Brazil runs on an 11-digit tax number, the CPF, and on Pix, the instant payment system that most people use instead of cash. A study stay needs a visa from a Brazilian consulate and registration with the Federal Police within 90 days of arrival. In Blumenau life is in Portuguese, the bus is the main way around, and everything from flat viewings to class groups is arranged on WhatsApp.
Money
Brazilian real (R$, BRL)
Language
Portuguese
Time
UTC−3, no daylight saving (Blumenau, Brasília, São Paulo)
Plugs
Type N and C; 220 V in Blumenau (127 V in some other states)
Tipping
A 10% service charge is usually added to restaurant bills and is optional
192 is SAMU, the public ambulance service; 199 is Civil Defence, for floods and landslides. Operators speak Portuguese, so have your address written down.
Set these up before you fly
The essentials that take days to arrange or have to work the moment you land.
Places, programmes and the minimum cGPA are from ADA’s list. Confirm them with the Office of Global Outreach and Partners before you apply: exchange@ada.edu.az
Payments & banking4
Pix, the free instant transfer system, is how Brazil pays, from street stalls to rent; it needs a Brazilian bank account and a CPF.
Pi
PixEssential
Instant free transfers and QR payments, 24 hours a day
On arrival
Why you need it: Rent, shared groceries and street stalls are paid by Pix; Brazilians will ask for your Pix key before they ask for cash.
In the bank app, register a Pix key: your CPF, phone number, email or a random key
Pay by scanning a QR code or pasting someone’s key, and check the name shown before confirming
Before you rely on itPix is free for individuals and works at any hour, but it only runs from a Brazilian account, so until you have one you depend on cards and cash. Payments are instant and hard to reverse: always check the recipient’s name, and be wary of anyone pressing you to pay by Pix in a hurry.
Source: bcb.gov.br · the provider or a government body · Checked
Nu
Nubank
Free app-only bank account with a card and Pix
Optional
Why you need it: The bank most Brazilian students use: no fees, opened in the app, with Pix and a debit card for daily spending.
Wait until you have a CPF, a Brazilian phone number and an address
Sign up in the app with photos of your migration card (CRNM) and a selfie
Register a Pix key once the account is approved
Before you rely on itFor foreigners, Nubank asks for the physical CRNM card rather than a passport or the Federal Police protocol, according to its community answers, so it usually comes weeks after arrival. Approval is not guaranteed.
Source: nubank.com.br · the provider or a government body · Not yet confirmed at the source; check before relying on it
BD
Banco do Brasil
State bank with branches everywhere, open to resident foreigners
Optional
Why you need it: A branch account is the fallback if app banks will not accept you yet, and its counters also issue a CPF if you arrive without one.
Free, paid extrasVaries by residence statusVaries by city
Bring your passport, CPF, proof of address and the Federal Police registration or CRNM
Ask which account has no monthly fee, and set up Pix in the app
Before you rely on itBanco do Brasil opens accounts for foreigners resident in Brazil; what proves residence (CRNM card or protocol, FURB letter) is decided at the branch, so bring everything. Many accounts charge a monthly service package.
Source: bb.com.br · the provider or a government body · Not yet confirmed at the source; check before relying on it
YH
Your home card and some reaisEssential
How to pay before you have a Brazilian account
Before departure
Why you need it: For the first weeks, before a bank account and Pix, a Visa or Mastercard from home and a little cash carry you.
Bring at least one Visa or Mastercard and tell your bank you will use it in Brazil
Withdraw reais from a bank’s ATM inside a branch or shopping centre
Choose to be charged in reais, not in your home currency, when a card machine asks
Before you rely on itCards work in supermarkets, chains and apps, but small stalls and some landlords want Pix. Your home bank’s fees and exchange rate apply to every payment and withdrawal. Some Brazilian sites reject foreign cards, so ask a friend to pay by Pix and settle up in cash.
