Moving to Sao Paulo, Brazil and Setting up Utilities

Posted by shipping Brazil on August 16, 2011 · Leave a Comment 

When you are moving to Brazil with IntlMOVE Brazil, planning ahead is the key to making the move as easy as possible. After you have shipped all of your household goods from the U.S. to Brazil, you will need to get settled into your new home in Sao Paulo.

IntlMOVE Brazil has put together some basic tips to help you get your cable, Internet and utilities set up.

Setting Up Services

When you are setting up services, you may want to enlist the help of someone who speaks Portuguese if you only speak English. You can call the service providers, visit them online or go to stores that are set up locally. Although each service varies, you will likely need a passport or a Foreigner’s Identification Number (RNE). You will also need a CPF number, which is a taxpayer’s number. A Brazilian bank account might also be needed to directly debit your monthly fees.

Television

There are five major networks in Brazil: Band, RedeTV, Globo, Rede Record and SBT. You can get many other channels on cable. Satellite television is also available in Sao Paulo, but cable is more widely available. The three major service providers are: Net, Sky and Globo SAT. After setting up your account, a service technician will come within about five business days to set up the service.

Internet

The Internet service providers are: Brasil Telecom, POP, UOL, NET and GVT. There are also a lot of smaller providers. You will have a lot of options.

Telephone

There are two telephone service providers: Telefonica and Embratel. Either of these companies can help you with landlines.

Package Deals

Many providers offer packages, which include cable, landlines and Internet. These packages help you save money, as opposed to purchasing the services separately.

Cell Phones

Choose between pay-as-you-go or monthly services for cell phones in Sao Paulo. The companies are: TIM, Claro, Vivo and Oi. You can set up family plans if you are moving to Sao Paulo with children.

Electricity

In Sao Paulo, the electricity supplier is AES Eletropaulo. You can set up your services online or by calling the company. If you are renting, you will likely need the help of your landlord to set up the services. Make sure you take care of this before you actually move in. You do not want to go days without electricity as you wait to sort through the process of setting up the service.

Gas

When moving to Sao Paulo, you may need to set up gas. Comgás is the only provider of mains natural gas. You can also by gas by the bottle from different companies, such as Ultragaz or Liquigas. There are different distribution points for these two companies all over Sao Paulo.

Water and Waste

You will also need to speak with your landlord about turning on your water and waste services. Only the owners of properties can take care of this. The name of the water supply company in Sao Paulo is Sabesp.

When you are ready to move to Sao Paulo, Brazil, contact IntlMOVE Brazil when you are shipping your household goods from the U.S. to Brazil.

 

Filed under IntlMOVE · Tagged with , , , ,

Moving to Brazil – International Schools in Rio de Janeiro

Posted by shipping Brazil on August 15, 2011 · Leave a Comment 

When moving to Brazil with IntlMOVE Brazil, you will want to make sure your children are attending the right school. Before moving to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, check into the schools that are available for your children.

If you would like your children to attend an American school while living in Brazil, check out the Escola Americana do Rio de Janeiro, known as the American School of Rio de Janeiro in English. Other international schools include: Rio International School and the British School Rio de Janeiro.

In addition to these schools, there are a wide variety of other school choices. There are public schools and private schools to choose from. However, unless your children already speak Portuguese, they will have a difficult time acclimating. Sending your children to an English-based school will help them adjust to their new country. The absence of the language barrier will also help your children adapt more quickly as they can make friends easily.

Escola Americana do Rio de Janeiro

The Escola Americana do Rio de Janeiro is located outside of the Rio de Janeiro in the surrounding suburbs. The school was founded in 1937 and provides education to children from nursery school through grade 12.

The English-based curriculum prepares students for college. In fact, over 95 percent of all graduating students enroll in college. The students are required to take Portuguese as a second language to help them thrive in their Brazilian surroundings. Students can earn three different diplomas – an American diploma, a Brazilian diploma and an International Baccalaureate diploma.

Rio International School

Rio International School (RIS) is located in Barra da Tijuca, which is a suburb outside of Rio de Janeiro. There are two buildings – one for elementary students and one for secondary students. Soccer is a favorite pastime in Brazil, so students attending Rio International School will find that it has two soccer fields.

The classes are taught in English, so if English is your children’s first language, they will feel right at home. This particular school integrates a variety of teaching styles, which include: inquiry-based learning, cooperative learning, metacognition and technological integration. The different teaching styles cater to different students who learn in unique ways.

British School in Rio de Janeiro

The British School in Rio de Janeiro has a British-based curriculum. The bi-cultural environment also opens up the doors to children to learn about Brazilian culture, which helps them adjust to their new home.

This particular school caters to all ages of children. If you would like to enroll your children in a quality pre-nursery class, the school accepts children as young as two years old. The school is also open to students up to the age of 18. All of your children’s pre-collegiate educational needs can be met at this school. There are two locations – the pre-Nursery classes up to Class 11 unit are located in the South Zone (Zona Sul) of Rio de Janeiro.  A second location opened in 2006 in the suburb of Barra.

Choosing the right school for your children will help them succeed in Brazil. You may want to research and choose a school before finding a place to live. Living close to your children’s schools will help them shorten their daily commute. When you are moving to Brazil, contact IntlMOVE for your free online international shipping quote.

 

Filed under IntlMOVE · Tagged with