Anyone move solo to Florian贸polis from the US?

EvJDot New member

Member since Yesterday 03:58:53

EvJDotNew memberYesterday 04:02:07

Hey everyone 鈥� I鈥檝e been reading a lot of threads here and wanted to ask a more specific question, because I鈥檓 having trouble finding experiences that match my situation.

I鈥檓 a single guy in my late 30s currently living in Denver, Colorado. I work remotely as a Creative Director for a healthcare company, so my income isn鈥檛 tied to location. I also tattoo on the side.

I don鈥檛 speak Portuguese yet, but I plan to start lessons with a tutor at least 6 months before any move and continue once I鈥檓 there.

I鈥檇 be moving solo, and I鈥檇 also be bringing my dog, so this wouldn鈥檛 be a 鈥減arty nomad鈥� situation. I鈥檓 looking more for a long-term quality-of-life change than anything else 鈥� nature, outdoor living, calmer pace, but still a place that feels alive.

What I鈥檓 struggling to find are first-hand accounts from people who:

聽聽鈥⒙� 聽 moved to Brazil alone

聽聽鈥⒙� 聽 did not already speak Portuguese

聽聽鈥⒙� 聽 did not have a Brazilian partner or spouse

聽聽鈥⒙� 聽 stayed longer than just a short digital-nomad visit

聽聽鈥⒙� 聽 handled day-to-day life (housing, social life, dating, pets) on their own

Most posts I read involve someone whose wife/husband is Brazilian or who already spoke the language, which obviously changes the experience a lot.

So I鈥檓 curious:

聽聽鈥⒙� 聽 What was daily life actually like in the beginning?

聽聽鈥⒙� 聽 How isolating (or not) did it feel before your Portuguese improved?

聽聽鈥⒙� 聽 Was dating or building a social circle realistic early on?

聽聽鈥⒙� 聽 How dog-friendly was day-to-day life in practice?

聽聽鈥⒙� 聽 Looking back, what do you wish you鈥檇 known before moving?

I鈥檓 not romanticizing this 鈥� I鈥檓 planning a longer test stay (6months), not a permanent move right away, and I鈥檓 genuinely trying to understand the tradeoffs.

Would really appreciate hearing from anyone who did something similar 鈥� even if it didn鈥檛 work out.

Thanks.

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abthree Brazil Expert

Member since 28 December 2017

abthreeBrazil ExpertYesterday 11:40:46

6348

02/05/26 Welcome, @EvJDot.聽 Your plan sounds reasonable, especially if you follow through on your plans for learning some Portuguese before you come, and intensify that on arrival.聽 The Federal University of Santa Catarina in Florian贸polis has a Portuguese for Foreigners course that would probably speed both your learning and your ability to make connections more quickly:

Your best bet would be to come on a Digital Nomad visa because it's renewable; your only other viable option based on the information you provided would be a Tourist Visa, and that has a hard departure date after 180 days.聽 Once you're in Floripa and decide to stay, obtaining an Authorization for Residency from the Federal Police based on purchase of residential real estate would probably be your easiest path to living here indefinitely.聽 Regular site contributor @Peter Itamaraca is an expert on this.

Transporting a dog to Brazil (and back to the United States, for that matter) has become increasingly difficult since COVID.聽 Your best source for information on this -- and the place where you'll need to process all your visa paperwork anyway -- is the Brazilian Consulate General in Houston, Texas, which is responsible for Colorado, and is unfortunately a trek for you.聽 It can't hurt to contact them.聽 There is (or was) an Honorary Brazilian Consulate in Denver that may be able to provide you with some initial information.聽 Honorary Consulates normally are staffed by volunteers, not Foreign Service Officers, and tend to have limited hours; chances are that your questions will be referred to Houston anyway, but maybe not.

Best of luck to you in your planning.聽

EvJDot New member

Member since Yesterday 03:58:53

EvJDotNew memberToday 04:52:46

@abthree

I really appreciate all that info, thank you so much! I鈥檓 14 months out from the potential move. It鈥檚 not 100% yet, but I did just sign up for a tutor.聽 Figure it can鈥檛 hurt to start early.

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abthree Brazil Expert

Member since 28 December 2017

abthreeBrazil ExpertToday 09:05:52

6348

02/06/26 @EvjDot.聽 Best of luck to you.聽 As you run into additional questions, we're here to help.

You are correct in observing that most people whose experiences you read about here seem to be spouses of Brazilians.聽 That's because being the spouse, parent, grandparent, child, or grandchild of a Brazilian is one of the few easy ways that a foreigner can come to Brazil as a legal immigrant.聽

The聽 other ways are to be a Portuguese citizen, to be a citizen of a country signatory of the Mercosul Residency Accord -- Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay, or to be sponsored by a Brazilian employer, which has become increasingly rare.

A Retirement Visa and a Refugee Visa confer temporary legal status that becomes permanent with the passage of time.聽 A Digital Nomad visa does not, but the holder may be able to change his/her status under certain circumstances.聽 It's close to impossible to bootstrap a Tourist Visa into anything permanent.