Source: bcb.gov.br · the provider or a government body · Not yet confirmed at the source; check before relying on it
Essential apps5
Delivery, rides and shopping run through a few big apps, and almost all of them ask for a CPF at sign-up.
Ub
UberEssential
Ride-hailing by car or motorbike, around the clock
Before departure
Why you need it: The easiest way from Navegantes airport or home at night, and it works with the account and card you already have.
Install it and add a Visa or Mastercard before you fly
Check the plate and the driver’s name before getting in
Share the trip with a friend when riding alone at night
Before you rely on itWhere Uber Moto (motorbike rides) is offered it is cheap but riskier; cars are the safer choice. Fares rise sharply in rain and at peak times.
Source: uber.com · the provider or a government body · Checked
99
99
Brazil’s home-grown ride app, often cheaper than Uber
Optional
Why you need it: Comparing 99 and Uber before each trip saves money, and 99 operates in Blumenau.
Add your address with the postcode (CEP) and a reference point
Pay in the app by card or Pix
Before you rely on itSome foreign cards are declined; Pix from a Brazilian account always works. A CPF is often asked for on the receipt (CPF na nota), which you can skip.
Source: ifood.com.br · the provider or a government body · Not yet confirmed at the source; check before relying on it
ML
Mercado Livre
Brazil’s biggest online marketplace
Optional
Why you need it: Bedding, a fan, adapters and second-hand books arrive in a few days, often cheaper than in Blumenau’s shops.
Create an account with your CPF and Brazilian number
Pay by Pix, card or Mercado Pago
Have parcels sent to your flat or to a pick-up point
Before you rely on itAn account in Brazil needs a CPF. Check the seller’s rating and buy only through the site: sellers who ask you to pay outside it are a common scam.
Source: mercadolivre.com.br · the provider or a government body · Not yet confirmed at the source; check before relying on it
Mo
Moovit
Bus routes and times for Blumenau
On arrival
Why you need it: BluMob routes are hard to read at a bus stop; Moovit plans the trip to FURB from your address.
Get a fare card at the BluMob service centre (Rua Ceará 47, Centro); take your passport and CPF
Top it up at a terminal counter by cash or Pix, or in the BluMob app by Pix or credit card
Ask about the student card once you have FURB’s enrolment declaration
Before you rely on itThe half-fare student card is for students living in Blumenau more than 1 km from their institution and needs a stamped enrolment declaration, an ID document and a Blumenau utility bill from the last 60 days; whether exchange students qualify is decided by BluMob. Contactless bank cards are not mentioned as a way to pay.
Source: blumob.com.br · the provider or a government body · Checked
NA
Navegantes airport to BlumenauEssential
Getting from Navegantes airport (NVT) to Blumenau
Before departure
Why you need it: Navegantes is the nearest airport, about an hour’s drive away, and there is no train or city bus that links it to Blumenau.
Paid · Transportes Executivo shuttle R$ 70 one way, R$ 120 return (2026)Varies by city
Book the Transportes Executivo shuttle online, on WhatsApp or at its airport counter
Or take an Uber or 99 from the airport, agreeing nothing in cash with drivers who approach you
If you fly into Florianópolis (FLN) instead, take a Catarinense coach from the city bus station
Before you rely on itThe shuttle runs only between the airport and its office at Alameda Rio Branco 92, Centro, so plan the last stretch to your room. Departures from Navegantes are timed to flights; from Blumenau they leave at fixed times. Ask FURB whether a buddy or the international office meets arrivals.
Search the route and buy online or at the Blumenau bus station (rodoviária)
Pay by card or Pix
Board with your passport or CRNM card: photo ID is checked
Before you rely on itBlumenau to Florianópolis takes about three and a half to four hours. Book ahead for Carnival and long weekends, when coaches sell out.
Source: catarinense.com.br · the provider or a government body · Checked
SIM, eSIM & internet2
Prepaid SIMs are cheap, but every line must be registered to a CPF, so get the number before the SIM.
