Internacionalização do Campus Araranguá

Here you will find some helpful information for studying and living in Araranguá.

BEFORE TRAVELLING

This section provides information and tips about:

REGISTRATION  

All students must register with the University before beginning their studies and again at the beginning of each academic semester. Please contact the Office of International Relations (sinter.ufsc.br / incoming.sinter@contato.ufsc.br) for information.

VISA

In order to study in Brazil, you need a Student Visa. For undergraduate and graduate students, with or without scholarships, a temporary Visa will be granted. To find more about the procedures and vaccinations, contact the Brazilian Embassy or Consulate in your country. If you are not a scholarship holder, make sure you are financially prepared to have your visa approved and validate your stay in Brazil in agreement with the Federal Police requests.

DOCUMENTS

When travelling to Brazil, it is important to bring not only your passport, but also a document with your parents’ names on it. This is necessary to differentiate two people with the same name, for example. It can be a driver’s license, an ID, a birth certificate or other official document, even if it is not in Portuguese.

BASIC INFORMATION

How to get here

Araranguá is located 220 kilometers south of Florianópolis, the capital of  Santa Catarina State.  The international students have to travel from Florianópolis to Araranguá either by car or by bus to arrive in the city.

Academic year

The academic year is divided in two semesters. The first semester usually starts on March and ends on July; while the second one is most likely to be from August to December. The dates might vary each year, but you can check the current academic calendar here.

Language

The courses are offered only in Portuguese.

Vacations

UFSC offers two period of vacation per year. The longer one is during the summer, from December to March. Winter vacations tend to be two weeks long in the end of July or beginning of August. Summer courses may be offered, and research can also be scheduled with a professor if you are interested.

Assesment System

UFSC organizes student grades in a 0 to 10 scale, being 6 the minimum grade to be approved in a course. However, the final grades are always given as multiples of 0,5, and due to this rounding criteria, 5,75 becomes the minimum mark necessary for approval.

Housing

UFSC does not offer accommodation or housing for international students. You can ask for more information about housing by email.

AFTER ARRIVAL

After arriving in Araranguá, you should obtain several documents, such as the CPF – Cadastro de Pessoa Física (Individual Taxpayer Number), the Federal Police registration, the enrollment confirmation,  and the UFSC Identity card.

FEDERAL POLICE

Every and each international student must register at the Federal Police Department within 30 days of entering Brazil – except for those who have Brazilian citizenship. To be able to make this registration, you have to pay the following fee:

• 140120 – Emissão da Cédula de Identidade de Imigrante – R$ 204,77
• Except for those coming from Portuguese-speaking countries.

We advise students who are coming to study in Araranguá to contact the Office of International Relations previously in order to find out which would be the best city to register at the Federal Police Department. Some students travel directly to Florianópolis and register themselves there, before coming to Araranguá. In case it is not possible to register in Florianópolis, the nearest Federal Police Department is located in Criciúma city (please read below). To pay the fee, we advise you to: * Access www.dpf.gov.br

Access the Federal Police website and follow these steps in order to generate the GRUs:

• Select GRU > Estrangeiros/Imigração > Pessoas e Entidades Estrangeiras;
• Fill out your personal data and address in Florianópolis;
• In the field “UNIDADE ARRECADADORA” select: “SC- Superintendência Regional de Florianópolis”;
• In the field “CÓDIGO DA RECEITA” select the code 140120.

ATTENTION! Every day, at noon, the Federal Police releases new schedule times. Fill out the form in advance and access the website from Monday to Friday, at noon, to schedule your visit. Do not miss your appointment time!

Go to the Federal Police Office with all the required documentation, including the paid GRU, the completed application form and the protocol of the scheduled appointment.

• Print the forms and pay the fees at any bank agency, and keep the payment receipt.

