Moving to Sao Paulo

São Paulo is the main city for expats stationed in Brazil, but arriving in a new country with your children can be challenging, especially if you aren't used to the culture.

Some families may be relocating to a new country for the first time and others may have done it before.

Like you, we want your children to be happy and feel welcome in their new community, and well adapted in their new environment. Knowing your children are happy, safe and settled in means the whole family can relax and enjoy the new journey ahead.

With so much to consider, contacting some expat groups for advice would be beneficial. There are many good relocation companies in São Paulo that can make your move easier.

Settling in

A good first step for settling in is to connect with expat groups who can offer help, advice and support. Expat groups can help you to settle in and will offer a good opportunity to meet other families.The network you will form through these groups will help you to integrate into the community.

We are here to support you

Our school has a strong community of local and expat families. Your child’s school often becomes a major focus of your family’s social life, so we encourage parents to keep close contact with Admissions. We also encourage parents to join local Facebook Groups or other activity-focused websites that connect families in the area in which they live.

Making friends

You can help your children make friends by reaching out to other families in your new neighbourhood. Organise play-dates, join playgroups or even have a welcome party and invite your new neighbours over. Remember that in some countries it is easier to connect with locals than in others. If you invest time in trying to make friends, sooner or later you will make yourself at home in your new neighbourhood and your children will feel more settled.

Brazilian people are probably the most friendly people on Earth. You will always find someone willing to go out of their way to help you.

Learn the language

Children pick up foreign languages easily. You can, however, still help your expat children learn the language by teaching them a few words and phrases. It is always a good idea to begin early with this, ideally before the move. Get them a basic phrasebook or picture dictionary in the new language and look at it together. You can practice common phrases together over dinner, for instance. That way, learning the language will be less of a chore. Once they arrive, it will be easier for them to fully pick up on the new language.

Keep in mind that learning a language is harder for older children. If your little ones are not so little anymore, it may be necessary to take a language class or arrange private lessons in order to be sufficiently prepared.