British scientist thinking of taking up job in Rio - any tips?

1POSTS

14 years ago

I've been hoping to come to Brazil for a while having finished my PhD in the UK recently and have just been offered a position as a researcher at the Federal University in Rio de Janeiro. This is really exciting but I have so many questions to decide whether to go down this path and Im really hoping that someone might be able to help me with their experiences!

They are offering me initially a Brazilian post-doc salary of R$3000 a month. From reading various blogs about the cost of living in Rio Im wondering whether this will be enough to live on especially as my partner will probably be coming with me and may find difficulty getting work. What do you think? Im sure it depends on where you live. I dont have an extravagant lifestyle in the UK, I hardly ever buy anything but we do enjoy eating out and socialising and I would like to live somewhere relatively safe, that isnt too much of a trek from the university, has good public transport links and has a social atmosphere and where we can meet people we can communicate with (I will be learning Portuguese but at the moment I can't speak very much!). Do you know anyone at all working at the unversity?

Also reading about some of the crime and violence out there it sounds a little worrying. I've lived in London so I'm used to big cities and being careful, is Rio much more dangerous than other major cities?

I was also wondering about visas, do you have any idea about how long it may take to get a work permit sorted. My partner and I are considering getting married as it may make it easier to move out there. He's also British, do you have any idea whether a spouse coming with someone on a work permit can also work? I'm also a bit worried about what he might do, he's an archaeologist here and could teach English although it sounds as though it could be difficult to find work. Any advice?

Anyway, I would love to hear more about your experiences. It's always nice to have some contact before moving somewhere!

Thanks
Jennie

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DouglasT Contributor

110POSTS

14 years ago

Hello! I am Douglas Trent, an American scientist here in Belo Horizonte. I recommend that you do not take that R$3000 salary living in Rio.....It is very expensive and you would need to pay most of that simply for rent, and even then you would not have a place I would want to live in! Be careful of such offers. To rent and live comfortably in Rio, I would want around R$12,000 a month.

I am traveling and do not have time to answer the rest of your questions, but with what I have stated above, think you need to think about this much more of negotiate a much larger strategy. Rio is not a city you want to be poor in!

Cheers, Douglas

Kaylen New member

4POSTS

14 years ago

Hi Jennie D,

We came to Sao Paulo in May 2010 and although we are a gay couple, we are married. Work visa for you will not be a problem at all as the University will take care of this. The process however, is long and tedious. You need to get a work visa, CPF (Without this you are not legal in Brazil), RNE. Having said this, your partner will have to go through the same process. If you would like to avoid hassle, marry as soon as you can, this will help the process. For him however, be really careful. If he comes in on a tourist visa in the beginning, he can only stay for 6 months in the country. After this, he needs to stay out of the country for the same period of time. Even if he goes in an out of the country, the total days into Brazil count, so be really careful. I agree with the post above that for less than RS 12,000, you should not consider coming. Rent is high, although lower than Sao Paulo, living standard can be high without much cost (beach, gym can be all for free), but if you want to have some kind of life (taxi, partying, travel, restaurants) it will cost a fortune. Again, depending on your life-style it can be done on Rs 3,000 if your rent is paid. However, there is no way this amount can sustain two people, so be ready to spend some of your savings during the initial year while waiting for visas, opening up bank accounts, etc. etc. Brazil bureaucracy is crazy! Good luck

Ludinwolf New member

4POSTS

14 years ago

Hi there, although i m not a scientist
neither have i worked in Rio, but being a
brazilian that had many of my holidays in
Rio de Janeiro, I can guarantee you that
R$3000 is not good money for a good living
in Rio(neither sao paulo).
Like someone mentioned already here, is not
good idea to live on the poor side in brazil.

To live with slightly similar standards as living
in america or europe, mininum of R$10.000 is
necessary.

Best of luck.

DaveSB Member

1POSTS

14 years ago

Hi Jennie
Rio is a wonderful place to visit, but I´m not sure about living there. I don´t, but I know quite a few people who do, and their conversation always seems to turn to crime of one form or another. Of course some parts are fairly safe, but as other people have pointed out, they tend to be expensive. I would say as well that you really need fair Portuguese before arriving. Although many people at the university will have some English, most people in the city don´t, and of course forms and bureaucracy are all in Portuguese, and there is a lot of bureaucracy! If your research requires material ordered from outside the country, be warned it might take months to arrive, not days or weeks.
Having said that, it would be an adventure. Rio has a lot going on, and makes a great base for exploring the country (Rio and Sao Paulo are the main flight hubs). The economy is booming, universities tend to be well equipped and fierce competition means the level of students can be very high. There are plenty of opportunities here, especially in teaching English - your partner might not make much money, but it´s a good way of meeting local people. Good luck, Dave