Studying in Rio de Janeiro

Why study in Rio de Janeiro?

Rio de Janeiro offers several ways to study abroad: a semester that counts toward your degree at home, a full Brazilian degree, or a place in a research team. Its universities cover sciences, health, engineering, arts, and management, with public institutions alongside private and specialist schools. Music, cultural venues, beaches, and outdoor activities are part of life beyond the classroom.

Your experience will depend partly on where you study. Rio has no single university district: classes may take you to Maracanã, Gávea, Botafogo, or the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro's sites on Fundão and elsewhere. Housing and travel can take up a substantial share of your time and money. Portuguese also matters outside class, from dealing with a landlord to handling paperwork and getting to know classmates, even if you choose courses taught in English.

Universities and higher education in Rio de Janeiro

The Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), a public university, has a broad range of subjects, including engineering, scientific research, humanities, social sciences, health, and arts. Its sites include Cidade Universitária on Fundão, Praia Vermelha, and downtown buildings. It is worth looking closely at the department and location attached to your course, especially if you plan to combine subjects. UFRJ's exchange route is open to students from partner institutions.

Rio de Janeiro State University (UERJ), also public, offers law, social sciences, health, engineering, and design, among other fields. Its main campus is in Maracanã, while design has a separate site. Some UERJ campuses are outside the city, so the university's name alone doesn't establish where you'll attend class. Exchange teaching is in Portuguese, making UERJ a choice for students ready to study in the local language.

The Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO) is another public university and a separate institution from UFRJ. It offers courses in music, theater, and health. It accepts exchange students under agreements and also offers a free-mover route for individual courses without an agreement. Free movers need approval from their home university and can stay for up to a year.

The private Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), in Gávea, offers engineering, computing, economics, communication, design, and social sciences. It offers exchange and double-degree arrangements. Students can combine Portuguese and selected English-taught courses, subject to scheduling. International semester students must also take Portuguese. Indicate your interest in English courses when applying.

For business and public administration, another private option is the Brazilian School of Public and Business Administration (EBAPE), part of Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV). FGV EBAPE offers courses in Portuguese and English, case studies, group work, and presentations, with attendance requirements. Course access, fees, and teaching location depend on the program. Its incoming-student contact is incomingebape@fgv.br.

For an exchange, start with your home university's agreements and the courses actually open to visiting students. For a research degree, pay close attention to the project, team, and supervisor. If you're returning to education while working, class times and the degree format will matter too. A semester with some English-taught courses and a fully English-taught degree are different options; confirm which the program offers before applying.

Admissions, tuition, and funding in Rio de Janeiro

Choosing an application route

Exchange applications generally begin at your home university. After approval and, where required, nomination, the host university reviews your application and, if you are admitted, issues an acceptance letter. Start preparing months before departure because your home selection may close before the host's application period. The academic year broadly runs from March to July and August to December, with variations between institutions and programs. UERJ's exchange guidance gives indicative nomination and application periods of September and October for the first semester, and March and April for the second. Its application includes a passport, transcripts, a home-university nomination, a motivation letter, a learning agreement, and a CV. The CV and motivation letter must be in Portuguese, and you must provide a Portuguese version of the transcript. Students who are nationals of non-Portuguese-speaking countries must provide evidence of Portuguese at B1 level.  

Applying for a complete undergraduate degree follows a different process unless you qualify for a special admission scheme. UFRJ's undergraduate admissions use Enem, Brazil's national secondary-school examination, and SiSU, the system that allocates places using those results; some programs also require aptitude tests. UERJ has its own entrance examination, the vestibular.  

Master's and doctoral applicants follow the department's edital, an admissions call setting out the qualifications, documents, language requirements, and tests for that program. Undergraduate applicants need evidence of completed secondary education; graduate applicants need the relevant prior degree. Admission depends on the route and program, and an exchange nomination or an application does not guarantee a place.

Foreign qualifications may require several separate steps: translation, legalization, recognition of prior education, or approval of transferred credits. A translation doesn't establish that a qualification is equivalent to a Brazilian one.  

What tuition covers

Ordinary undergraduate study at public universities is tuition-free. You still need money for housing, food, transport, insurance, and other study expenses. Private tuition depends on the program or credit load, while a partner exchange agreement can change what you pay to the host institution.