PS
Prepaid SIM (Vivo, Claro or TIM)Essential
A Brazilian number for WhatsApp, banks and delivery apps
On arrival
Why you need it: Banks, Pix, iFood and landlords all want a Brazilian number, and the line only activates once it is registered to a CPF.
Buy a prepaid chip (chip pré-pago) at a carrier shop, pharmacy or newsagent
Activate it with your CPF, date of birth and the postcode (CEP) of your address
If the selfie-and-ID check on the phone fails, take your passport to the carrier’s own shop
Top up and pick a monthly data package in the carrier’s app
Before you rely on itEvery prepaid line in Brazil must be registered to a CPF. The phone activation is built around Brazilian ID cards, so a foreigner with only a passport is often sent to a carrier shop to finish it. Vivo, Claro and TIM all cover Blumenau; compare packages in the shop.
Source: gov.br · the provider or a government body · Checked
EA
eduroam and FURB.BR wi-fi
Campus wi-fi at FURB with your university login
On arrival
Why you need it: Lectures, the library and course portals are online, and campus wi-fi saves your mobile data.
On campus, connect to the FURB.BR network with your FURB email and password
Ask ADA IT before leaving whether your ADA account works on eduroam abroad
Before you rely on itFURB asks its own users to use FURB.BR on campus and eduroam when visiting other institutions. Whether an ADA login works on eduroam was not confirmed.
Source: www10.furb.br · the provider or a government body · Not yet confirmed at the source; check before relying on it
Visa, registration & legal4
Study visa from a Brazilian consulate, then Federal Police registration within 90 days of arrival for the CRNM card.
VI
VITEM IV (temporary study visa)Essential
Visa for a study exchange of more than 90 days
Before departure
Why you need it: A spring semester at FURB runs longer than 90 days, and regular courses or exchanges of more than 90 days need the VITEM IV study visa rather than a visit visa, so apply well before you fly.
Ask FURB for its acceptance letter, stating the course, dates and weekly hours (at least 15)
Fill in the online visa form (SCI) on formulario-mre.serpro.gov.br, upload the documents and print the receipt (RER)
Email the printed form to the embassy’s consular section (consular.baku@itamaraty.gov.br) and ask for an appointment and its study-visa list
Apply at least two months ahead: the embassy forwards applications to Brazil for a decision and allows at least 20 working days
Before you rely on itFor citizens of Azerbaijan: an ordinary passport needs a visa even for a short visit to Brazil, and the study visa is applied for in person at the Embassy of Brazil in Baku, which takes visa fees only by bank transfer in manats, not in cash or by card. Brazilian consulates list the form and receipt, a passport with two blank pages, a criminal record certificate from your country of nationality, the Brazilian university’s letter giving course, dates and weekly hours (which may need notarising in Brazil), proof of funds or a scholarship and the visa fee. The Baku embassy does not publish a study-visa page, so ask it for its list, the fee and the translations it wants. The visa is valid for up to a year and must be registered with the Federal Police within 90 days of entry: by law missing this brings a fine, and consulates warn the visa is then invalid.
Source: gov.br · the provider or a government body · Checked
FP
Federal Police registration (CRNM)Essential
Register your visa and get the migrant ID card, within 90 days
On arrival
Why you need it: Everyone entering on a temporary visa must register with the Polícia Federal within 90 days of arrival; the CRNM card it issues is your ID in Brazil.
Paid · CRNM card fee R$ 204.77 (2026), paid by GRU bank slipVaries by nationalityVaries by city
Generate and pay the GRU fee (revenue code 140120) on the Federal Police site
Fill in the online registration form for a temporary visa holder
Book an appointment at a Federal Police unit and go with your passport, the form, the paid GRU and the documents listed
Keep the protocol you are given: it proves your legal stay until the card is ready
Before you rely on itThe 90 days count from entry; missing them can bring a fine, and consulates warn that the visa then lapses. FURB’s international office will tell you which Federal Police unit serves Blumenau and helps with the form. Bring your entry stamp or proof of the date you landed.
