Mobility specification

Country:Brazil

Institution:University of São Paulo

City:São Paulo

Program:Partner universities

Activity type:Study

Academic year:2025/2026

MU faculty/department:Faculty of Economics and Administration

Study level abroad:Master

🎓Hit the books! How do you rate the university experience?

Can you enroll in a course where you can learn the local language?yes

Does the university offer enough courses in English?it's alright

Are your credits converted?yes

Can you give an example?Credits are transferred to Fea USP at a ratio of 2.5. So one USP credit is 2,5 MU credits.

Was there anything in the teaching methods that surprised you?USP is the most prestigious university in South America and every Brazilian wants to study here. It has a really big name and everyone you tell reacts positively. Teaching in Brazil is strongly oriented towards the application of knowledge in a national context. Lectures often focus on Brazilian economic realities, with class discussions reflecting both the country's successes and structural weaknesses. The assessment methodology for my courses emphasized teamwork and continuous learning. The final grade was always a synthesis of the scores earned from class participation, the semester project, and the final exam, which was entirely written.

Does the university offer international students' programs and activities outside of lectures and seminars to help them integrate more quickly?Orientation day at the faculty, a large number of student clubs - however, here knowledge of Portuguese is necessary.

In which areas does the university offer support for students with special needs and strive to be inclusive?Barrier-free access to classrooms and dormitories

💸Did you have to rob the bank?

Try to take a guess at what your monthly expenditures were:25000 CZK/month

Did you stay in dorms?no

Do you have any tips on how to find private accommodation?I recommend Share Butanta accommodation, almost all exchange students live here. There is a great space to meet everyone.

What about unexpected expenses? Did anything surprise you?If you want to travel, which I highly recommend because Brazil is a beautiful country, a financial cushion is appropriate.

Do you have any tips on how to save money?Almost everything is cheapest on amazon and mercado livre.
The 99 app is great for food.
For taxis, Uber is the best.
Eat in the cafeteria as much as possible (lunch costs 8 CZK).

🗺 Learn the ropes in a new city

How well did you manage to communicate in English?with gestures

How does public transport work in the city?mostly fine

And what about transport outside the city?runs like clockwork

Where to find connections? How to buy a ticket?The best is the metro, where you can buy a ticket at the station entrance, but only with cash. I recommend you set up a Brazilian Wise (you must have a CPF and set it up as a Brazilian resident) and then you can also pay by card on public transport. Otherwise, Uber is often very cheap, so much of the travel can be handled with it.

Did you deal with any health issues during your stay?no

🤠Help create the perfect bucket list

What is a must-see in the city?Avenida Paulista, MASP, Ibirapuera Park, São Paulo Cathedral (Catedral da Sé), Beco do Batman, Liberdade District, Mercado Municipal, Ipiranga Museum, Meow Maison street (Fridays and Saturday nights the street is completely full)

What are the must-visit trip destinations?Brazil is an amazing country and I recommend traveling as much as possible. Most of all I recommend Lencois Maranhenses and driving around the whole area in the North(Jericoacoara, Barra Grande etc). Also Salvador, Rio de Janeiro, Paraty, Illhabela, Illha Grande.

Share your best experience:That was almost every week. But overall, the best trip was to Lençóis Maranhenses, where we started in Fortaleza and traveled with the travel agency (they provided transportation) to many places up to Lençóis and departed from São Luís. Absolutely amazing place.

💅A nugget of wisdom to make the life easier

Did you need to handle a visa?yes

Where can it be arranged?In Prague at the embassy, ask also for CPF it is very important.

What is needed?In order to apply for a student visa (VITEM IV) at the consular section here, you need to make an appointment by email and on the day of the appointment you need to: a) present a valid passport (+ at least 2 blank pages); b) fill in the online form at https://formulario-mre.serpro.gov.br and bring the printed confirmation with barcode (RER); c) 1x passport size photo (CURRENT); d) confirmation of studies from the Brazilian side ("Comprovante de Matricula", etc.); e) confirmation of financial support for the stay (letter from the sending school/university, scholarship certificate, bank statement, etc. - amount corresponding to min. 16.000 CZK/month of stay); f) confirmation of studies at a university in the Czech Republic (certified by a higher certification - Apostille); g) extract from the criminal record (in case the applicant is studying abroad, extract from the country of residence); h) travel health insurance for the period of stay in Brazil; i) return air ticket (booking is not sufficient); j) birth certificate (a plain copy is sufficient)*; k) consular fee of USD 100 (or equivalent in CZK, to be paid in cash at the bank into the consular department's account, the account number will be communicated at the time of application).

How long does it take approximately?Roughly 2 weeks

How did you get to the place?Plane

Is there anything to watch out for before the trip?From the airport I recommend taking Uber or there are great train and then metro connections.

Can you pay by card?everywhere

What not to forget when packing?It depends on the semester, but in the semester from July to December I recommend plenty of sweaters, sweatshirts and long pants, especially in the evening the temperature drops quite significantly. Some things, especially electronics, some drugstore items, are much more expensive here, so I recommend not relying solely on buying locally.

🥳Summary

Whew, what a ride! 😮‍💨 Thanks so much for taking the time to complete our survey and for sharing your unique experience. Just one last thing. 🙏 How would you summarize your trip in one or two sentences?Amazing semester. Brazil is much friendlier and safer than you read. Definitely recommend everyone to go! 10/10