At PUC-Rio, an independent international student taking 19-20 credits pays BRL 44,802 for a semester, payable in six monthly installments of BRL 7,467. Partner exchange students have host tuition waived but pay separate administrative fees. Housing and the intensive Portuguese course before the semester are additional costs. For FGV EBAPE, obtain the fees for your particular program rather than assuming the same charge applies across the school.

Scholarships and financial support

PEC-G, the Undergraduate Student Agreement Program, offers free undergraduate places to eligible nationals of partner countries who reside outside Brazil. Nationality, secondary education, and financial-capacity conditions apply. However, a PEC-G place isn't a general scholarship that covers living expenses.

At UFRJ, Promisaes assistance is available to selected enrolled PEC-G students under academic and social criteria. Recipients cannot take paid work except for authorized curricular or undergraduate research activities. For graduate study, PEC-PG, the Graduate Student Agreement Program, provides a monthly stipend and certain additional support to eligible master's and doctoral students. Exchange funding can also come through mobility agreements or your home university.  

Support for international students in Rio de Janeiro

International offices help with course arrangements and arrival questions. At UFRJ, the Superintendência Geral de Relações Internacionais (SGRI) handles international relations and mobility. UNIRIO's Coordenadoria de Relações Internacionais e Interinstitucionais (CRI) deals with incoming mobility at crimobilidadein@unirio.br. At UERJ, the international cooperation office, DIRCINT, also runs Programa Amigo, which connects incoming students with buddies for help with classes, transport, and housing.

Interpoli, a UFRJ student association, offers mentoring and help settling in for visitors to the Technology Center, including housing guidance. PUC-Rio's international cooperation office, CCCI, has an incoming-student hub, while FGV EBAPE provides international academic support. UFRJ, PUC-Rio, Interpoli, and FGV EBAPE publish useful information in English; however, not every appointment or service will be conducted in English.

Portuguese support takes several forms. UERJ offers an online course before arrival and a 4-credit on-site course. UFRJ's CLAC community language program includes Portuguese for foreigners, with its own registration and fees. PUC-Rio provides semester Portuguese teaching and a paid intensive course before the semester. Include language classes in both your timetable and budget when choosing your courses.

Immigration, insurance, and everyday paperwork

Depending on your circumstances, you'll need a VITEM IV temporary study visa or a study residence authorization, with documents including acceptance and proof of funds. Temporary study visa holders must register with the Federal Police within 90 days of entry. The Federal Police's study residence guidance explains the procedure.

UERJ requires insurance for the whole stay that covers medical treatment, repatriation, and repatriation of remains. UFRJ also requires insurance throughout the mobility period. A bank may ask for a CPF, Brazil's tax identification number, photo identification, an address, and proof of enrollment.

Where to live as a student in Rio de Janeiro

Student neighborhoods

Choose an area around your actual teaching site and class schedule. For PUC-Rio, Gávea and nearby southern neighborhoods keep you closer to campus, although even university-arranged homestays can involve a 30-40-minute bus trip. For EBAPE or studying near Botafogo and Praia Vermelha, consider Botafogo, Flamengo, Catete, and Laranjeiras, using the subway corridor with a walk or bus connection as needed.

At UERJ, living in Maracanã or on a direct route to campus can reduce transfers. UFRJ's Fundão campus needs a different calculation: road access, buses, and the university's external routes and intercampus services matter more than proximity to a southern neighborhood. 

Consider the route home after an evening class as well as your daytime commute. The street, campus entrance, and bus stop matter, not just the neighborhood name. Buddies and the international office can help you assess a particular route.  

Student accommodation

Options include rooms in shared apartments, student shared houses known as repúblicas, furnished rentals, private residences, and studios. UFRJ doesn't provide accommodation for exchange students. Start with the international office and student contacts, then compare property listings. Temporary accommodation on arrival gives you time to inspect a room and understand the commute before committing to a longer stay.

PUC-Rio's homestay program introduces students to hosts, but the student and host handle the agreement and payments directly. A room with breakfast costs BRL 2,500 a month; with an additional meal, where offered, it costs BRL 2,875. Kitchen access and visitors need to be agreed upon individually.

