Travel Information

Visa

Depending on your nationality, you might need a visa to enter Brazil. The ultimate autority on whether you need a visa or not is the Brazilian Consulate in your jurisdiction; the information we provide here is for your convenience only.

To attend the school you need to enter Brazil as a tourist. You may check here whether you need a tourist visa. Find your country in the table that starts on page 2 and check the corresponding code in column “VITUR (Tourism)”. The caption for the codes is listed in page 1. The most common codes are 1 (visa is required) and 8 (visa exemption for staying for a period of at most 90 days.)

If you require a visa, we highly recommend applying for one as soon as possible. The type of visa required for attending conferences in Brazil is the Tourist Visa (VITUR). Please find the appropriate Brazilian Consulate in your jurisdiction.

Whether you need a visa or not, when you go through immigration it is useful to have at hand information about your place of accommodation and the school.

Travel/health Insurance

Participants of the school should have travel insurance to protect themselves against unexpected events. Check your travel agency or credit card: you may be eligible for travel insurance when purchasing the air ticket.

The school has some funds to purchase travel/health insurance for those who have not yet obtained one and are coming (flying) from one of the following countries (see the list): http://www.ams.org/membership/individual/mem-develop (Brazil excluded).

This travel/health insurance costs R$ 140 (Brazilian reals), approximately 40 USD, valid from 16 July to 30 July. If you qualify and you are interested, the school will pay this insurance for you.  For that, send an email to sp.school2016@ime.usp.br (subject: Travel Insurance) with the following information before May 30th.

  • Full name (as it appears in the passport):
  • Passport number:
  • Birthdate:
  • Home address:
  • Telephone number (with country code):

NEW INFO: Everyone who has written to us before June 11th will be granted this insurance.

NEWEST INFO (posted on June 12h): The school has funds to purchase this insurance for 20 other participants from abroad.  If you are interested, write to us before June 16th.  The applications will be considered on the first come, first served basis.  All participants now qualify!

Transportation

Airport to city and back

The easiest way to get from Guarulhos International Airport to the city and back is to use the airport bus service. Buses leave often and can take you to the city center (Av. Paulista) or to subway station República, on the Yellow line of the subway (map). The ticket costs R$ 45,50 and can be bought at the airport. It is much cheaper than taking a taxi and it is also very comfortable.

For taxis, head to the Guarucoop stand inside the airport. Expect to pay a fixed fare of R$ 120 to R$ 150. Driving time is 50 minutes, much more at rush hour. When travelling to the airport (as it is located in Guarulhos city), São Paulo city taxi firms charge an extra 50% fee. To avoid this, book with Guarucoop, EasyTaxi or Uber.

A third and cheaper option is to use public transport. From Terminals 1 or 2 in Guarulhos airport, take the city bus 257 or 299 to “Tatuapé” Subway Station, which is their final stop (R$5,55). From there, take the subway Red Line 3 (Linha Vermelha) towards “Palmeiras-Barra Funda” (R$3,80). Hop off the train at “Republica” Station and take the Yellow Line 4 (Linha Amarela) towards “Butantã”. This will take you to stations “Fradique Coutinho” or “Faria Lima”, in the Pinheiros neighbourhood. The entire trip will last approximately 1h 20mins, which beats rush hour traffic.

Hotel to school venue

Your hotel will likely be able to call a taxi for you (you may also call with EasyTaxi or Uber). At the university, not far from the venue, there is a taxi stand. Not every taxi driver accepts credit cards, so have cash ready.

If you want to use public transport, then check out Google maps for schedules and/or the subway network map.

BUS: From the street “Rua Cardeal Arcoverde” in the Pinheiros neighbourhood, you can take city bus 177H-10, which will take you straight to the conference venue (ask someone in the bus for the stop “Reitoria Bancos”). On the way back, you take the same bus across the street and hop off at street “Rua Teodoro Sampaio”, in the Pinheiros neighbourhood.

(There are bus only lanes and thus buses will sometimes be faster than taxis. Expect to wait ~15 minutes for this one in particular)

SUBWAY: The closest subway station to the university is Estação Butantã, on the Yellow line of the subway. São Paulo’s subway is limited but reliable. Trains typically run from 04:40–00:00 (until 01:00 on Saturdays). Walking from Estação Butantã to the school venue takes approximately 40 minutes. You may also take a bus from Estação Butantã to the venue. The line designation reads “Cidade Universitária” – number 8012-10.

Trips by bus and subway cost R$ 3,80. You can buy subway tickets inside the stations at the ticket counter, but expect long lines. Bus tickets can be bought inside the bus. Have change ready when boarding a bus. Bills of R$ 50,00 or more are usually not accepted.

Public transportation cards (Bilhete Único) can be bought at subway stations and charged with money. They can be used in buses and at the subway. These cards are not bought or charged at the main ticket office, but at separate stands; ask someone at the station for help.