VISAS
DERI does not have a visa assistance service, so it is the sole and exclusive responsibility of the student, teacher or employee to find out about this and follow all the necessary procedures to obtain the visa in a timely manner to carry out mobility.
Students, teachers, researchers and technical administrative staff covered by notices managed by DERI or teaching units, as well as those who wish to undertake an exchange/removal on their own (the so-called free move), must pay attention to the entry visa requirement in the country where the destination university or institution is located.
In many countries, entry as a tourist is possible, but in cases of exchange/mobility it may be necessary to obtain a specific visa. Therefore, as soon as the student is offered a place, they must immediately seek information about obtaining a visa and its appropriate type (studies, tourism, temporary residence, etc.) from the consulate of the destination country.
However, we have more tips:
- Issuing an entry visa is the responsibility of each country, and therefore requirements vary from one country to another and may change at any time, without prior notice.
- In cases of connecting international flights, the traveler must be aware of the requirement for a transit visa by some countries.
- The documentation required to obtain a visa may also vary from country to country. Documents such as Letters of Acceptance, accommodation certificates, proof of criminal records, proof of subsistence capacity (that is, proof that the student has the financial means to stay in the destination country during the expected period of exchange) may be requested. between others.
- In addition to the documents to obtain a visa, procedures to legalize your stay in the destination country may also be necessary. Therefore, we recommend checking the additional legal procedures for staying in the destination country, as well as organizing and gathering all the necessary documents before the trip even begins.
Did you know?
When a foreign student, teacher or researcher comes to Unicamp, they need to obtain a visa at the Brazilian Consulate or Embassy abroad. Among the documents required to obtain a visa, the foreigner must present a Birth Certificate with the names of the parents, a Criminal History Certificate and a Certificate of Proof of Income or Subsistence. After arriving in Brazil, he still needs to go to the Federal Police station closest to his residence here in the country to request a Residence Authorization, that is, to regularize his situation as a resident of the country for a specific period of time. To be clear:
Visa = permission to ENTER a country; It can be as a tourist, student, for work, diplomatic, among others.
Residence authorization = authorization to RESIDE, even temporarily, in a country and develop activities that go beyond tourism, such as study, work, among others.
Therefore, #staytip: travelers must inform themselves about all legal requirements for entry and stay in the destination country for the entire period of their leave from Unicamp. Please note that DERI does not assist in obtaining a visa or residence permit, and that it is the sole and exclusive responsibility of the traveler to find out about this and follow all the necessary procedures to obtain the visa in a timely manner to carry out their activities abroad.
HEALTH INSURANCE
In the notices managed by DERI, students, teachers and employees will always have as one of the mandatory requirements (purposeful redundancy!) the contracting of health insurance that includes medical-hospital assistance, medical-sanitary repatriation and transfer in case of death. For the purposes of removal due to exchange of those included in such notices, declarations of exemption, PB4 or other insurance (national or foreign) that do not meet the minimum requirements described above will not be accepted.
In cases where the destination university requires its own insurance, it may be necessary for the traveler to take out two insurance policies, to ensure the necessary coverage and because, in order to carry out the leave and guarantee the exchange (in the case of students), the delivery of the insurance policy contracted in Brazil is a mandatory condition, while the contracting of specific insurance is normally carried out at the destination university after the traveler's arrival.
For notices managed by teaching units through the SIGA system, such as Double Diplomas, the submission of health insurance is also mandatory, and without such submission it is NOT possible to complete the exchange transfer. In this case, the student must take out insurance in Brazil, with the minimum requirements, valid for the period in which they remain without French insurance. #staytip
If the traveler decides to undertake an exchange on their own (so-called free movers), DERI cannot require the contracting of health insurance, but strongly recommends that it be done so, as, in cases of illness, accidents and death, the foreign university is not obliged to help with assistance, repatriation and transfer, and, therefore, in the case of an exchange not managed by Unicamp and DERI, the university is also exempt from any responsibility in this regard, with the traveler and their families being responsible for any costs and procedures necessary for their return to Brazil.
