Moving items from Canada to Brazil

I just shipped 750 pounds in 18 boxes that were 3 cubic feet each......$2,800 if I did everything myself, $7,500 if delivered to door and all customs brokerage/storage included. Calgary to Rio.

You will be taxed heavily if the item is even permissible, and I don't believe it is, but I also haven't checked since I don't own one. FWIW I sold a 50 year old collectible car in Canada, because it was cost prohibitive to import.

Lots of quads, bikes, etc, available here for sale, no need to even think about importing one.

FWIW are you aware of the timelines and regulations for importation of personal goods to Brasil, as well as the unique documentary requirements, and volume of, even if you have a VISA of any kind ?

I'm moving permanently in less than 2 weeks and others have also posted about it here. Lots to read.

I am going for the investment Visa (Golden Visa) with the purchase of my home in Ubatuba or the airbnb apartment in Aracaju because the investment there is only R700,000. I will rethink about the UTV and the personal items because i dont have much attachment to them. my goal is to eventually cut ties with Canada while keeping my citizenship but my children are only 15 and 17 so i have a few more years left for dependance. This will give me time to work on a residency.

Thanks for the reply!

That's what I have done with Canada as well. All I have now is a Canadian passport and Brasilian permanent residency. Going to apply for citizenship next month when I make my last trip there.

Since you're a couple of years out from finalizing things, the only advice I have today is start 18 months out with researching the Brasilian documentation, and do not delay anything.

For example, in my case, in order to bring money and assets here tax free I had to prove I lived in Canada for 13 + months in a row with multiple notarized documents, as well as I was not allowed to have been in Brasil for more than 35 days in the calender year preceding the day I declared to the RF in the airport that I was entering. And that's just some of the rules I had to navigate.........I have 70 documents archived on my laptop.

Welcome to the forum. I'm sure in 2 years things will also change.

@Kevin Bakker

Unfortunately it is illegal to import any motorised vehicle that is not brand new or more than 30 years old - and even then it will be taxed very heavily.

The Golden Visa is a great route to go - we have helped many people down that path, just make sure you have the right advice, and are fully aware of all the exact requirements that you must follow.

In Ubatuba-SP the minimum investment will be 1 million reais, but in the N or NE it is currently only R$700k. No reason why you cannot invest in one area and live in another - just rent out the investment that qualifies...

@Kevin Bakker Sounds like you are headed in the right direction, so I 'll be brief; I happen to be fortunate enough to live in a small village in Northeastern Brazil that just happens to be about 20 minutes from Jericoacoara, one of the most beautiful beaches in the world and a frequent destination for riding on the sand dunes. I too was interested in a Polaris before I arrived, but you can find great ATV's all over.  From what I have read in this post it will cost you several thousand dollars to ship it here, if you can, whereas if you sold the one you have in Canada and purchased one in Brazil, with the exchange rate you could easily make money.

Roddie in Retirement

in order to bring money and assets here tax free
    -@Gasparzinho 777

Just for that piece of information, I think that all expats should visit @Gasparzinho in Rio.  I am sure that once he is settled back that he will have his office at a table at the Boteco Belmonte.

@gasparzinho, when it is time for me to move permanently, this is what I am planning on doing....  And I will not spare any choppes, caipirinhas, vodkas, etc...

Pablo

I will probably come to Itamaraca for the get together around 9/21 for 2 nights. The Orange hotel and return airfare is <R$900......

Just waiting for the moment to break it to the boss. We are landing 9/2 and I expect a full agenda for a bit, so, will advise. Thank you for the sentiment however !!!

I filled a twenty foot container with nearly new furniture and appliances and shipped it from Houston to Ilhéus fifteen years ago. At that time, I couldn't sell the nearly new stuff in the US. Prices were double to triple in Brazil. I paid $5,000 for shipping the container. It made sense at the time. I doubt that it does today.

Alan,

FWIW, we had dinner with some good friends, a Brasilian couple, at their house last night here in Calgary. They are wanting to leave as well, and over dinner they said a full container was $22,000 CAD  from Vancouver to Rio. So, another $2-3,000 additional just to truck it to the port here. CAD of course, so about $18K USD.

We priced out full electronics for an apartment @ R$15,000 during our last trip in January......again FWIW. (65" flat-screen, stove, fridge, microwave, air fryer, etc, etc)

I've moved many times in the US. Moving all that stuff always seemed like the best option every time. And I always regretted moving household goods afterwards. Many, many times.

Depends on what you're moving, I guess. But what can you not buy in Brazil these days?

We priced out full electronics for an apartment @ R$15,000 during our last trip in January......again FWIW. (65" flat-screen, stove, fridge, microwave, air fryer, etc, etc)
   

    -@Gasparzinho 777

Chump change.

And you get to replace your electronics frequently if you live near the ocean!

08/21/24    Alan,
FWIW, we had dinner with some good friends, a Brasilian couple, at their house last night here in Calgary. They are wanting to leave as well, and over dinner they said a full container was $22,000 CAD  from Vancouver to Rio. So, another $2-3,000 additional just to truck it to the port here. CAD of course, so about $18K USD.

We priced out full electronics for an apartment @ R$15,000 during our last trip in January......again FWIW. (65" flat-screen, stove, fridge, microwave, air fryer, etc, etc)   

    -@Gasparzinho 777

That tracks well with what I paid in 2017, Chicago to Manaus.  And don't forget demurrage charges at the port of entry, since Brazil's customs officers are conducting a semi-permanent work-to-rule strike that slows everything down.

As most people have said again and again, there's very little in the way of household furnishings that you're used to in North America that you can't find in Brazil, and much of that "very little" is small enough to fit in excess baggage.  Unless you have a lot of one-of-a-kind items, keepsakes, and/or family heirlooms, traveling light and buying here is a very good idea.

And don't forget to include a generous  contigency in your shipping cost estimate. In case the moving company cancels your container delivery after you've staged your furniture in the parking lot. And the next tenant's moving crew is waiting to move her furniture in. And you have to rent a truck to put your furniture in and call freight forwarders to reschedule shipping a container to Brazil. And rescheduling flights at the last minute at great expense. And then the 40 hour flight to Ilhéus. Waiting three months for the furniture to arrive. Three days in Salvador to clear customs, paying for container storage. Hiring a mover to haul the furniture from Salvador to Ilhéus.

Ever hear of Murphy's Law?

@Peter Itamaraca

thanks for the advice Peter!

@roddiesho Thanks for the advice! You are right, I have already listed mine here to sell. Its sad to let it go but I will fine something down there.

@alan279 oh my….🤦🏼‍♂️Good thing Im not attached to most things. I will down size more to make this experience easier. The hoses im looking at come ”closed door” so I wont need to ship as much as i expected at first. thanks for the reply!

09/12/24 There's a good article on this subject in the latest issue of Expat Magazine:

https://www.expat.com/en/expat-mag/1074 … smart.html