Anyone move solo to Florianópolis from the US?

EvJDot New member

Member since Yesterday 03:58:53

EvJDotNew memberYesterday 04:02:07

Hey everyone — I’ve been reading a lot of threads here and wanted to ask a more specific question, because I’m having trouble finding experiences that match my situation.

I’m a single guy in my late 30s currently living in Denver, Colorado. I work remotely as a Creative Director for a healthcare company, so my income isn’t tied to location. I also tattoo on the side.

I don’t speak Portuguese yet, but I plan to start lessons with a tutor at least 6 months before any move and continue once I’m there.

I’d be moving solo, and I’d also be bringing my dog, so this wouldn’t be a “party nomad” situation. I’m looking more for a long-term quality-of-life change than anything else — nature, outdoor living, calmer pace, but still a place that feels alive.

What I’m struggling to find are first-hand accounts from people who:

• moved to Brazil alone

• did not already speak Portuguese

• did not have a Brazilian partner or spouse

• stayed longer than just a short digital-nomad visit

• handled day-to-day life (housing, social life, dating, pets) on their own

Most posts I read involve someone whose wife/husband is Brazilian or who already spoke the language, which obviously changes the experience a lot.

So I’m curious:

• What was daily life actually like in the beginning?

• How isolating (or not) did it feel before your Portuguese improved?

• Was dating or building a social circle realistic early on?

• How dog-friendly was day-to-day life in practice?

• Looking back, what do you wish you’d known before moving?

I’m not romanticizing this — I’m planning a longer test stay (6months), not a permanent move right away, and I’m genuinely trying to understand the tradeoffs.

Would really appreciate hearing from anyone who did something similar — even if it didn’t work out.

Thanks.

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abthree Brazil Expert

Member since 28 December 2017

abthreeBrazil ExpertYesterday 11:40:46

6348

02/05/26 Welcome, @EvJDot. Your plan sounds reasonable, especially if you follow through on your plans for learning some Portuguese before you come, and intensify that on arrival. The Federal University of Santa Catarina in Florianópolis has a Portuguese for Foreigners course that would probably speed both your learning and your ability to make connections more quickly:

https://lle.ufsc.br/cursosextra/cursos/portugues/

Your best bet would be to come on a Digital Nomad visa because it's renewable; your only other viable option based on the information you provided would be a Tourist Visa, and that has a hard departure date after 180 days. Once you're in Floripa and decide to stay, obtaining an Authorization for Residency from the Federal Police based on purchase of residential real estate would probably be your easiest path to living here indefinitely. Regular site contributor @Peter Itamaraca is an expert on this.

Transporting a dog to Brazil (and back to the United States, for that matter) has become increasingly difficult since COVID. Your best source for information on this -- and the place where you'll need to process all your visa paperwork anyway -- is the Brazilian Consulate General in Houston, Texas, which is responsible for Colorado, and is unfortunately a trek for you. It can't hurt to contact them. There is (or was) an Honorary Brazilian Consulate in Denver that may be able to provide you with some initial information. Honorary Consulates normally are staffed by volunteers, not Foreign Service Officers, and tend to have limited hours; chances are that your questions will be referred to Houston anyway, but maybe not.

Best of luck to you in your planning.

EvJDot New member

Member since Yesterday 03:58:53

EvJDotNew memberToday 04:52:46

@abthree

I really appreciate all that info, thank you so much! I’m 14 months out from the potential move. It’s not 100% yet, but I did just sign up for a tutor. Figure it can’t hurt to start early.

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abthree Brazil Expert

Member since 28 December 2017

abthreeBrazil ExpertToday 09:05:52

6348

02/06/26 @EvjDot. Best of luck to you. As you run into additional questions, we're here to help.

You are correct in observing that most people whose experiences you read about here seem to be spouses of Brazilians. That's because being the spouse, parent, grandparent, child, or grandchild of a Brazilian is one of the few easy ways that a foreigner can come to Brazil as a legal immigrant.

The other ways are to be a Portuguese citizen, to be a citizen of a country signatory of the Mercosul Residency Accord -- Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay, or to be sponsored by a Brazilian employer, which has become increasingly rare.

A Retirement Visa and a Refugee Visa confer temporary legal status that becomes permanent with the passage of time. A Digital Nomad visa does not, but the holder may be able to change his/her status under certain circumstances. It's close to impossible to bootstrap a Tourist Visa into anything permanent.