Frequently Asked Questions:

Do I need a student visa to Learn Portuguese at your school?

  • YES, if you wish to study here longer than THREE months and depending on which country you come from.
  • It’s the student’s responsibility to apply for the Visa before coming to Brazil. Our school TEACHES PORTUGUESE, but we can provide you with all documents necessary for you to obtain the Visa in a fast and safe way.
  • Each Consulate has its own rules for issuing the Visa (the minimum of hours required for you to apply  a Student Visa);
  • Students under 18 must have authorization to travel before they enter Brazil, which has to be done in their country as well as it’s the student’s responsability to apply for The Visa before coming to Brazil;
  • The Visa can last up to one year and can also be renewed;
  • We work with a person/partner specializing in Visa Immigration who can help you through the process for obtaining not only the Student Visa but also other types of Visas according to the Brazilian Consulates rules;
  • It’s mandatory that students who wish to study in Brazil  longer than 3 (three) months have the Student Visa;
  • Students with Visa at our school have a special treatment as well as special prices;
  • If you have any questions regarding VISA, write to lais@visabrazilservices.com or access the website bellow:visa-brazil-services-portugues-carioca

Where is your main office located?

Our main office is located on Avenida Ataulfo de Paiva, 658 – Room 303.

If you wish to subscribe to any of our courses, please visit our main office.

What can I do if I need to travel? Will I miss my classes?

No. You will never miss classes! Talk to us! We have make up classes either at the school or online with a low cost for the students.

Do you offer classes for children?

Yes, we do!

At our school the children learn by doing! Our teachers are very experienced! The material we use with the children is very didatical.

What kind of events does the school offer?

Once a month we have our popular “Papo Carioca”, which normally takes place in a bar or restaurant.

Papo Carioca is like being in an immersion course for 2 hours. We mix Brazilians with our students.

Although our school focuses 90% in conversation, we offer conversation classes in a very natural way through games, songs, videos and debates.

I can’t take the course any longer. Can I get my money back?

According to the policies of Português Carioca, a student can never get the whole amount back.

If a student is studying the units 1,2,3 or 4 and decides to stop, we will refund 40% of the value.

If a student is studying the units 5,6 or 7 decides to stop, then we will refund 20%

If a student is studying the units 8,9 or 10 decides to stop, then we won’t refund any value.

I have to travel for two weeks. If I subscribe for one of the courses, will that be a problem when I return?

When students travel, they can do MAKE UP classes if they wish, so that they can keep up with the rest of the group. We always recommend the students to talk to the director in order to set up the dates for the make up classes, as well as to see the prices of the classes.

Can I get a discount in your school?

There are two ways of getting discounts at Português Carioca:

  1. If you have kids at EARJ
  2. If you refer to a friend, you get 5% off. If you refer to two friends, you get 10% off the next level.
  3. If you are a company, we have special prices.

Do you offer classes in Barra?

We do offer classes in Barra, but it depends mostly on the number of students who subscribe. We always need 4 students to start a class there.

Why is Portuguese Carioca methodology “so different”?

Just because our way of teaching is not the traditional way! We have a different approach, a unique program!

Then students might ask: “And what is the traditional way”?

  • Students repeat, go ahead to the next page, read,  follow the book together with the teacher, listen to the CD, correct the exercises like: Number 1, number 2, etc. They learn to answer questions in a slow way like: What …is… your… name?

We know that in real life it is not like that. People don’t speak slowly. They speak in their normal pace!

  • At Português Carioca, students repeat ON & ON. They learn by doing! They are able to ask and answer questions from day 1.
  • Every detail in the book is drilled in class.
  • We don’t need CDs as only 20% of the students listen to it!
  • When we correct exercises, we drill again. Then, we restart the whole process of repetition of structures during the correction!
  • Our teachers follow the methodology or else they would not be working at Português Carioca!