Language
Overview
The official language is Portuguese in Brazilian variant. English and Spanish are spoken sporadically. German is also spoken in the south, especially in Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul and Paraná, as well as French and Italian; around 180 Native American languages.
Public Holidays
01/01/2022 New Year
01/20/2022 Founding of the city of Rio de Janeiro
02/28/2022 carnival
04/15/2022 Good Friday
04/21/2022 Tiradentes
05/01/2022 Labor Day
06/16/2022 Corpus Christi
07.09.2022 Independence Day
10/12/2022 Appearance of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Patron Saint of Brazil)
11/02/2022 All Souls
11/15/2022 day of the Republic
12/24/2022 Christmas eve
12/25/2022 Christmas
12/31/2022 New Year’s Eve
Source: Top-mba-universities.com
Holidays that fall on a weekday are moved to the preceding Monday, except for New Year’s Day, Labor Day, Independence Day, Christmas Day and Good Friday.
*Holidays are only observed regionally.
Duty free shopping
Overview
The following items can be brought into Brazil duty-free: Arrival by air, sea or land: 10 cigarette boxes of 20 cigarettes manufactured outside of Brazil and 25 cigars/cigarillos and 250 g of tobacco (persons aged 18 and over). ); 12 liters of alcoholic beverages (over 18s); Other goods under a value of US$10 up to 20 units of which no more than 10 are identical and over US$10 in value up to 20 units of which no more than 3 are identical (when entering by air or sea); Other goods under a value of US$5 up to 20 units of which no more than 10 are identical and over US$5 in value up to 10 units of which no more than 3 are identical (when entering via the country river or a lake); Items for personal use may be imported duty-free. Gifts valued at up to US$1,000 (if arriving by air or sea) or US$500 (if arriving by land). Note: International passengers may also import up to US$1,000 worth of goods purchased in duty-free shops at the first Brazilian airport of arrival. Each international passenger also has an additional time-off allowance of US$500 every 30 days (calculated through a moving window) for purchases at domestic duty-free shops. Volume Limits: 24 alcohol units, subject to the 12 unit limit per drink type; 20 packs of foreign-made cigarettes; 25 cigars/cigarillos; 250 g pipe tobacco; 10 pieces of toiletries; Max. 3 clocks, machines, appliances, toys, games or electrical instruments.). Note: Mobile phones purchased outside of Brazil must be declared at customs.
Prohibited Imports
Cigarettes and beverages manufactured in Brazil intended solely for sale abroad; branded cigarettes not marketed in the country of origin; replica firearms; Species of wild fauna without expert opinion and approval; Aquatic species for ornamental and agricultural purposes without approval from the competent authority; counterfeit and/or pirated products; products containing genetically modified organisms; pesticides, their components and the like; Goods contrary to morality, morality, health or public order and narcotics or drugs. More information is available from Countryaah.com.
Contact addresses
Embassy of the Federative Republic of Brazil
Consulates General in Zurich, Tel. +41 (44) 206 90 20/30 and in Geneva, Tel. +41 (22) 906 94 20.
Monbijoustrasse 68
Bern
Switzerland
+41 (31) 371 85 15.
http://berna.itamaraty.gov.br/de
http://berna.itamaraty.gov.br/de
Mon-Fri 09.00-13.00 and 14.00-17.00.
Embassy of the Federative Republic of Brazil
Honorary consulates in Graz, Innsbruck, Linz, Hard (Bregenz) and Wals (Salzburg).
Pestalozzigasse 4/2
Wien
Austria
+43 (1) 512 06 31. Consular Section: +43 (1) 512 06 32.
http://viena.itamaraty.gov.br/de
http://viena.itamaraty.gov.br /en
Mon-Fri 09.00-13.00 and 15.00-17.00. Consular section: Mon-Fri 09:00-13:00 (public), Mon-Fri 15:00-17:00 (telephone inquiries).
Embassy of the Federative Republic of Brazil
Consulates General in Frankfurt/M., Tel. +49 (69) 920 74 20, and Munich, Tel. +49 (89) 210 37 60.
Honorary Consulates in Aachen, Bremen, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Hanover, Stein, St. Leon- Red/Heidelberg and Stuttgart.
Wallstrasse 57
Berlin
Germany
+49 (30) 72 62 80. Consular Section: +49 (30) 72 62 86 00.
http://berlim.itamaraty.gov.br/de
http://berlim.itamaraty.gov.br/ en
Mon-Fri 08.30-13.00. Consular section: Mon, Wed, Fri 08.30-12.00, Tue, Thu 13.00-15.30. VISA matters only Mon, Wed, Fri 08.30-12.00.
Business
Business etiquette
A suit and tie, suit or dress is appropriate. Appointments (if possible with peers) should be arranged in advance; Business cards are common. Brazilians are more casual than other Latin Americans, but it’s important to dress carefully and show respect – at the beginning of a conversation, strangers should be addressed with the formal “o senhor” or “a senhora” before moving on to the informal “tu” or “você”, the Duzen, is passed over. It is common to hear people in the higher professions being addressed as “o doutor” (‘doctor’), whatever their profession. Although many business people in senior positions speak English,
Opening hours
Business hours: Mon-Fri 09.00-18.00.
Business contacts
Brazilian-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Rio de Janeiro Office) Avenida Graça Aranha, 1-6 andar, 20.030-002 Rio de Janeiro – RJ, Brazil Tel. +55 (0)21 22 24 21 23. Website: brazil.rio.ahk.de There are other AHK branches in Porte Alegre and São Paulo, among others. Latin American Chamber of Commerce in Switzerland (LATCAM) Kasernenstrasse 11, 8004 Zurich, Switzerland Tel. +41 (0)44 240 33 00. Website: www.latcam.ch
Communication
Phone
According to Abbreviationfinder.org, the country code is 0055. Public telephones can be used with telephone cards, the Cartões telefônicos. They are available in kiosks. As a rule, international calls are made via Skype, as they are otherwise very expensive.
Mobile phone
GSM 900/1800, 850/1900, 3G and 4G networks. Main network operators include Oi Brazil and TIM Brasil. The reception is good and roaming contracts exist. Nevertheless, it may be worth purchasing a Brazilian prepaid SIM card. Passport must be presented upon purchase. Note: Mobile phones should not be switched on within 3 km of airports, especially Rio and Sao Paulo, to prevent unauthorized use of the telephone line by third parties.
Internet
Internet cafes can be found in the cities. Many hotels, shopping malls, airports and post offices offer their customers free WiFi. There are many public WiFi hotspots in Brazil.
Post office
Postal services are relatively reliable. Anyone who sends letters by registered mail or uses a franking machine avoids the risk of the stamp being removed. Mail to Europe takes 4-6 days and occasionally up to 3 months.