After paying the fees, the student must set an appointment with the Federal Police station office (which can be done online, as explained below). The closest office to the campus is in a city nearby called Criciúma:

Delegacia de Criciúma DPF Nelson Luiz Confortin Napp

Address: Rua José Scotti, nº 305 – BairroOperária Nova CEP: 88.809-100

Phone/Fax: (0xx-48) 3461-8600

For this appointment, you must bring:

• Federal Police Form filled in and printed. (The form is available at https://servicos.dpf.gov.br/sincreWeb/)
• Printed proof of schedule. The appointment can be scheduled at https://servicos.dpf.gov.br/sincreWeb/pesquisaAgendamento.jsp
• Copy of all used pages in your passport
• Copy of the document you received when you entered in Brazil
• Two 3×4 cm color photographs with white background
• Proof of payment of the fee mentioned above
• Visa application form – received in the Brazilian Embassy or Consulate of the home country (original and copy).

Visa renewal: if you want to extend your studies in Brazil and need to extend your visa, pay attention to the deadlines for renewal and go to the Federal Police office at least a month before the deadline. After this deadline, you will be charged a fine. There is a fee for renewal, therefore, in case you wish to stay longer in Brazil, please notify UFSC before receiving your letter of acceptance. The list of documents for renewing a visa can be found at: http://portal.mj.gov.br/data/Pages/MJA1BC41DEITEMID3101744422484A7581262EAEBC67DC99PTBRIE.htm

You will find instructions for extending your visa at SINTER’s website: http://sinter.ufsc.br/incoming/visto/prorrogacao-de-visto/?lang=en

CPF – Cadastro de pessoa física (Individual Taxpayer Number)

The CPF (Individual Taxpayer Number) is necessary in Brazil for several situations, such as: carrying out financial activities (e.g. banking), purchasing goods (e.g. cellphone) and requesting public and private services. To get your CPF number, go to a Banco do Brasil(BB) branch or to a Post Office, provide the information requested by the attendant and pay a fee of R$ 7,00. For this procedure, you will need to present the Federal Police Protocol (Protocolo da Polícia Federal, a document given to you at the Federal Police Office) and your passport. In Araranguá, you can find the BB branch at Av. Sete de Setembro, 142 – Centro. After 48 hours, you should go to a place called Receita Federal (located as described below), with the following:

• Proof of payment of the R$7,00 fee;
• Passport
• Proof of residence (issued in the last 90 days)
• Federal Police Protocol
• Document with your parents’ names on it, if this information is not listed in the passport.

ARF Araranguá

Address:   Avenida Coronel João Fernandes n. 26, Centro, Araranguá, SC, CEP  88900-000, Phone: +55 (48) 39031000

Office Hours: 1:30 pm – 5 pm

The CPF number will be generated immediately, though the card is sent by mail to the address you have submitted and will take one to two weeks to arrive.

BUS PASS

To get the student bus pass, you should go to the SIMPLES branch with your passport (or other valid ID with photo), CPF, proof of enrollment, a document with your name and address, and two 3×4 cm photos. The card will be ready in the same day. You can buy passes directly in the following address: Empresa Viação Cidade, which is the public transportation company in Araranguá, located at Rua Cel. Apolinário Pereira, 426/Araranguá – SC – CEP 88900-000.

ENROLLMENT PROCESS

The registration and enrollment process should be done at the Office of International Relations (SINTER). You can access SINTER’s website for further information on the exchange program for international students.

UFSC ID CARD

To get the UFSC ID card, you should go to the campus academic office.

HEALTH

International Health Insurance

International students must contract an international health insurance service before coming to Brazil. Then, if you need medical assistance, you might look up your insurance policy and/or call the person in charge to know where to find the health care needed. If you don’t have any international insurance and/or can’t afford private health care, you can use the public service, called SUS – Unified Health System. It’s free and it can be found in many places across Brazil, but it tends to be not very efficient.

Emergency

You will find in Araranguá some places that offer urgent medical assistance, such as the Regional Hospital (HRA), located at Castro Alves Avenue, 303 – Coloninha.