What is your advice for moving from the US to Brazil?

January 15, 2005 1:52 PM

Moving from the US to Brazil- what to bring and how to send it! [more, natch]

My hubby and I are moving to Brazil in a couple of months. We've been gradually getting rid of all our crap (read: unwanted wedding presents) for a while now in preparation. We're in the final stage of sorting and now I'm questioning myself. We have minimalist tendencies so I'm wondering if I'm going too far. What should we bring and what should we just replace there?

And then there's getting it there...everyone I know who's moved overseas has filled a shipping container. We only have about a pallet's worth of stuff. I've heard that air freight can be good if you don't have a lot of stuff to ship, but I don't know anyone with personal experience doing it. And looking online, I can only find companies that do it for other companies. Any experiences/recommendations for getting our stuff to our new home?

posted by wallaby to travel & transportation (6 comments total)

I live and work in Brazil, and all I took the first time was a suitcase. I'm returning in a couple of weeks with two. But I'll email some people I work with who shipped a big chunk of their belongings and let you know. An infrequently checked email is in my profile if you'd like to contact me.
posted by dmo at 3:15 PM on January 15, 2005

Just one thing that's a bit odd in Brazil that you might not think of. The toothpaste there is ... salty. It's weird and a lot of expat North Americans never get used to it. If you can't imagine salty toothpaste, you might want to bring a few extra tubes of that.
posted by jacquilynne at 3:23 PM on January 15, 2005

I would think where in the US are you moving to will help determine what you bring. If the climate and/or culture are really different that might make a difference. I would check the website for the city you moving to.
posted by lag at 6:26 PM on January 15, 2005

Thanks dmo. I've added my email address to my profile so you can pass on whatever you find out.

And thanks, Jacquilynne- I've talked to many people who have lived in Brazil and not one has told me about the toothpaste. But I guess different things matter to different people. I wonder what else they've neglected...
posted by wallaby at 8:11 PM on January 15, 2005

We lived in Brazil for a couple of years and have just returned to the UK. We shipped with Crown / Metropolitan which was a corporate move and very expensive. For what you have, I would air freight.

Be alert to customs regulations on shipments to Brazil. You will pay a LOT of duty on just about anything you bring with you. Even personal possessions. IIRC, the duty was 60% and then you paid IVA (VAT) and state sales tax on that. Nearly 100% of declared value on anything but printed matter and clothing. That said, if you bring a couple of suitcases, you should be okay as they tend to treat luggage differently (or perhaps indifferently). We took 600 lbs of stuff with us by air freight and came back with 2100 lbs (and a baby).

Our agents told us it was better to lowball the declared values and pay the duty than to expect a refund on departure. The bureaucracy is punishing (I had to notarise 64 documents on our departure). Any others have similar experiences?

You will also be without your stuff for a couple of months whilst it clears customs. I think you need an RNE and a CPF to clear a shipment (like a green card and a US social security card). Getting that requires a mountain of bureaucracy, a visit to the Policia Federal and take 1-2 months. This is a great clarifier - if you won't miss it for a couple of months, do you really need to take it at all?

Things like clothing and food are relatively cheap in Brazil. Domestically made appliances are cheap. Voltage varies, sometimes even within a city. Imported goods, computers, and books are relatively expensive. These can also help you to prioritise how important the things you want to take with you are.

In spite of all of the bureaucracy, Brazil is a wonderful place to live. Good luck with your move. I'm happy to answer any other questions from my perspective at sageorge at gmail dot com.
posted by sagwalla at 3:34 AM on January 16, 2005

After moving about a pallet's worth of stuff to France, it did not take us long to realize that we could, should or would have enjoyed a fresh start.

Since that move, our home has exploded with new items (death of grandmother; bigger apartment) and while we have no plans to move back, I suspect we would leave with little but the clothes on our backs, giving everything else to someone in need or family items to those in, well, the family.
posted by Dick Paris at 7:56 AM on January 16, 2005