Source: servicos.gov.br · the provider or a government body · Checked
CT
CPF (taxpayer number)Essential
The 11-digit number asked for by SIMs, banks, Pix and shops
Before departure
Why you need it: Without a CPF you cannot register a SIM, open a bank account, use Pix or buy most things online, so get it in Baku before you fly.
Free · Free; R$ 7 at Banco do Brasil, Caixa or Correios counters in Brazil (2026)Varies by nationality
Fill in the Receita Federal CPF form (FCPF), print it and sign it
Book the CPF service at the Embassy of Brazil in Baku through e-Consular (econsular.itamaraty.gov.br), or ask its consular section by email
Bring your passport, the form and your birth certificate; keep the CPF number on your phone
Before you rely on itFor foreigners living abroad the CPF is requested in person at a Brazilian embassy or consulate; the embassy may want the birth certificate translated. Missed it? In Brazil it is free online or at the Receita Federal, or R$ 7 at a Banco do Brasil, Caixa, Correios or registry office counter.
Source: gov.br · the provider or a government body · Checked
HI
Health insurance and the SUS
Private cover for your stay; free public care through the SUS
Before departure
Why you need it: The public SUS treats anyone free of charge, but waits are long and staff speak Portuguese; a private policy pays for quicker care at a private clinic.
Cost variesVaries by nationalityVaries by university
Buy a policy valid across Brazil for your whole stay, covering treatment and hospital stays
Carry the policy number and the insurer’s emergency line
Once in Blumenau, ask FURB how to get a Cartão SUS at a local health post
Before you rely on itBrazilian consulates do not list health insurance among the study-visa documents, but ADA, FURB or the embassy in Baku may still ask for it, so check with each before you buy.
Source: gov.br · the provider or a government body · Checked
Housing & daily life2
FURB has no large dorm system: most exchange students rent a room near the campus, often found through the international office or WhatsApp groups.
HH
Housing help from FURB’s international office
Where to start the room search in Blumenau
Before departure
Why you need it: FURB does not publish a dorm for exchange students, so the international office (CRI) and its students are the best route to a room near campus.
Once accepted, email cri@furb.br and ask how exchange students usually find rooms
Ask to be put in touch with current or past exchange students
Book a short stay for your first nights so you can view rooms in person
Before you rely on itFURB’s pages give no housing service or rents for incoming students, so plan for a private room. Ask about the neighbourhood’s flood history before signing: parts of Blumenau flood when the Itajaí-Açu rises.
Source: furb.br · the provider or a government body · Checked
RC
Rental contract (contrato de locação)
What a lawful lease and deposit look like in Brazil
On arrival
Why you need it: Landlords may ask for a Brazilian guarantor or insurance that a newcomer cannot provide; knowing the rules helps you negotiate a short let with a cash deposit instead.
Ask for a written contract in your name with your CPF and the exact dates
Agree one guarantee only: a cash deposit, a guarantor or rental insurance
Before you rely on itBy the Tenancy Law (Lei 8.245), a landlord may ask for only one form of guarantee, and a cash deposit (caução) may not exceed three months’ rent. BluMob’s student card asks for a recent utility bill as proof of address, so ask whether bills can be in your name. Never pay a deposit by Pix for a place you have not seen.
Source: planalto.gov.br · the provider or a government body · Checked
Student life2
FURB’s international office is your first stop; Brazilian student discounts mostly need a Brazilian student card.
FI
FURB International Office (CRI)Essential
Applications, enrolment and first-week help at FURB
Before departure
Why you need it: The CRI receives exchange students, enrols you, and is who to ask about the visa letter, the Federal Police and housing.
