Top resources for Brazilian property owners
The long process of developing a new life abroad or making an overseas investment doesn’t end when you find the ideal property. Expats and investors alike often find that they need a helping hand with issues ranging from paperwork and legal documents to fitting in with their local community.
Therefore Brazilian property owners should pay attention to the places, resources and publications which they will need when setting up home or making their next investment.
Administration, advice and support for Brazilian property owners
As in many countries across the world, UK residents in Brazil are offered help from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) through the British Consulate. Any British national in the country can explore the services they offer by visiting the consulate’s official website, ukinbrazil.fco.gov.uk.
The British Embassy in Brazil is located in Brasilia, although British Consulate general offices can be found in both Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. A network of honorary consulate offices also spreads across other parts of the country.
On the organisation’s website information is given to those who are starting their retirement in Brazil and the voting rights of UK nationals living overseas. The consulate can also arrange notarial services to legalise a document and provide consular birth certificates for children of British parents born in Brazil.
It is also recommended that people register with the FCO’s Locate service, which helps the office to provide assistance in the event of a natural disaster or terrorist attack.
Brazil is split up into 26 municipalities and one federal district. While many of these individual authorities to do not provide English language versions of their websites, the official website of the Brazilian government does and can be found at brasil.gov.br.
Information available on the site covers subjects such as employment, healthcare and local culture.
At a local level, many issues are dealt with through the Central do Cidadao, or Citizen’s Central. These offices offer an accessible location for many of a town’s services including the federal police, department of transit and utility companies. They are also where Brazilian nationals go to get their official papers.
For financial matters, some well-known high street banks operate in Brazil, including HSBC, which has a branch in Natal.
Keeping up-to-date with the news in Brazil
Despite being a rapidly emerging investment destination, Brazil still receives little coverage in the UK media. This means that those moving abroad or investing in the country will have to look further afield for their news.
Those who like to keep up with the affairs of Brits taking place globally can do so through the expat section of the Daily Telegraph, which is available on the newspaper’s website and includes information on overseas property and financial issues.
The BBC world service also offers British nationals a taste of home, although Brazilian property owners will only be able to access this over the internet. A dedicated Americas section is provided on the Economist website and plans are also currently in place for Sky News to extend its coverage of the Americas in the near future.
English language newspapers are slightly thin on the ground in Brazil. However, for English language world news with a South American slant, the Buenos Aires Herald, published in Argentina, and the Santiago Times, published in Chile, both have online versions which can be accessed worldwide.
For industry-related articles the Business News Americas service is updated regularly. It has a dedicated section for Brazil which includes news on infrastructure and banking in the country.
Shelter Offshore is a good resource for expat advice, particularly on financial matters, while those looking to keep up with the latest developments in the Brazilian property market can do so on the UV10 website, which is updated daily.
Meeting fellow Brazilian property owners in the country
The Daily Telegraph recently named the first winners of its Best of British Awards, in which expats from across the world voted for the places which most reminded them of home.
In the category of Best Social Club, the St Andrew Society in the State of Sao Paulo gained a mention. The club was founded in 1924 and is for anyone of Scottish descent or "a friend" of the country. Events take place throughout the year including celebrations on Burns Night.
Also, in Sao Paolo, The Pub was named as the best bar in Brazil to get a taste of the UK. Meanwhile, the Black Swan in Florianopolis, Santa Caterina, and the Republic Pub in Sao Paulo both earned a mention.