Even if the university or country of destination requires health insurance to be contracted locally, the traveler must hire a temporary one, at least for the first few days in the foreign country. Upon arrival, if the local insurance does not cover all the requirements mentioned at the beginning of this text, we recommend taking out or renewing the previously contracted insurance, because it is always better to be safe than sorry, even more so when you are far from your country of origin, your family , friends and Unicamp, right?
TRAVELERS' HEALTH PROGRAM
The Community Health Center – CECOM, has a program aimed at students, teachers and employees of Unicamp who will undertake national and international trips, with the aim of providing guidance on the main risks of health problems in the region or country of destination, as well as giving important tips on what to do in certain situations.
We strongly recommend that all travelers schedule a Nursing Consultation with the program team, as the information provided is of great importance, in addition to being possible to carry out an assessment of the health status before the trip, minimizing the risks of illness and the need for treatments during the period of absence.
It is worth highlighting here some points that should be taken when consulting the Traveler's Health Program:
- In the case of treatment and medications for continuous use, the traveler must check what is necessary to be able to enter the destination country with such medications, as they may be authorized in Brazil, but not in other countries.
- It is also important to check the need to have the original and translated medical prescription (some countries require this!) and the maximum quantity of medicines allowed.
- Another important point is to check the local rules for purchasing medicines, as they may be stricter than in Brazil, which would require scheduling appointments to obtain a medical prescription.
To find out more about the Traveler's Health Program, access the links:
https://www.cecom.unicamp.br/images/stories/saudeviajante.pdf
HOUSING AND STAY
DERI does not have an assistance service for choosing and renting housing abroad, and it is the sole and exclusive responsibility of the student, teacher or employee to find out about this and look for the type of accommodation that best suits their budget and needs during the period. of leave, in a timely manner to carry out mobility.
Accommodation options abroad are diverse, and travelers can choose between student housing, family home, hotel, hostel, Airbnb, among others. Our tip is that travelers start to find out about the subject as soon as they receive information about a vacancy, so they can plan and organize their expenses according to the budget they have available. To help you choose, we have some tips:
- Look for information about student housing on the destination university's website. Many of them provide rooms located on or off campus, and, in addition to being economically viable, the traveler will also have the opportunity to experience life on campus and/or have contact with the university's own academic community.
- Talk to travelers who have already been to the same university and/or destination country. They will certainly be able to share very valuable experiences and tips, which will make many of the decisions that need to be made much easier.
- Searching Facebook groups or websites and blogs that cover the destination country can provide important information and tips about housing, cost of living and other relevant topics.
MONEY, EXCHANGE AND ECONOMY
It is important that the traveler checks the currency in force in the destination country and the best ways to exchange currency for that currency. It is always recommended to carry a quantity of cash, preferably distributed in notes of different denominations and currencies, to facilitate cash payments, but there is the possibility of using an international credit card and/or prepaid card, which nothing It is more than a debit card in which the traveler enters the amount they intend to take with them for their trip. If choosing to use an international credit card, the traveler must be aware of the possibility of additional fees being charged by the card operator, in addition to the purchase value varying according to the daily exchange rate.
Regarding the (good or bad) use of the available budget, we have some tips that may be useful:
- Just like in Brazil, eating out is probably more expensive than making your own food. So, #staytip: travelers should consider the possibility of getting a home with a kitchen and/or cooking equipment.
- The purchases you make at the supermarket will likely be the same as what locals might make. This means that shopping and cooking will likely be more economical than eating out or buying prepared food.
- Washing your own clothes is certainly more economical than using conventional laundry services. In many countries, travelers can even wash their own clothes using machines available in self-service laundries, paying only for the use of the machine, regardless of the number of items. Some foreign universities that provide housing also tend to have laundry facilities available for use.
- Using the internet is more economical than using a cell phone in international roaming, as operator fees for this type of service are usually high. It is worth the traveler researching housing with internet access and use of wireless networks on the destination university campus to talk to family and friends in Brazil and check the possibility of purchasing and using a chip from a local operator to communicate with the academic community of the destination university.
- When it comes to leisure, it is worth traveling to research and participate in free cultural programs, such as visits to museums, parks, fairs and cultural presentations. There are also discount programs and/or economical tickets for students, which are worth finding out about.