INSTRUCTIONS FOR POST-DOCTORAL RESEARCHERS COMING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF CAMPINAS (UNICAMP)
Here are the steps that you need to follow in order to start receiving your scholarship in Brazil and to register at UNICAMP as a post-doctoral researcher. This will give you access to the university facilities. Some of them are required by the immigration authorities in Brazil, some by the funding agencies, and some by the university itself. Please follow them carefully. The whole thing may seem worse and more complicated than it really is -- actually, it is just a sequence of simple procedures which should be done in a certain order. The staff and faculty of the Department of Philosophy will be pleased to help at any moment.
1-Certification of your diploma
Brazilian universities require a consular certification of your Ph.D. diploma (or letter of completion or whatever official document you have to prove that you got your Ph.D.). This can only be done at the Brazilian consulate in the country (or city, in case there is more than one consulate in that country) where you graduated. Consulates normally take a couple of weeks for doing this, and it is very important to have it done before you come to Brazil. So, before you start the whole process, contact the Brazilian consulate in your location and ask about the process, and plan this certification before coming. (It is MUCH more complicated and expensive to do it from here.)
2-Visa
In order to come to Brazil as a non-tourist (researcher), you need to get the appropriate visa at the Brazilian consulate or embassy in your home country. (It is usually called “VITEM-I” visa, but you better ask, and explain that you are coming to do research with a post-doctoral scholarship.) The required documents may vary from country to country, but they certainly will include:
i-a statement of financial support from the agency in Brazil (or from elsewhere, in case you are coming sponsored by other source);
ii-a letter from the chair of the Department of Philosophy at UNICAMP stating that the department will host you (the letter should mention your scholarship, and the period for which you are coming);
iii-a letter from the Academic Director (DAC-UNICAMP) stating that you will be incorporated as a post-doc in the university system.
NOTE: Most consulates require the signature in letters ii and iii to be certified in Brazil (i.e., to have “firma reconhecida”). Make sure you get i, ii and iii from us (with certified signatures) before you apply. Some consulates (depending on your nationality) might request a return ticket for issuing your visa. (You can buy one just for the sake of the visa, and then ask the company for a refund, since you actually won’t need to return...)
3-RNE-application at the Polícia Federal
Once you get the visa (and the visa number), you should schedule a visit to the Polícia Federal (“PF”- our immigration authority) in Campinas for the days following your arrival in Brazil. At the PF you have to apply for a document called “RNE” (“Registro Nacional de Estrangeiros”, which is your foreigners’ ID.) After applying, the RNE itself takes several months to be ready, but they’ll give you a certificate that you applied (called “Protocolo”). You’ll need the Protocolo for many important things. You can schedule your visit to the PF on line at:https://servicos.dpf.gov.br/sincreWeb/
And here is some information about the process of applying for the RNE (only in Portuguese, unfortunately…):http://www.dpf.gov.br/servicos/estrangeiro/emitir-cedula-de-identidade-d...
You’ll need to take to them:
-your passport (original and copy),
- two colored pictures 3X4 cm,
- pay a fee in advance in any bank (see instructions in the link above),
-a document stating your address in Campinas; if you already have a rental contract, a copy of it; if you don’t have a contract or are staying at a hotel, ask someone living in Campinas to write a letter stating that you live with that person. (This letter needs to have the signature of your “host” certified (i.e., “firma reconhecida”)).
The sooner you can schedule with the PF the better, for almost everything that follows requires your Protocolo. Since the date and time of the appointment depends on the PF having available time, we advise you to schedule it in advance, even before coming to Brazil, as soon as you have your visa number and know the approximate date of your arrival.
4-Getting a “CPF”
Next thing you need is to get a “Cadastro de Pessoa Física” (CPF, this will be your register as a tax payer for the Federal Government, equivalent to the Social Security Number in the US). There are two ways of getting the CPF:
- going first to a branch of Banco do Brasil, where they’ll revise your documents and send you to the Receita Federal (our “IRS”, where they’ll give you the CPF in a couple of hours) or
-going to an office called “Poupa-Tempo” (“Fast Track”), where they’ll give you the CPF faster.
In either case, you will need for the CPF:
- your passport (the original and a photocopy of the front-page);
- your “Protocolo” from the PF (the original and a photocopy of it);
-a letter (or statement) of your address In Campinas.
5-Opening a bank account
Once you have your CPF, you’re finally able to open an account at the Banco do Brasil. Take with you:
- the same documents as in step 3 (original and copies);
-your CPF (original and copy);
-the letter of financial support from the agency (original and copy).
Go to a branch of the Banco do Brasil (preferably the one at UNICAMP, since they are used to handle this kind of account). The usual procedure is that you give all these documents (copies) at the front desk, they will review everything, and if it is all OK, they’ll give you an appointment for 2 or 3 days later with a manager to finally open your account.
NOTE: Steps 3 and 4 normally take between 4 and 6 working days. So, the sooner you do step 2 (schedule), the better. Again: it is a good idea to schedule before you come.
6-Inserting your data into the system
When you finally have your CPF and bank account number, you should let both the graduate advisor and the agency know as soon as possible (they’ll need these data to make your check-in in the system, so they can start paying you; most agencies only will pay you a month if you enter the data before the 14th of that month).
7-Registering at the Postdoctoral Program of UNICAMP
After you’ve done all this, you can start getting paid by the agencies. But now you need to register at UNICAMP post-doctoral program, called “Programa de Pesquisador de Pós-Doutorado (http://www.pg.unicamp.br/mostra_norma.php?id_norma=3208). This is vital to create an official link between you and the Department of Philosophy, thereby giving you full access to the academic facilities (libraries, internet networks, medical assistance at the university hospital, restaurants, etc). You’ll need:
-The RNE Protocolo;
-The CPF;
-your diploma (already certified, as explained in Step 1), and either a certified translation of it, or having someone from the Philosophy Department translating it for you.
-your CV;
-a letter to the Chair of the Philosophy Department asking your registration;
-a letter of acceptance of your supervisor in the Philosophy Department;
-your research project;
-a plan of activities while in the Philosophy Department (teaching graduate or undergraduate classes, co-supervising students, etc.)
-fill out a required form (“Formulário 2” – your advisor or the secretary of the Department will give you a copy);
Handle all these documents to the secretary of the department and he and the Chair will proceed to the registration. When it is done, you should receive an ID-card from the UNICAMP that gives you access the university facilities.
May 2014
Prof. Silvio Seno Chibeni
Head of the Department of Philosophy