Send FURB’s application form, your transcript and passport copy by 15 October for the February–July semester
Ask the CRI for the acceptance letter the visa needs
On arrival, visit Campus 1, room J-012, with your passport and visa
Before you rely on itFURB’s first semester runs February to July, longer than ADA’s spring term; agree your end date with both universities. Most courses are taught in Portuguese at an intermediate level; some are in English or English-friendly.
Source: furb.br · the provider or a government body · Checked
ME
Meia-entrada (student half price)
Half-price cinema, concert, theatre and sports tickets
Optional
Why you need it: Brazilian law gives enrolled students half price on events across the country, which adds up over a semester of concerts and football.
Ask FURB’s student union (DCE) or the CRI whether exchange students can get a student ID card (CIE)
Show the card when buying the ticket and again at the door
Before you rely on itThe benefit is for students enrolled in Brazilian education and is proven with a Carteira de Identificação Estudantil; ADA’s card or an ISIC is not guaranteed to be accepted.
Source: planalto.gov.br · the provider or a government body · Checked
Communication & language4
Portuguese is the language of classes, offices and landlords in Blumenau; English is limited outside the university.
WA
WhatsAppEssential
The messaging app everyone in Brazil uses
Before departure
Why you need it: Landlords, classmates, shops, the shuttle company and university staff all arrange things on WhatsApp; many businesses answer there faster than by phone.
Before you rely on itVoice messages (áudios) are the norm; turn on transcription if your Portuguese is still slow. When you switch to a Brazilian SIM, use Change Number or keep WhatsApp on your Azerbaijani number so you do not lose chats.
Source: play.google.com · the provider or a government body · Checked
GT
Google TranslateEssential
Camera and conversation translation, offline Portuguese
Before departure
Why you need it: Forms, leases and shop signs are in Portuguese only; the camera mode reads them on the spot and conversation mode helps at the Federal Police.
Tick the Portuguese course on your FURB exchange application
Take the free placement test with FURB Idiomas (idiomas@furb.br) when you arrive
Start with an app or online course in Baku: the more you arrive with, the easier week one is
Before you rely on itThe free place is for exchange students who ask for it on the application; others pay six instalments of R$ 370 a semester (2026). Classes are twice a week, 60 hours a semester, and the placement test is free.
Source: furb.br · the provider or a government body · Checked
MD
Michaelis dictionary
Free online Brazilian Portuguese dictionary, with English
Optional
Why you need it: Better than a translator for words with a Brazilian sense, and it includes Portuguese–English dictionaries.
Before you rely on itNo Russian or Azerbaijani: use it alongside a translator.
Source: michaelis.uol.com.br · the provider or a government body · Not yet confirmed at the source; check before relying on it
Words for the first week
Bom dia / Boa tarde / Boa noitebong JEE-a / BO-a TAR-jee / BO-a NOY-chee
Good morning / good afternoon / good evening; also hello
Tudo bem?TOO-doo beng
How are you? The everyday greeting; answer “Tudo bem”
Obrigado / Obrigadao-bree-GA-doo / o-bree-GA-da
Thank you (said by a man / by a woman)
Você fala inglês?vo-SEH FA-la een-GLAYS
Do you speak English?
Sou estudante de intercâmbio na FURB
I am an exchange student at FURB
CPF na nota? — Não, obrigado
Your CPF on the receipt? No, thank you
Débito ou crédito?
Debit or credit? Asked at every card machine
Qual é a sua chave Pix?kwal eh a SOO-a SHA-vee peeks
What is your Pix key?
Onde fica o ponto de ônibus?
Where is the bus stop?
Socorro! Chame uma ambulânciaso-KO-hoo! SHA-mee OO-ma am-boo-LAN-sya
Help! Call an ambulance
Emergency & safety4
190, 192 and 193 are free from any phone, 199 covers floods; save the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Brasília before you go.
EO
Embassy of Azerbaijan in BrazilEssential
Consular help for citizens of Azerbaijan, in Brasília
Before departure
Why you need it: If your passport is lost or stolen, the embassy in Brasília issues the document that gets you home; it is more than 1,200 km from Blumenau, so save its contacts before you need them.
