Shipping small amount of personal goods.

Shipping anything to Brazil is prohibitively expensive at the best of times. If you've only got a few boxes and they're not extremely heavy you should check your airline's EXCESS BAGGAGE policy and charges.

When I came to Brazil 12 years ago I brought 3 boxes with me as excess baggage and at the time I believe that I paid an additional $100 (CDN) which was very cheap. This is NOT included in your checked baggage limits, but considered "accompanied excess baggage".

Obviously the fee for this has probably increase during the years, but I'll bet it still is going to be your cheapest and most convenient option since the stuff is going to arrive where you are and at the same time as you get there.

Cheers,
William James Woodward, Expat-blog Experts Team

Anyone had experience with 'unaccompanied excess baggage'? - ie the kind that you pick up at the airport when you arrive. (specifically in Sao Paulo).

It is NOT "unaccompanied" you must be on the same aircraft, unless of course this occurs as a result of an error by the airline.

I brought serveral large boxes with me when I came to Brazil over 12 years ago now. It was the ONLY economical way to bring things here. I had absolutely no problem entering the country and because I took the time to prepare a written inventory of all of the contents (including estimated current value) they were never even opened. I arrived at São Paulo - Cumbica Airport (Guarulhos) and breezed through immigrations in a matter of minutes without any fuss or bother.

I doubt that you'll have any problems whatever as long as you make sure they know that these are personal items and you are only importing them into Brazil temporarily.

Cheers,
William James Woodward, EB Experts Team

Oops...... almost forgot.   NUMBER ALL YOUR BOXES  No. 1 of 4, No. 2 of 4, etc. (with the 2nd number being the total number of boxes). This way when you arrive to collect them you won't forget one and you'll know immediately if one should go missing.