How many documents/images do you need to move to Brasil ???

@gasparzhino777, aptly named thread - and not sure whether this is concerning or whether to prepare for how things work in Brazil.

Is there a published list of those 70 documents?  And I suspect that those will all be in formal Portuguese.  For those in the process of moving to Brazil...

1. What do you recommend - to make it easier?  (Hire a lawyer, accountant, despachante, bring only $ and nothing else, etc...?)
2. Can this be done in steps?  If so, how?
3. What mistakes not to make in the process - like having different names in bank accounts etc...
4. Anything that is specific to Canada or countries that have tax treaties with Brazil that do not apply to others...  What to watch out for in the departing countries etc...

Just trying to prepare for the inevitable...

Thank you in advance....

08/03/24 @Pablo888. You're dealing with multiple agencies and each has its own list, and makes it available.  There's a lot of overlap, but there are a lot of singletons, too.   It's like eating an elephant:  it's a lot easier (at least for me) to do it one bite at a time until you're done.

The way I did it, which kept me nice and sane, was to have a unique physical folder for the documents for each process and a matching computer folder of scans on my hard drive.  Everyone's will be a little different;  my folders and agencies were:

--  Marriage Registration -- Brazilian Consulate General Chicago

-- Visa -- Brazilian Consulate General Chicago

-- Transfer of Household Goods -- Alfândega

--  Driver's License -- DETRAN

-- Naturalization -- Polícia Federal

If I had tried to come on a Tourist Visa and apply to the PF for an Authorization of Residency, the "Visa" folder would have been replaced by one labeled "Authorization of Residency -- Polícia Federal".

I had a checklist at the front of each folder, populated them document by document, and ticked each one off as I did.  You've probably seen me write "get duplicate originals whenever you can" many times -- this is why.  I never had to hunt for a document that had requests from multiple agencies, because each agency had its own.  If four agencies wanted my Birth Certificate, there was a Birth Certificate in each of four folders.

I made a scan of my whole passport, and dumped it into a Word document.  When I needed to provide passport copies, I printed it out, whether the whole thing or just the pages requested.  If the copies needed to be authenticated, I took the copies to the cartório:  they get paid for the stamp, and don't mind someone else doing the copying.

The general rules on document legalization and translation are:

-- Passports should never require either legalization or a Sworn Translation, although agencies occasionally are unaware of this.

-- Documents presented to a Brazilian Consulate issued by the government to which that Consulate is accredited or its subnational entities normally do not require either apostilles or Sworn Translations if in the language of the country.  Documents from third countries may, at the consular officer's discretion.

-- Foreign documents presented to a Brazilian government agency in Brazil require an apostille (or a legalization at a Brazilian Consulate, if the country is not a party to the Apostille Convention), and a Sworn Translation prepared by a Sworn Translator appointed by the Junta Comercial of a Brazilian state.  Apostilles should also have Sworn Translations.

-- For Customs documents connected with transfer of household goods, follow the instructions of your moving company's Customs Broker.

That about does it.

I had everything organized, scanned, etc, in various folders in my laptop sorta like abthree did.

There is nothing unique to Canada AFAIK on the Brasilian side......it's all the same. Now, having said that, each consulate in different countries, just like each PF officer in different offices, can vary the written procedures at their discretion.

In regards to our CRA though, there are both mandatory and optional forms which I'll comment on later in this thread as well as some of your other points.

I had my lawyer notarize EVERYTHING I copied, just to be safe. He's been my friend for 25 years, so, the cost was negligible. I also apostilled EVERYTHING from Canada document wise just to be safe. It's free from the Canadian government but the province charges a very small fee. Turn around time was under one week. Translations get done in Brasil.

Do you need a lawyer for the actual process, or an accountant, IMHO you do not. You need patience, critical reasoning skills, and strong organizational ability. Remember, Brasil is a centuries old long standing bureaucracy, so, everything is a process that normally ends in your favor once completed, if you play the game by their rules. So, you smile, say thank you, and do the stupid repetitive stuff they ask for. And yes, I was able to do a couple of soft "jeitinhos".......I would not recommend this to anyone this unless you are relatively fluent and feel that you understand Brasilian bureaucratic culture in general.

Later tonite I'll post about the CRA stuff with links.

Don't be concerned about what you need to do. Eat the elephant, either with Siracha or Wasabi.

Thank you @abthree and @gasparzhino777. 

I never thought that I would have to eat an elephant in Brazil. 

I had a different mental picture while reading all the instructions and having just watched the classic movie "The Gladiator" with Russell Crowe, I did feel like being thrown in the center of the colosseum with the emperor being the RF...

"Those who are about to die salute you!"

08/03/24  @Pablo888.  Not a bad comparison! 🤣 Fortunately, for people who qualify for the status they're requesting and follow the processes, the survival rate is much, much higher -- and they tend not only to survive but to thrive, and  to live happily ever after.

https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency … s/nr5.html

This is the "MANDATORY" CRA form NR-5 for non-residents to use in order to get withholding tax removed at source, from payments of all pensions, RRSP's, RRIF's, EI and death benefits, annuities, etc, etc, originating in Canada. We both did this one and sent it in to the CRA by courier 60 dyas prior to our final departure.

If you reside in Brasil  (and certain other countries as listed) it states that they apply the tax treaty, which exempts you from paying and filing a Canadian tax return every year. In that case, your only obligation as a Brasilian resident, is to file form NR-5 every five years with the CRA, as well as file Brasilian taxes annually.

https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency … tatus.html

This is the 5 page full disclosure "OPTIONAL" form NR-73 which you can use to apply for a letter from the CRA confirming you are a non-resident. It also states that the CRA can change their mind and determine you are in fact a resident at any time on a whim, so, be forewarned. It's a useles premise designed to gather data IMHO, nothing more.

This form has layered pages of financial disclosure, so DO NOT FILL IT OUT because you do not have to. It will potentially create problems, and give the CRA a window into your personal situation that could enable them to audit you. Shopping mall accountants do not realise this. Every person who was credible that I sourced also stated this factoid......the form is OPTIONAL. Just don't do it.

I've learned a few things this year talking to accountants, both Canadian and Brasilians operating practices in Canada. They don't know anything beyond how to file T4 slips and do tax returns. If you want to go to KPMG or Deloitte and drop a $10K retainer in their international tax department, then you'll get some real value, but, the information you need is online anyways, unless you are moving an 8 figure asset base overseas, then you should go and pay the piper their vig.

All you do is phone the CRA and say "Hello, I'm leaving Canada permanently on XX/XX/XXXX date and I'll be a non-resident"........I also sent them a courier letter stating this as well, If you follow the rules on the link shown, you'll be fine.

The forgoing is my personal opinion and not tax advice.

@Pablo888 As you might expect you can only know by taking the journey yourself. When I went to the USA, specifically R.I. to get my BIRTH CERTIFICATE, that would have been one document. My name change from early college years in Washington, D.C. was NOT relayed to my birth location in R.I., so many documents later as well as much time spent was taken up because of the unexpected. I could not move on until it was corrected, and my Birth Certificate reflected my current name. You will only know by doing it.

Roddie in Retirement

One more thing I forgot that pertains to CANADIANS who may want any direct deposits made by the federal government to your Brasilian bank account.

Form 8002-501

You must complete the document and then present it to your BRASILIAN bank for someone to sign and stamp it BEFORE you remit it to the Receiver General for Canada. I did this by email.