Save +55 61 3253 9803 and the consular email, brasilia_consul@mfa.gov.az
Keep scans of your passport, visa and CRNM protocol in your email
If your passport is stolen, file a police report first, then contact the embassy
Before you rely on itNot from Azerbaijan? Your own embassy’s page is the one to save. The embassy is at SHIS QI 9, Conjunto 15, Casa 15, Lago Sul, Brasília, open Monday to Friday, 9:00–13:00 and 14:00–18:00; the general email is brasilia@mission.mfa.gov.az. Its English contact page currently shows another embassy’s details; the Portuguese and Azerbaijani ones are correct.
Blumenau’s flood, rain and landslide alerts, with river levels
On arrival
Why you need it: Blumenau sits on the Itajaí-Açu river and floods after heavy rain; the city’s own app shows the river level, warnings, shelters and which streets flood at which level.
File a police report (boletim de ocorrência) online in Santa Catarina
Optional
Why you need it: A stolen phone or a lost passport needs a police report for the embassy, your insurer and the Federal Police; in Santa Catarina you can file it online instead of queuing at a station.
Choose the incident type: lost documents, theft and robbery, threats and others
Fill in what happened, where and when, with your passport details
Save the report number and the PDF: the embassy and your insurer will ask for it
Before you rely on itOnly for incidents in Santa Catarina, and reports by under-18s are refused. The Civil Police added a section for foreigners, in English and Spanish, that takes an identity document from your home country instead of a CPF; if it will not accept yours, go to the nearest Polícia Civil station. In an emergency call 190, not the website.
Source: pc.sc.gov.br · the provider or a government body · Checked
C1
CVV (188)
Free 24-hour emotional support by phone, chat or email
Optional
Why you need it: A semester far from home, in a new language, can be hard; CVV volunteers listen in confidence, any hour, at no cost.
Before you rely on itIn Portuguese. Writing is easier than speaking: the chat and email let you use a translator. FURB’s CRI can also point you to support on campus.
Source: cvv.org.br · the provider or a government body · Checked
Culture & practical tips
Warmth and informality, late plans and a summer Carnival: knowing the rhythm makes the first weeks easier.
01Seasons are the other way round
February and March are hot, humid summer in Blumenau, and by June nights can be cold. Flats rarely have heating, so pack a warm layer as well as summer clothes.
02Ask about floods before you rent
The Itajaí-Açu floods parts of Blumenau after heavy rain. Ask landlords about the street’s flood history and check its flood level in AlertaBlu; when Civil Defence warns, follow its instructions.
03Carnival falls in early February
Carnival Monday and Tuesday fall on 8 and 9 February 2027, and Ash Wednesday is usually a half day. Many offices close, and coaches and flights sell out; it may fall just as you arrive, so book transport early.
04Every form wants a CEP
The CEP is the eight-digit postcode. Apps, shops, SIM activation and deliveries ask for it, so note the CEP of your first address as soon as you know it.
05Débito, crédito, parcelado
Card machines ask whether you pay by debit or credit, and shops offer to split a price into monthly instalments (parcelado). If a foreign card is declined as débito, try crédito, and pay in one go (à vista).
06Lunch by the kilo
Restaurantes por quilo are self-service buffets where you pay by the weight of your plate. They are the usual cheap lunch near campus and offices.
07Warm greetings, relaxed time
Friends greet with a hug or a kiss on the cheek, and social plans often start late. Classes, exams and Federal Police appointments are on time, so do not carry the habit there.
08Voice messages are normal
Brazilians send long WhatsApp voice messages (áudios), even to landlords and offices. Replying by text is fine; say you are still learning Portuguese.
09Keep your phone out of sight
Phone snatching is a known risk in Brazil’s big cities. On trips to São Paulo or Rio, do not hold your phone at kerbs or bus stops, and turn on remote locking before you go.
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