After Arrival

Upon arriving in Rio de Janeiro, exchange students must go to the SGRI office, preferably 15 days before the start of classes, with the following documents:

Foreign student:

• Original passport;
• Copy of Student Visa;
• Copy of travel insurance policy.

Brazilian student:

• Official identity document (RG, CNH, Brazilian passport etc.);
• Taxpayer identification (CPF);
• Voter’s Card with electoral certificate of good standing;
• Proof of military service discharge (male);
• Copy of travel insurance policy.

If the documents are correct, the students will be given a letter to present to the academic unit (school or faculty) to which they must report their arrival.

The National Migration Registry is mandatory for anyone who exceeds a stay of 90 days. Click below to learn more.

It is possible to make further changes to the Learning Agreement after arrival if necessary. However, the entire procedure is carried out between international offices and with the consent of both the coordinators at UFRJ and at the partner institution.

Despite the non-mandatory use of masks in public places, UFRJ still maintains recommends their use and the mandatory presentation of proof of vaccination.

Rio’s transport system comprises bus lines, subway, trains, VLT (tram) and ferries, in addition to taxis (yellow cars with a blue stripe and red license plate) and ridesharing apps. To check the fares, click here.

It can take a long time to reach the desired location in Rio, so it is important to plan well. Learn more about our addresses and campus maps.

Urban mobility apps can be very useful, but it’s also good to seek the help of people you trust.

Regarding the use of buses, a tip is to purchase the Riocard+, with which you can take two buses in less than two hours paying a single fare.

UFRJ does not provide accommodation for exchange students. So, it is recommended to plan in advance to look for accommodation as close as possible to the place where your classes will take place. Remember that, depending on your Learning Agreement, your classes may take place in different locations, which may affect your punctuality. Rio is one of the biggest cities in the world by area and population, so it’s good to keep that in mind.

There are many physical banks with reduced fees for students, but there are also online banks in Brazil.

To open bank accounts in Brazil, you may be required to present:

• Identity document with photo;
• Taxpayer identification (CPF), learn more; 
• Proof of residence;
• Proof of enrollment at the university.

Official banking hours in Rio are from 10 am to 4 pm. But if you need to make a payment outside working hours with payment slips, you can still go to a lottery shop anywhere in Brazil.

We remind you that the only currency accepted in Brazil is the real.

Traveling with a certain amount of cash is always useful, but for security reasons we recommend you to avoid carrying large amounts, as card or PIX (direct wire transfer) options are widely used, even by informal merchants.

The local phone carriers, in alphabetical order, are Claro, Oi, Vivo, and Tim. All of them have stores throughout the city, and they have prepaid options with a sim card.

To make phone calls:

• The international code for Brazil +55.
• Long distance call: 0 + carrier code + city code + telephone number;
• International calls: 00 + carrier code + country code + regional code and telephone number;
• For collect calls, replace 0 with 90.

Applications such as Whatsapp and Telegram are quite popular and used in everyday life more than regular phone calls.

Foreign students are required, according to the foreign exchange public notice, to have travel insurance with coverage for the entire period of their course. However, Brazilian universal healthcare system (SUS) also provides free emergency service to foreigners.

Tropical Climate

Rio is a tropical city, with a very hot and humid climate most of the year, but there are times when the temperature can be below 20ºC for about a month.

It is recommended to stay hydrated, use sunscreen, and carry bug sprays to avoid mosquitoes that transmit diseases such as dengue, zika, among others.

Rainfall is also part of our climate and flooding is somewhat common, especially in some parts of the city.

Remember that in Brazil the summer is at the end of the year.

Safety

On the issue of public safety, it is recommended to research in advance about the places where you want to go and avoid circulating with large amounts of cash, as well as avoid flashing valuable items.

Useful phone numbers:

• Firefighters 193
• Police 190
• First Aid (SAMU) 192
• Tourism Police (Rio de Janeiro) +55 21 2332-2924 / 2885 / 2889
• Security UFRJ +55 21 3938-1900
• Violation of human rights 100
• Violence against women 180

The standard electrical voltage in Rio is 110 and the plugs and sockets have a peculiar format, learn more. Therefore, electrical appliances brought in from other countries may require voltage transformers and plug adapters.

Other regions of Brazil use the 220V standard.