FAQ

Yes, we only accept guests with travel health insurance. Please send us a copy with your application form.

Citizens of the EU and Switzerland need only their passports for a stay of max. 90 days. The passport need to be valid for at least another 6 months on submission date.
Entry/Exit Cards will be provided at your flight or at the airport itself. The Federal Police permits the entry and exit with a stamp. The Entry/Exit card should be kept safe apart from the passport to be able to prove a legal entry in case of losing your passport.
US-Citizens, Australians and Canadians need to apply for a tourist visa at their local Brazilian consulate before entering the country.
Some airlines (e.g. Condor) will not let you fly unless you have a return flight booked within 90 days period. If you plan to stay more book the flight with the Flex tariff (for Condor) which is a bit more expensive, but you can exchange you ticket free of charge.

Yes! Since 2022, Brazil offers a Digital Nomad Visa that allows remote workers to stay for up to 1 year, renewable for another year. This visa is perfect for freelancers, entrepreneurs, or employees of foreign companies who want to work from paradise, like The Brazilian Hub in Ipioca .

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Documents Needed for the Digital Nomad Visa (Brazil):

To apply, you’ll need:

1. Valid Passport (minimum 6 months validity)

2. Proof of Remote Work:

   • A work contract or service agreement with a foreign employer/client

   • OR proof of being a business owner or freelancer serving non-Brazilian clients

3. Proof of Income:

   • Minimum US$1,500/month income

   • OR US$18,000 in a bank account (for self-sufficient applicants)

4. Health Insurance (valid in Brazil for the full duration of your stay)

5. Criminal Background Check (from your country of residence)

6. Completed Visa Application Form

7. Passport-sized photo

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Step by Step:

1. Gather all required documents (translated if necessary)

2. Book an appointment at the Brazilian consulate or embassy in your home country

3. Submit your application and pay the visa fee (fee varies by country)

4. Wait for approval (can take 2–4 weeks depending on the consulate)

5. Upon arrival in Brazil, register with the Federal Police within 90 days to receive your RNE (foreign resident ID card).

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Need more help or have more questions, don't hesitate to contact us.

The official currency is the Brazilian Real (pl. Reais). In Maceió and elsewhere in Brazil it is very common to use credit cards, but not all places will accept them. Also, withdrawals with German credit cards or EC-Maestro cards are only possible at special marked cash machines. EC-Maestro cards from European banks need to be unlocked to use them overseas. If you are planning a long term stay, we recommend you to check the options on credit cards with no withdrawal fees. We advise you against the use of travelers checks as it is very complicated to change them in Maceió.

Depending on how far and extensive you are maybe planning to travel around or go out at night, you need between 300 and 400 € (2023) a month. The supermarket prices of some products are below European standard e.g. national fruits or staple food, such as rice or beans, but most products are at the “German” price level. Some foods that are not in demand, are also more expensive. A bus trip costs about 0.90 €, but must be paid for each tour, i.e. even if you’re changing. Otherwise, the food in the “better” (usually also clean) restaurants is at average European price level – for example, a pizza 9-18 euros, depending on the restaurant and topping.
If you plan to regularly go to the beach, rather buy a bottle of sunscreen more.

Maceió has a typical tropical climate without seasons. So, you will have a season of more rainfalls (April – August/September) and a dry season in the rest of the year. The average temperature in the north is about 28°C/ 82°F.

Even though Brazil is famous for great meat, there are a lot of vegetarian options in restaurants. Breakfast has a wide range of fruit, bread and cereal. Also the typical tapioca will be served (savery or sweet). In our communial fully equiped kitchen you can create your own meals based on your own diet for lunch and diner. But feel free to go and taste the local cuisine in the neighbouring facilities.  

There are several buses per day going to Maceió. You can buy the ticket on the bus station at the shelter of the local bus company “Real Alagoas”, which operates this route.

There no vaccinations required to enter Brazil. Applicants who have visited certain countries and territories within 90 days prior to entering Brazil are recommended to present a Yellow Fever International Certificate of Vaccination (ICV), known as the Yellow Card, upon entering Brazil – which must be taken at least 10 days prior to departure date.

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The Yellow Card is RECOMMENDED for individuals who have visited any of the following countries and territories within 90 days prior to entering Brazil:
Angola, Benin, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, French Guyana, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Panama, Peru, Rwanda, Sao Tomé and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Suriname, Tanzania, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Venezuela.

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Generally speaking doctors recommend to boost the standard vaccinations. We recommend you to consult your family doctor or your local institute for tropical diseases before entering Brazil.

You should do check up of the required standard vaccinations three months before departing as above mentioned because in case of potential necessary boosters you will normally have to respect intervals between each booster. So, bear in mind that this issue will influence your potential vaccination regimen.

The required standard vaccinations are:

• Tetanus vaccination

• Polio

• Diphtheria

Check your vaccination certificate if you posses the required vaccine protection or consult your family doctor. Furthermore, a hepatitis A vaccination is generally recommended.

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Which additional vaccinations are recommended?
Hepatitis A: As above mentioned a hepatitis A vaccination is recommended. Hepatitis A is wide spread in South America and is transmitted through contaminated water or food on oral route as well as on fecal-oral route.
Typhus: Consult your family doctor to talk about the procedure/ and the necessity of a vaccination.
Hepatitis B: For long term stays a hepatitis B vaccination is often recommended..

On 1 February 2016 WHO (World Health Organisation) declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern after a substantial spike in cases of microcephaly in the Americas. These cases are strongly suspected to be linked to Zika virus. We imagine how disastrous it might sound and might prevent people from travelling to Brazil and therefore we want to give our personal “opinion of the insider”. The virus itself is NOT the severe illness, the symptoms are milder that those of grip virus. It can be headache, fever and rush. In most of the cases they finish after 2-7 days. However it is really dangerous for pregnant women, while it can cause microcephaly for kids, the disease which can not be cured. This threat was the reason for International Emergency. We don´t want to diminish the WHO concerns, it is obviously huge disaster but the virus is ABSOLUTELY NOT DANGEROUS for our target group, young people, coming to Brazil to learn Portuguese. To learn more about the virus visit the WHO page: Zica virus: Quations and Answers

Brazil has different voltages. The most common one is 110 V/ 60Hz. The Brazilian Hub has 220 V. So, you should ask before you plug in any electronic device. The standard socket at The Brazilian Hub is a bit thinner than typical European. Ask the reception if you need an adaptor.

We rent out single rooms, each guests who stays in your room has to pay $35 / night which includes breakfast. Please inform the reception before you have guests over.

In the eyes of the (poorer) Brazilians all tourist are rich. The north east of Brazil is a very poor region. A tourist instead has the financial resources to travel by plane or by (his own) car and in some cases he or she makes more money in a day than one of the locals in a month. So, thefts or robberies happen. Especially the greater cities like Rio, Salvador or São Paulo are affected by daily crimes. However, Maceió is not an exception. But if an attack occurs to you it is strongly recommend not to resist. You can limit the risk of getting robbed by acting cautiously.

Right now we only accept cash. We recommend you to withdraw the money at the airport or in Maceio city.