禁漫天堂

12/29/24 Specifically, how much Portuguese do you need to know in order to get the license?
Roddie in Retirement馃暤 - @roddiesho

That seems to be left very much to the option -- and interpretation -- of the states.聽 I can't find any federal regulation on either language or literacy, but states are left the option of聽 imposing additional requirements that they consider necessary for safety.聽 Some impose a literacy standard, too.

When I got my license, I was offered the choice of either taking the written test or taking an ungraded five day course at DETRAN-AM and be handed my license on the last day.聽 I chose the course, and the class was me and about 30 recent arrivals from Venezuela.聽 We were in the middle of a refugee surge, and this was a frequent occurrence at the time.聽 We all got our licenses at the end of class on Friday.聽 The checklist in Amazonas stated, "Foreign driver must speak/understand Portuguese", and I have to assume that someone at DETRAN-AM made the executive decision that their ability to speak and understand Spanish came close enough to satisfy the requirement.

I just went thru this exercise in Rio, and DETRAN-RJ has written on all of the forms that you "must be able to read and write" in Portuguese as one of the stated requirements. Obviously, with any language, if you can read and write, you call also speak fluently.

There is no statement written, nor practical proof of this qualification required AFAIK. So, I can only only assume that if you are able to make it thru the bureaucratic maze of documentation and three different appointments in front of disheveled clerks who are the uncaring processors of protocolos to finally be allowed to visit the magical "setor do estrangerios" in the main branch of DT-RJ your language ability must have been good enough, for there is no English assistance available anywhere.

Perhaps that is the test KKKKKKKK

@abthree Thanx! This falls under the "don't I have enough to do than plan so far away" category. When my YouTube channel is monetized and I accumulate enough money, tops on my list will be my Super Buggy. It will require me to have a license to operate it in Jericoacoara. This is an incredibly long time away, with significant time to become fluent.

I like the course so save me a seat.

Roddie in Retirement馃暤

@roddiesho

Do you need a license to drive on the beach?

12/29/24聽 @abthree Thanx! This falls under the "don't I have enough to do than plan so far away" category. When my YouTube channel is monetized and I accumulate enough money, tops on my list will be my Super Buggy. It will require me to have a license to operate it in Jericoacoara. This is an incredibly long time away, with significant time to become fluent. I like the course so save me a seat.Roddie in Retirement馃暤 - @roddiesho

Hmmmm! That was the category that you put getting your CRNM into until your tourist visa was about to expire, as I recall.聽 You might want to reconsider:聽 DETRAN is even LESS understanding than the PF. 馃槈

The good news is that you don't HAVE to drive, so you can live without a driver's license, especially since you have someone else to do the driving.聽 If you think that you're going to want a license, though, and you're going to put it off, then be sure to keep your US license renewed regularly so that it hasn't expired when you finally get around to requesting a Brazilian one.聽 Otherwise, you'll be taking the written test AND the road test, and/or paying an "Autoescola" to vouch for you.

@alan279 I will ask @abthree, but I still live 20 minutes away, so I have to get there on the road.

Roddie in Retirement馃暤

@abthree Please answer @alan279's question. Not sure how you remember it, but I had a very terrible lawyer that we paid significant money to and that made my wife, and I believe he was working on it for at least 6 months when it was about to expire. I finally realized that they did not know what they were doing. We then got a good lawyer. It was a long process, but the good lawyer pulled it off.

Roddie in Retirement馃暤

P.S. My US Driver's License does not expire for another 3 years.

@roddiesho
Do you need a license to drive on the beach? - @alan279

It varies from town to town. Some allow it as you want, some do not allow it at all, and some grant licenses to buggy drivers for tourism purposes, after completing a safety course.

@roddiesho

My wife and I both have Wisconsin drivers licenses and we went to DETRAN in Campos do Jord茫o to apply for Brazilian ones about 2 weeks ago. I speak very limited Portuguese so she had to translate for me. At DETRAN, they just took info from our US DL鈥檚 , our address and contact info in Brazil, and took our photos. We were then scheduled for the psycho-technical test and the physical exam the following week.

the physical was basically answering a series of medical questions, blood pressure check and eyesight check. My wife was allowed in to translate for me.

The psych-technical test is new in 2024 and took about an hour. Again, my wife was allowed to translate for me but had to leave the room for the test itself. We both passed both portions and expected to get our licenses in the mail in about two weeks.

