Permanent visa - How long once in Brazil before i can work?

Hi Emilie,

You can get your Carteira de Trabalho (work permit) and CPF without any hassles at all once you've got your visa. Depending on where you will be living you apply for the work permit at the regional headquarters of the Ministry of Labor in each city since you are still a foreigner and the CPF you can get from any office or the Receita Federal or various other locations like the post office and some banks. Check with your consulate, I think you can probably get your CPF there even before you come to Brazil.

Cheers,
William James Woodward - Brazil Animator, Expat-blog

That's a good news! I'm gonna be in SP but I will check with the consulate here once they give my visa.
Thanks!
Emilie

Emilie,

In São Paulo you will be able to apply for your Carteira de Trabalho (work permit) at the Delegacia Regional de Ministério do Trabalho, Rua Martins Fontes, No. 109 - Centro, São Paulo - SP. It's close to Metrô Station Anhangabaú / Praça Ramos. Check the link below for the documents you will need to take with you. (If you do not have the permanent CIE they will accept the protocolo and SINCRE that you get from the Federal Police when you apply for your ID card). If you have not yet received your permanent ID card then your work permit will be validated only for the period of your SINCRE (180 days) so it's quite likely that you will have to go back and get it re-validated once or twice because the CIE is never ready when the Federal Police say it will be, you get your protocolo extended by the Federal Police and then take it back to the Ministry of Labor they stamp your work permit without any problem.

http://portal.mte.gov.br/ctps/estrangeiro.htm

Your CPF you can apply for at any post office or branch of the Caixa Econômica Federal, but they may charge a small fee (around R$5 I think) and you will still need to go to the Receita Federal in order to finalize the application. You can go directly to the Receita Federal and do it all there free of charge. It is my understanding that they no longer issue the plastic CPF card as they did in the past, you just get the number now.

You will also probably want a SUS (Public Health System) card, which you apply for at any Posto de Saúde or the Sub-Prefeitura closest to where you live, you will need to produce proof of address such as a water, electric or phone bill and some form of personal ID.

Other than the charge that the post office or CEF will make for issuing the CPF all of these documents are free of charge and absolutely hassle free, unlike everything else in Brazil. You may have to wait for up to 10 days for the work permit to be issued, but that too depends on their workload - mine was issued while I waited.

Anything else you need to know about just ask, I'll be glad to let you know.

Cheers,
William James Woodward - Brazil Animator, Expat-blog

Thanks William, once again. I am looking forward to have the non-typical brazilian democracy experience...
Emilie