Study in Brazil

Higher education in Brazil is overseen by the Ministry of Education (MEC), and CAPES evaluates master’s and PhD programmes. Most institutions are private and fee-paying, but the best-ranked universities are public and free: • Bachelor’s (bacharelado, or licenciatura for teacher training): usually 4–5 years, 6 years for medicine; there are also 2–3-year technology degrees (tecnólogo). • Academic master’s (mestrado): about two years; government master’s scholarships last 24 months. • PhD (doutorado): about four years; PhD scholarships last 48 months. • Professional specialisations (especialização / MBA): short programmes that usually charge fees, even at some public universities. Most programmes are taught in Portuguese; many graduate programmes accept research proposals in English or Spanish, and some offer courses in English. The academic year starts in February or March, with a second semester from August. To practise a profession in Brazil with a foreign degree you must have it revalidated (revalidação) through the Ministry of Education’s Carolina Bori platform.

1) Bachelor’s as a regular student: through national entrance exams in Portuguese, such as Fuvest for USP (for 2027 entry: registration 17 August–9 October 2026, fee R$228, first phase on 1 November 2026), Comvest for UNICAMP, or the ENEM exam with the SISU system at federal universities such as UFRJ and UFMG. Foreigners may sit these exams, but they are very competitive. 2) PEC-G (free bachelor’s for nationals of partner countries): apply through the Brazilian embassy in your country. For the 2027 intake, pre-registration ran from 31 March to 9 May 2026; candidates must be at least 18, have a secondary-school average of at least 60%, hold Celpe-Bras or join the Portuguese-language year (PEC-PLE), and have sponsors guaranteeing at least US$300 a month. The next call is expected in spring. 3) Master’s and PhD: apply directly to the admission notice (edital) published by each graduate programme, which sets language, interview and research-proposal requirements. For PEC-PG 2027, the selected universities publish their calls from December 2026, with selection between March 2027 and March 2028. 4) Language: Celpe-Bras is the official Portuguese certificate, run by INEP twice a year in Brazil and abroad.

Study at public universities is free for Brazilians and foreigners at bachelor’s, master’s and PhD level, with no enrolment fees — only entrance-exam fees (for example R$228 for Fuvest). Private universities charge tuition: at PUC-Rio, for example, a full-time undergraduate (19–24 credits) paid R$44,802–47,190 per semester in 2026, while graduate students can receive fee waivers and scholarships. Living costs (R$1 ≈ US$0.19): UNESP estimates about R$2,700 a month in São Paulo city and R$1,800 in smaller inland cities, and UNICAMP advises scholarship holders to bring R$3,000 to cover the first month before their stipend arrives. For comparison, government master’s and PhD scholarships pay R$2,100 and R$3,100 a month, and FAPESP fellowships in São Paulo state pay from R$3,270 (master’s) to R$12,570 (postdoc). That is roughly US$500–900 a month depending on the city; public-university restaurants are subsidised and cheap.

Foreign degree students need the temporary visa for study (VITEM IV): 1) Apply online through e-Consular and then at a Brazilian consulate, with a valid passport, an admission letter from the Brazilian institution stating the programme, its length and weekly hours, proof of funds or a scholarship, a police clearance certificate and proof of payment of the consular fee. PEC-G and PEC-PG students also receive this visa. 2) Within 90 days of arrival: register with the Federal Police (Polícia Federal) by completing the online form, paying the fee (about R$205 for the CRNM card) and booking an appointment, to receive your migrant ID card (CRNM). Late registration can lead to a fine. 3) Get a CPF tax number — ideally from the consulate before you travel — as you need it to open a bank account and buy a phone SIM. Your residence is renewed with the Federal Police while you remain enrolled, and you must inform them if you change university.

The study visa is meant for study, and the clearest way to work during it is an internship (estágio) linked to your course under Brazil’s Internship Law, which limits higher-education students to 6 hours a day and 30 hours a week and is usually paid with an allowance. Ordinary paid employment needs a separate authorisation, and we found no current official page explaining the rules for study-visa holders, so check with your university’s international office before accepting any job. Note that CAPES, CNPq and FAPESP scholarships usually require full-time dedication to research, PEC-G requires students to return home after graduating, and PEC-PG includes a return ticket. Staying on to work after graduation requires a new residence permit based on a job contract.