Yes, many of you have given up on me! But, I hope to improve as we move on to new adventures (notice the title of the blog has changed).
If you don't know, I accepted a job in Sao Paulo, Brazil beginning the end of July. I will be teaching ESL but with grades 3-5. I'm looking forward to that change although I do love working with first graders! I have been concentrating on obtaining a visa which has been very "interesting" and bureaucratic (to say the least). I originally received the instructions to obtain a temporary work visa but, when the HR people found out I was married to a Brazilian, they quickly suggested I go for a permanent visa instead (like a green card). With this visa, I can even apply for citizenship after 5 years. After looking at the documents required for both, Murilo and I decided it would be crazy not to go for the permanent visa - especially since we had already completed the most difficult requirement (our marriage had already been recorded and recognized in Brazil).
For any type of visa in Brazil, all documentation must be "authenticated" at the Brazilian Consulate - in the country where the documents originated (with a few exceptions)! Luckily, my birth certificate and our marriage stuff had already gone through that process 3 years ago. All we had to do was:
1. Have a copy of my passport notarized - which could be done here. Now, it needs "authentication" at the consulate in Frankfurt.
2. Have Murilo's Brazilian documents "authenticated" at the consulate in Frankfurt - even though they were all notarized and legalized in Brazil.
3. Here's the big one! I had to go to the city hall and get a Statement of Good Conduct from the police (which I had to have to get a visa in Germany as well). However, for Brazil, this Statement must be translated into Portuguese by a sworn translator in Germany and approved by the Brazilian Consulate in Frankfurt. The translated document must be taken to a local court and "legalized" as a translation by a sworn translator from the state of Hessen THEN taken to the Brazilian Consulate to be "authenticated." By the end, this ONE document will cost over 150 Euros!
We have everything completed and gathered into a pile - we only wait for the police statement to be translated and legalized. I need all of this before April 4th as that is when my visa application expires. But, then I have to ask the Brazilian Consulate to hold off actually processing my application because once they issue the visa, I have to enter Brazil within 90 days or do the whole thing all over again! Murilo has already talked to them about this and they were very nice about it - and willing to work with us!
That is not all though! Let's talk about Zizou! To bring Zizou to Germany I had to obtain a vet's statement of good health which actually had to go through the Oregon State Dept of Something (can't remember). And, this state document couldn't be more than 10 days old on the day we left Oregon (the Lufthansa strike at the time had us down to the last day or two of that document). The situation for taking him to Brazil is similar! I have to have a vet issued health certificate within 10 days of travel. But, the vet's signature must be notarized by a notary approved by the Brazilian Consulate (luckily there are two in Oberursel) and then rushed down to the Consulate to be "authenticated" before travel. The notary (the same guy who notarized the copy of my passport) has already said he can meet us at the vet's office. So, I have to make an appointment at the vet and with the notary on July 14th or 15th as I must be in Brazil on July 23rd for my first day (10 day rule). My last week here in Germany will be busy as I will just be returning from Alaska!
And this doesn't even include all the stuff I have to do for Germany to leave!
If you don't know, I accepted a job in Sao Paulo, Brazil beginning the end of July. I will be teaching ESL but with grades 3-5. I'm looking forward to that change although I do love working with first graders! I have been concentrating on obtaining a visa which has been very "interesting" and bureaucratic (to say the least). I originally received the instructions to obtain a temporary work visa but, when the HR people found out I was married to a Brazilian, they quickly suggested I go for a permanent visa instead (like a green card). With this visa, I can even apply for citizenship after 5 years. After looking at the documents required for both, Murilo and I decided it would be crazy not to go for the permanent visa - especially since we had already completed the most difficult requirement (our marriage had already been recorded and recognized in Brazil).
For any type of visa in Brazil, all documentation must be "authenticated" at the Brazilian Consulate - in the country where the documents originated (with a few exceptions)! Luckily, my birth certificate and our marriage stuff had already gone through that process 3 years ago. All we had to do was:
1. Have a copy of my passport notarized - which could be done here. Now, it needs "authentication" at the consulate in Frankfurt.
2. Have Murilo's Brazilian documents "authenticated" at the consulate in Frankfurt - even though they were all notarized and legalized in Brazil.
3. Here's the big one! I had to go to the city hall and get a Statement of Good Conduct from the police (which I had to have to get a visa in Germany as well). However, for Brazil, this Statement must be translated into Portuguese by a sworn translator in Germany and approved by the Brazilian Consulate in Frankfurt. The translated document must be taken to a local court and "legalized" as a translation by a sworn translator from the state of Hessen THEN taken to the Brazilian Consulate to be "authenticated." By the end, this ONE document will cost over 150 Euros!
We have everything completed and gathered into a pile - we only wait for the police statement to be translated and legalized. I need all of this before April 4th as that is when my visa application expires. But, then I have to ask the Brazilian Consulate to hold off actually processing my application because once they issue the visa, I have to enter Brazil within 90 days or do the whole thing all over again! Murilo has already talked to them about this and they were very nice about it - and willing to work with us!
That is not all though! Let's talk about Zizou! To bring Zizou to Germany I had to obtain a vet's statement of good health which actually had to go through the Oregon State Dept of Something (can't remember). And, this state document couldn't be more than 10 days old on the day we left Oregon (the Lufthansa strike at the time had us down to the last day or two of that document). The situation for taking him to Brazil is similar! I have to have a vet issued health certificate within 10 days of travel. But, the vet's signature must be notarized by a notary approved by the Brazilian Consulate (luckily there are two in Oberursel) and then rushed down to the Consulate to be "authenticated" before travel. The notary (the same guy who notarized the copy of my passport) has already said he can meet us at the vet's office. So, I have to make an appointment at the vet and with the notary on July 14th or 15th as I must be in Brazil on July 23rd for my first day (10 day rule). My last week here in Germany will be busy as I will just be returning from Alaska!
And this doesn't even include all the stuff I have to do for Germany to leave!
3 comments:
Yikes, Cary! I am getting exhausted just reading about what you have to do. Good luck! :-)
P.S. Zizou is worth all the trouble!!!
Stay cool, Cary, could be worse.
Or not!
:-)
Thaty's all too much. You should probably just come on back to Madras.
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