What You Need to Know When You’re Moving to Goiania

Relocating to Goiania

About the City

Goiania is the largest and capital city of the Brazilian state of Goiás, located in the center of the country. It is the second largest urban area in the Central-Western Region, after Brasília, and the thirteenth largest city in all of Brazil. Its population of over two million people is very diverse, due to the fact that city itself was planned, designed, and built as recently as the 1930s, and experienced mass migration after it was opened to the public. In the 2010 census showed the city to be comprised of White (47.95%), Pardo (44.51%), Black (5.68%), Amerindian (0.16%) and Asian (1.68%) citizens. The growth of the economy has also seen a large number of expatriates and other foreigners move to Goiania in recent years. The official language is Portuguese, but many people will speak at least some English.

The Climate in Goiania

Goiania has a tropical wet and dry climate, which is characterized by consistently hot temperatures, high humidity, and distinct wet and dry seasons. This means that expatriates moving to Goiania will need to adjust to a year with just two seasons: the dry season, which runs from May to September; and the wet season, which runs from October to April. Temperatures are consistent all year round, and range between 20.9 °C (69.6 °F) and 24.6 °C (76.3 °F), but can reach up to 38.4 °C (101.1 °F) in September and October, which are usually the hottest months. Average yearly rainfall is around 1,571.4 mm (61.866 inches), most of which falls in December and January.

Visas for Goiania

Expatriates of all nationalities will need a visa to enter Brazil, which should be applied for in your home country. However, this will only allow you to move to Goiania for 90 days, and if you want to stay for longer, you have two options. The first is to apply for a work permit through your prospective employer, which will usually last for a year or for the length of your employment contract. You work permit will allow you to move to Goiania and live there, in addition to allowing you to work legally in Brazil. You can also apply for a permanent residence permit, which allows you to move to Goiania indefinitely. In order to obtain a permanent residence permit you will need to satisfy the following conditions; you must speak Portuguese and invest in excess of 50,000 USD into a Brazilian company. If after five years you have created 10 jobs for Brazilians, this can be renewed for another five years.