Practical Information

GUIDES FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

Download the guide with specific information about your campus and the city you will stay:

Apucarana / Campo Mourão / Cornélio Procópio / Curitiba / Dois Vizinhos / Francisco Beltrão / Guarapuava / Londrina / Medianeira / Pato Branco / Ponta Grossa / Santa Helena / Toledo

IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS

VISA

Once you have been accepted for a period of exchange at UTFPR, it is necessary to apply for a temporary IV visa at a Brazilian consulate in your country. Brazilian visas are not awarded in national territory, airports, ports or at points of entry of the Brazilian border. To apply for the visa, you must complete the electronic form and attend the consulate with the following documents: a printed form; your passport; a recent ID photo; a Negative Certificate of Criminal Background; proof of financial ability or scholarship to remain in Brazil during the exchange period; proof of means of transportation in and out of Brazil; proof of payment of consular fees; and proof of active enrollment at the university. The temporary IV visa fees range from one 100 to 300 dollars, depending on the country. The documents must be in Portuguese, English, French or Spanish. If they are in other languages they can be accepted by sworn translation into Portuguese.

Term of issue: usually the term of issue is ten business days. It is recommended that the request for the visa is made at least 60 days before the date of travel.

Registration in the Federal Police Department (DPF): the owner of temporary IV visa must present himself/herself to DPF within 30 days of his/her entry in Brazil.

Remember: the temporary IV visa (VITEM IV) is only granted to the foreigner who comes to Brazil as a student, without any paid activity, except for those who are attending in higher education institutions for internship - these ones must also present proof of the internship signed by the student and supervisor.

CIE/RNE

Within 30 days of your arrival and holding the temporary IV visa (VITEM IV), you have to schedule an appointment and present yourself to the Federal Police Department, where you will be registered to receive the CIE.  The Foreigner Identification Card (CIE) is an ID for temporarily admitted foreigners in Brazil, and it’s valid in the whole country. The National Register of Foreigners (RNE) is the registration number informed in the CIE.

The process for requesting or renewing the CIE can only be made personally at the Federal Police Department. Before presenting yourself, though, you must fill in an electronic form, schedule the appointment and pay the fees through the Federal Police Department (DPF) website.

CIE/RNE fees (in Brazilian currency):

National Register of Foreigners (RNE): 106.45 BRL

Foreigner Identification Card (CIE): 204.77 BRL

TRAVELLING

Airports

The state of Paraná have two internationals airports: the Afonso Pena International Airport, in Curitiba, and the Foz do Iguaçu International Airport, in Foz do Iguaçu. The access to other UTFPR campuses cities can be by bus from Curitiba or Foz do Iguaçu, or flight connections in nationals airports. The Foz Iguaçu International Airport is near Medianeira (55km), Santa Helena (107km) and Toledo (154km).

Vaccines

Vaccination is not mandatory for entry in Brazil. However, the Ministry of Health recommends that international tourists and foreigners update the vaccination schedule in their origin country before traveling. For more information, please read the information at the Brazilian Ministry of Health website.

LIFE ON CAMPUS

Fees

As a public federal institution, we do not charge any tuition or registration fees.

Accommodation

We don’t have residence halls. Your main options for accommodation will be:

Rented houses or apartments: you can share with other students or rent a furnished property, choosing the most convenient location. There are websites aimed specifically at foreign students who wish to rent a property, and also groups on social networks dedicated to shared housing.

Homestay: some families rent a room to foreign students. There are websites in which the student can search for homestay in the city where he/she will be staying and contact the family.

Student hostels: there are specific hostels for students, with shared areas. One advantage is that the student will pay monthly for the entire service, including electricity, water, internet and rent. Prices may vary depending on the size and comfort of the rooms and what each hostel offers.

Remember to evaluate details such as transportation, proximity or ease of access to the campus, and the availability of general services in the neighborhood.

Food

All our campuses have University Restaurants. The price of meals for students is 3.50 BRL and there are options to restricted diets.

Libraries

All our campuses have libraries with a collection of scientific, technical and professional books for undergraduate and graduate students. You can check our catalogue online.

Student ID

A student ID will be provided for exchange students to access the services and facilities.

Sports

Some of our campuses have classes and sports activities on different modalities available to students. For more information, we can provide you the contact of the athletic association of your program upon request.

Health Insurance

On registration day, exchange students must provide proof of health insurance covering the entire period of stay.

Health services on campus

Our Student Assistance Division has a medical and dental clinic for students and staff, and is prepared to provide assistance in emergency and first aid cases. The division also carries out prevention activities.

Transportation

The cities with UTFPR campuses have paid public transportation systems. The price varies.

Language

It is not required that exchange students take official Portuguese exams to apply. However, if you’re planning to take courses at UTFPR, please note that almost all of them are taught in Portuguese. We recommend that you achieve a B1 level in Portuguese before coming. If you intend to do an internship or take part in research activities, please check with your supervisor if there’s any specific recommendation. If you are interested in developing your Portuguese skills while you’re here, please see more information about our Portuguese language courses.

Academic calendar

UTFPR academic calendar is divided into two semesters. The first one begins in March and ends in the first week of July and second begins in August and ends in the first week of December. We have a “winter break” in July and a “summer break” in December, January and February. For the complete calendar, click here.

Bank account

if you wish or need to open a bank account in Brazil, the documents required are CPF*, RNE (National Register of Foreigners), passport, proof of residence and proof of enrollment. Remember to close your account at the end of your stay to avoid extra fees.

*CPF is a document that allows you to do different operations such as opening a bank account, hiring phone and internet services, etc. You can request it in any post office (“Correios”) or at the Receita Federal website.

Communication

All our campuses have free wifi for students and staff. You can also hire internet services on mobile companies’ stores. To make calls to other countries, just type: 00 + company code + country code + city code + number.

Important numbers in case of emergency

193 - Fire Brigade and Integrated Service of Emergency Trauma Assistance (Siate)

192 - Ambulance

190 - Police

180 - Specialized Station for Women Assistance