Getting a bank account in Brazil
It's like growing up - you learn something new & wonderful at every step, but it can be a little frustrating sometimes...
1. (August): arrive in Brazil
2. (September): photocopy visa application form, invitation letters and EVERY PAGE of passport. Pay a lot of money to photocopy person
3. (September): Take bus for 1hr. Register with Federal Police. Pay more money. Receive provisional 'RNE' (Foreigner registration). Get told that real RNE card will arrive by post in 6 months. Travel 1hr back again
4. (September): decide to wait until having fixed place to live for requesting CPF (Taxpayer number)
5. (January): return to Federal Police to change address (travelling 1hr each way). Make more copies, pay more money
6. (January): go to Post Office to request CPF. Discover that it's faster by going to Bank
7. (January): go to bank and request CPF. Pay more money, and receive piece of paper that needs to be taken to Government Finance building
8. (January): Go to Government Finance building (nowhere near Federal Police, bank, home or office). Get confirmation that CPF will be sent by post within 2 weeks
9. (March): Go to bank to open account. Take passport, CPF, proof of address, visa invitation letters, bank statement from UK. Discover that it's 'almost enough' - you just need to go one more time to Federal Police, to request certificate names of your PARENTS (?!)
10. (Today): Wake up at 6.30 to avoid traffic. Return to Federal Police to request certificate.
11. Discover at Desk A that RNE does not have number printed on it
12. (Today): Go to Desk B to find out RNE number. Receive confirmation of number from Desk B, with OLD ADDRESS on it. Get told to return to Desk A to query address
13. (Today): return to Desk A. Receive assurance that Desk A has correct address, even if Desk B (in the same room) has the wrong one
14. (Today): ask person at Desk A when real RNE card will arrive, since 7 months have passed. Receive assurance that it will arrive 'soon', but Desk B can give more information
15. (Today): ask person at Desk A how I will know the card has arrived, if Desk B is responsible and has the wrong address. Get told that the only way to know is to return in person to Federal Police to see if it's there or not. If it's not, go home & try again
16. (Today): ask at Desk B how I will know the card has arrived. Desk B does not know. Get re-directed to Desk C
17. (Today): explain story since step 11 to person at Desk C. Discover that it's possible to check ONLINE if RNE card has arrived, but that 6 months is the minimum and it might not arrive before i need to leave the country to collect my new visa in AUGUST
18. (Today): ask person at Desk C what will happen if card does not arrive before August. Discover that in this case i will need to re-register after re-entering Brazil, I will then need a different kind of card, and the old card process will then be stopped
19. Go to office, discovering another bus that takes only half the time of the previous one
20. Reflect on how a government agency responsible for security and crime prevention can be so chaotic
21. Remember where you are, smile, and decide to post entire story on blog :)
From this point on the process is purely theoretical...
22. Return to Federal Police in 2 weeks to collect certificate
23. Return to bank to open account
24. ?????
25. ???
...
1. (August): arrive in Brazil
2. (September): photocopy visa application form, invitation letters and EVERY PAGE of passport. Pay a lot of money to photocopy person
3. (September): Take bus for 1hr. Register with Federal Police. Pay more money. Receive provisional 'RNE' (Foreigner registration). Get told that real RNE card will arrive by post in 6 months. Travel 1hr back again
4. (September): decide to wait until having fixed place to live for requesting CPF (Taxpayer number)
5. (January): return to Federal Police to change address (travelling 1hr each way). Make more copies, pay more money
6. (January): go to Post Office to request CPF. Discover that it's faster by going to Bank
7. (January): go to bank and request CPF. Pay more money, and receive piece of paper that needs to be taken to Government Finance building
8. (January): Go to Government Finance building (nowhere near Federal Police, bank, home or office). Get confirmation that CPF will be sent by post within 2 weeks
9. (March): Go to bank to open account. Take passport, CPF, proof of address, visa invitation letters, bank statement from UK. Discover that it's 'almost enough' - you just need to go one more time to Federal Police, to request certificate names of your PARENTS (?!)
10. (Today): Wake up at 6.30 to avoid traffic. Return to Federal Police to request certificate.
11. Discover at Desk A that RNE does not have number printed on it
12. (Today): Go to Desk B to find out RNE number. Receive confirmation of number from Desk B, with OLD ADDRESS on it. Get told to return to Desk A to query address
13. (Today): return to Desk A. Receive assurance that Desk A has correct address, even if Desk B (in the same room) has the wrong one
14. (Today): ask person at Desk A when real RNE card will arrive, since 7 months have passed. Receive assurance that it will arrive 'soon', but Desk B can give more information
15. (Today): ask person at Desk A how I will know the card has arrived, if Desk B is responsible and has the wrong address. Get told that the only way to know is to return in person to Federal Police to see if it's there or not. If it's not, go home & try again
16. (Today): ask at Desk B how I will know the card has arrived. Desk B does not know. Get re-directed to Desk C
17. (Today): explain story since step 11 to person at Desk C. Discover that it's possible to check ONLINE if RNE card has arrived, but that 6 months is the minimum and it might not arrive before i need to leave the country to collect my new visa in AUGUST
18. (Today): ask person at Desk C what will happen if card does not arrive before August. Discover that in this case i will need to re-register after re-entering Brazil, I will then need a different kind of card, and the old card process will then be stopped
19. Go to office, discovering another bus that takes only half the time of the previous one
20. Reflect on how a government agency responsible for security and crime prevention can be so chaotic
21. Remember where you are, smile, and decide to post entire story on blog :)
From this point on the process is purely theoretical...
22. Return to Federal Police in 2 weeks to collect certificate
23. Return to bank to open account
24. ?????
25. ???
...
posted by Rob at
3:12 PM
10 Comments:
neat! you found the bus! :D
(cherish these small bits of progress.. bureaucracy is a mean machine)
But there are also some really good things in this country, don´t you think?
;)
Oh, and you´re not authorized to leave the country!
Hahaha bureaucracy is amazing ;D
I love the story! made me smile big time... really reminds me when I was trying to register as a tourist in Russia. :-)
I hope all is well at your end!
ok, getting the same thing done in India is easier - while not obvious ;-)
Hmmm, sounds similar to some experiences that I've had. Love it!
and yet, you really wouldn't have it any other way...otherwise you would have returned to die Schweiz by now :-)
<3 A
yeah, same thing here in porto alegre, Rob...took me 4 months...don't you love Brazilian bureaucracy...4 months!...you know what, i'm gonna switch banks for the last month...my turn to play now =)
hilarious!
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