5.00, R$ 10.00, R$ 20.00, R$ 50.00, R$ 100.00 and R$ 200.00, in addition to coins. Foreign nationals can exchange their money or travelers checks for Reais at travel agencies, banks, hotels and currency exchange bureaus (as long as they are indicated by a local agent).

Natural diversity

The Brazilian tropical climate associated with the geographic context (relief) provides the formation of large hydrographic basins, giving the country an extraordinary abundance of animal and botanical species. The Amazon Forest and the Pantanal of Mato Grosso are two of the largest biological reserves in the world.

Also, due to our wide coastline, Brazil has beautiful beaches. In addition, it has numerous waterfalls, rivers and lagoons distributed throughout the country. With regard to biomes, Brazil is made up of the Amazon, Caatinga, Cerrado, Atlantic Forest, Pampa and Pantanal.

How is the Brazilian People?

Brazil was colonized by Portugal, but not only since we received people from all over the world. Thus, the Roman Catholic religion is predominant in the country, which also has a significant number of Protestants. Brazilian cuisine received influences from indigenous, African and Europeans.

Therefore, there is a great diversity of typical dishes in each state. For breakfast, Brazilians usually have espresso or coffee with milk accompanied by bread with butter or cheese. In terms of personality, Brazilians are known for their hospitality and receptivity. This makes Brazilian culture less individualistic and more social, with a greater sense of collectivity.

These are the main characteristics that you need to know before establishing residency in Brazil. However, to learn more about other aspects not mentioned here, read ABC do Estrangeiro, a book prepared by EMDOC Servi?os Especializados that explains everything about this experience.

How to establish your residency in Brazil?

The Brazilian migration process is complex for those who do not know it. The residence permit is granted to the immigrant who intends to work or reside and settle temporarily or permanently in Brazil.

If this is your case, we have good news for you: don't worry about the application process. To speed up and make your adaptation as smooth as possible, you can count on EMDOC.

We have been in the global mobility industry for over 36 years, which allows us to be an authority on the subject. With the relocation service, we provide everything you need to settle in the country, from choosing a house to hiring services.

In addition, we offer intercultural training, which consists of providing the necessary guidance for you and your family to become culturally acquainted with the diversity of Brazil. Visit our website now and learn more about our work: https://www.emdoc.com/contact-us