With a private rental, establish what the quoted rent includes. The contract should clearly allocate building charges, water, electricity, internet, and property tax. A landlord may require a guarantor, a deposit, or rental insurance. Under Brazil's tenancy law, a cash deposit cannot exceed 3 months' rent, and a lease cannot require more than one type of rental guarantee. Verify the landlord's identity, record the supplied furniture, and agree on the fees in writing before transferring money.

Student living costs in Rio de Janeiro

Housing is likely to be your largest fixed expense. FGV EBAPE's international guidance gives a monthly accommodation range of BRL 2,000-3,500 across options including rooms, shared housing, and private residences. 

Add any separately billed utilities, health insurance, tuition and other academic fees, and arrival costs. A private studio, frequent nights out, and regular ride-hailing trips will push spending upward. A cheaper room you've actually found, or campus meals you're eligible to use, can bring it down. For food context, Rio's defined DIEESE/Conab basic food basket cost BRL 913.46 in September 2026. This basket measures a set of staple foods, not everything a student needs to eat or spend in a month.

A municipal bus trip costs BRL 5, while a subway trip costs BRL 7.90. Two trips a day over 22 class days come to BRL 220 by municipal bus or BRL 347.60 by subway, before any extra fares. The Jaé system's integrations cover municipal transport combinations under their respective transfer rules; don't assume every change of mode is included.

Passe Livre Universitário provides free travel for eligible categories of students at institutions within the city, including categories based on quota admission or income. Enrollment alone is insufficient, and municipal and subway free-travel schemes are separate. Likewise, UERJ's free campus meals cover certain quota-entry students and students recognized as socially vulnerable. An exchange student's access and price depend on their enrollment situation.

For leisure, meia-entrada, the student half-price ticket, applies to cultural events, cinemas, and some sporting events with the prescribed student proof and within the applicable ticket allocation. Paid sports, concerts, and major outings are separate from your basic food and travel allowance.

Student jobs and internships in Rio de Janeiro

People with study residence authorization may do paid work compatible with their studies and in compliance with labor law. The study residence rules don't set a general weekly cap on student employment. Scholarship conditions can be stricter, as with Promisaes. The Federal Police is the official starting point for establishing how study residence rules apply to your status.

Internships have their own rules. Under Brazil's internship law, the usual higher-education limit is 6 hours a day and 30 hours a week, with regulated exceptions. The student, host organization, and educational institution sign a termo de compromisso, an agreement defining the placement and its relationship to the student's studies. Optional internships must provide a stipend and transport assistance; compulsory internships can be unpaid. The internship law permits enrollment at a university outside Brazil, subject to legal and immigration conditions. Your home university and the host must still make the necessary educational arrangements. However, being enrolled abroad doesn't automatically give you access to a Rio university's housing, meals, or placement portal.

Look for opportunities in administration, communication, business, IT, and university teaching or research support. Portuguese expands the vacancies you can pursue and helps with everyday communication at work. Explore your institution's career service, faculty, classmates, recruitment platforms, and CIEE, an organization that connects students and employers. PUC-Rio's Central de Estágios provides internship information and placement support; its Vagas Online listings require student credentials.

Student life in Rio de Janeiro

Classes, group projects, degree associations, and student groups give you regular opportunities to meet people. At FGV EBAPE, group work and presentations are part of academic life, and attendance requirements mean you need to fit social plans around your timetable. UERJ's buddies and UFRJ's Interpoli provide another way to get to know local students.

Volunteering and sport can help you get involved beyond your course. PUC-Rio's RESPuc offers social volunteering, with some hours counting toward study requirements. Its sports activities for international students have enrollment conditions and separate fees. Ask about the activities open to your student category rather than assuming all facilities are included in tuition.

Time outside campus can include the beaches, walking or cycling around Lagoa, beach sports, soccer, volleyball, and capoeira. Cafés, live music, and nightlife in places such as Lapa offer other ways to spend an evening. Activities near home or campus can make the return journey easier to manage. Carnival is a major part of the city's calendar, but concerts and large paid events take up a big chunk of your recreation budget. Keeping some plans inexpensive leaves more flexibility for those bigger occasions.