In case of acceptance for the SãMBio double degree program, some organisational arrangements have to be taken care of before and after arrival in Brazil. These should be prepared at least 3 months before the departure. The most important points are listed below.
For a longterm stay in Brazil (more than 3 months), you need to apply for an appropriate visa at the Brazilian Consulate General. Please note that there are three different consulates in Germany. Which of these consulate is responsible, depends on the location of your official residence where you are registered. The Consulate General in Frankfurt am Main is responsible for Münster.
A visa is absolutely necessary and the application process should be started as early as possible, but not more than 90 days before the arrival in Brazil. It is advisable to take care of the necessary documents immediately after your acceptance in the SãMBio double degree program, as they can take some time to be issued. The visa application is realized online and requires the upload as well as the physical sending of the needed documents and your passport to the consulate by post. Normally no personal appearance is necessary. After approximately 10 days the passport including the visa will be returned together with all the necessary documents.
Further information about the visa application process can also be found on the consulate's website.
Necessary Documents
Once all the documents listed below have been gathered, the online application for a visa can be submitted. To do this, the relevant forms need to be filled out online together with the upload of the required documents. Afterwards, the completed online application with the corresponding documents need to be printed, signed and physically sent to the Consulate General by post.
It should be noted that all documents listed below, including the passport, remain at the Consulate General during the application processing. All documents except for the copy of the birth certificate need be sent as an original and no copies are accepted. A stamped, self-addressed envelope needs to be enclosed for the return of the documents. Visas and documents will only be returned as a registered letter.
Documents |
Further Information |
| passport |
|
| birth certificate |
|
|
biometric photo |
|
| certificate or letter of invitation of USP |
|
| certificate of the DAAD scholarship |
|
| criminal record |
|
| proof of valid health insurance for abroad |
|
| certificate of enrollment at the University of Münster |
|
The preliminary visa requires further organisational steps by the Polícia Federal in Brazil. If there are further questions regarding the visa, the respective consulate can also be contacted directly by via e-mail to visa.frankfurt@itamaraty.gov.br.
Before traveling to Brazil, vaccination advice and appropriate vaccinations are absolutely necessary. It is advisable to think about possible travel within South America in advance, as many vaccinations are only necessary in certain regions and not in São Paulo. Since vaccinations against yellow fever or rabies are not standard vaccinations, the costs incurred must initially be borne by the patient. However, many health insurance companies reimburse these costs in part or in full.
In Münster, there are several contact persons for vaccination advice. The vaccination clinic at the UKM and the ZfS are recommended. Both are approved as official WHO yellow fever vaccination centers. It should be taken care of the desired vaccinations early, since rabies, among other things, requires three injections until the desired immunization.
If necessary, vaccinations against yellow fever can be obtained free of charge at the airport in São Paulo. It should be noted that the vaccination protection comes only after about 10 days. Please also consider the current Corona guidelines in Brazil for the entry.
There are no direct flights from many smaller airports in NRW or Germany. A travel time of about 14 hours must be expected. The costs for the flight are financially covered by the DAAD funding through a travel allowance. The airport in São Paulo -Guarulhos (GRU) is located about 40 km northeast of the center. The journey to the accommodation will be organized by the local cooperation partner. The apartment is located about 10 km from the city center and can be reached by public transport (about 1h) or by Uber (30 - 40 min).
For your accommodation in São Paulo, the corresponding cooperation partner at USP will try to accommodate you in the student residence CAZA NOZ. This is located in a safe neighborhood and within walking distance of USP.
An overview over the accommodation and about what it is like to live in CAZA NOZ can be found the following pictures as well as in this video and on CAZA NOZ's instagram chanel.
In order to officially register in Brazil, a whole series of further steps are necessary in São Paulo after the visa application in Germany. The Policia Federal is responsible for this. These steps are organized together with the local cooperation partners. To avoid long waiting times, it is advisable to make an appointment immediately after entering Brazil. The registration is possible online. The Policia Federal requires all documents listed below within 90 days.
After booking an appointment with the Policia Federal, "GRUs" (payment slips) must be filled out online and printed. These can be paid at state lottery retailers and bank branches (Banco do Brasil or Caixa). It is important to note that GRUs must be paid within a certain period of time. This is indicated on the form.
The whole procedure is discussed with the program officials before going to the Policia Federal. Although the officials usually do not speak English, the procedure is self-explanatory on the spot.
Documents |
Further Information |
| passport |
|
| immigration form |
|
| apostilled international birth certificate |
|
| visa application form |
|
| application formular of the Polica Federal |
|
| accommodation confirmation |
|
| payment slips (GRUs) |
|
The physical USP-card as well as the e-Card are necessary to enter the institute buildings without complex daily registration at the information desk. The card also gives you free access to the sports area at USP campus and to the bandejões where you can have a very cheap meal for only R$ 2.
To get the USP card your visa needs to be confirmed by Policia Federal. There you get your RNM number which you have to send to the post graduate secretary office that is responsible for your laboratory. Then USP gives you access to the online administration program Janus. In this program you can then apply for the physical USP-card by uploading a passport photo. The e-card should work immediately after the photo upload while it takes about one to two weeks to receive the physical card in the secretary office of your laboratory.
What is the CPF and what is it needed for?
The Brazilian CPF number (Portuguese: Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas) is a unique identification number used in various aspects of daily life in Brazil. The 11-digit number is needed in particular for tax matters, banking and many other transactions such as online purchases.
Where and how can I apply for the CPF?
This webpage provides all the information about how to apply for a CPF as a non-Brazilian. For the online CPF application this form needs to be filled out.
At the beginning of the application process the procedure of it is explained in detail. When for applying for a CPF for the first time in their own name, the following options need to be chosen here:
In the next step, more personal information need to be entered. Fill out the form with your full name, gender, date of birth, mother's name, the german address and the german city you live in, your nationality and your email address. In the field "Date of Exit" enter the date on which you left Germany and arrived in Brazil. The fields "CPF Number" and "Voter" do not need to be filled out.
When the process is complete, click "Submit" to submit the form. A digital document with all the information is then generated. This document must be digitally signed. The signed document needs to be attached to an email sent to cpf.residente.exterior@rfb.gov.br, which describes the issue of applying for a CPF. The email must contain following files in JPEG or PDF format:
After the submission of all this files, it takes a few days to check your documents before you receive an email with your CPF.