Before applying, we read that speaking Portuguese is not necessary in order to get your Brazilian DL

Your gringo driver's license is no longer valid IIRC after 60 days once you arrive in country.

If you get stopped and the cop knows and checks your last entry stamp in your PP or the date of your Brasilian document, you're screwed.

You must apply at DT for a temp license if you do not want a permanent one. Brasil is not a signatory to the Hague convention on international driver's licenses either, so, these don't work here either.

YMMV of course........

Your gringo driver's license is no longer valid IIRC after 60 days once you arrive in country.
If you get stopped and the cop knows and checks your last entry stamp in your PP or the date of your Brasilian document, you're screwed.

You must apply at DT for a temp license if you do not want a permanent one. Brasil is not a signatory to the Hague convention on international driver's licenses either, so, these don't work here either.

YMMV of course........ - @kolyaS122HSU

In my opinion you must apply for a Brazilian license by law, after living in Brazil for 6 months, and International Licenses do work here, and Brazil does grant them - I have one granted by Brazil that works whenever I travel

My recently purchased Canadian international license omits Brasil from the list of Hague convention participants. I only found out after paying $45 CAD and confirming Brasil was covered LOL. Once I read the document I realized otherwise. It is what it is, and I very well could have misread 60 days or 6 months. No worries, but those here thinking they get a free pass with a gringo license need to rethink.

@sjpetzold My worst fear is that something happens to my wife. I have a "Man Friday" that drives us around...but what if...I will follow your path, not because I may need it, but just in case.

Roddie in Retirement馃暤

@kolyaS122HSU

Try checking out the 1968 Vienna Convention on International Driving Permits... Brazil is included, but not Canada,

12/30/24 My recently purchased Canadian international license omits Brasil from the list of Hague convention participants. I only found out after paying $45 CAD and confirming Brasil was covered LOL. - @kolyaS122HSU

Brazil and Uruguay accept the Interamerican Driving Permit, but not the International Driving Permit.聽 They look almost exactly the same, and whoever issued your IDP to you should have alerted you to the fact.

Wikipedia claims that this is no longer the case, but the AAA website still says that it is as of today.

In the pages of the license it lists the countries and there is no Brasil.

No matter though......April isn't far away and we haven't even used our car for two weeks......heh.

12/30/24 In the pages of the license it lists the countries and there is no Brasil.
No matter though......April isn't far away and we haven't even used our car for two weeks......heh. - @kolyaS122HSU

Yeah, I think you're good. Besides, the two docs really do look almost identical (I've had both), so in the unlikely event that you ever have to show your IDP, the officer probably won't even notice the difference.

@abthree

If you鈥檙e bored and interested in where the IADP arose from, then google 鈥淥AS org 1943 treaty鈥�. This is the treaty by which the countries of 鈥淭he Americas鈥� laid out the rules of the road, so to speak. There鈥檚 also a whole laundry list of other treaties there for your reading pleasure.

@abthree

If you鈥檙e bored and interested in where the IADP arose from, then google 鈥淥AS org 1943 treaty鈥�. This is the treaty by which the countries of 鈥淭he Americas鈥� laid out the rules of the road, so to speak. There鈥檚 also a whole laundry list of other treaties there for your reading pleasure. ps .. It has nothing to do with any Hauge conventions.

@abthree

Hi聽 if you keep your US licnse active聽 you dont have to take a road test?

01/04/25 Hi if you keep your US licnse active you dont have to take a road test? - @easygoer1050

颁辞谤谤别肠迟.听

01/04/25聽 Before applying, we read that speaking Portuguese is not necessary in order to get your Brazilian DL - @sjpetzold

I'm very glad that it worked out for you.聽 It does differ from state to state however.聽 The application form in Amazonas states clearly, "Foreign driver must speak/understand Portuguese".聽 That wasn't a problem for me since I'm a Portuguese speaker, but the Sworn Translation of my US license unexpectedly was, because it had an electronic signature and the clerk didn't how to verify it online.聽 He sent me to the in-house cart贸rio who didn't know how to do it either, but offered to make me an authenticated copy.聽 The clerk accepted THAT, I suppose because it had a seal on it.聽 Brazil!

Besides the medical exam and the psycho-techical test (which I had to take in 2018), I was offered the choice of either taking the written test or a five hour ungraded road safety course before receiving my license.聽 I opted for the course.聽 No road test, though.

01/04/25 @abthree Please answer @alan279's question. - @roddiesho

I don't know the answer, and I don't think that guessing would be helpful.聽 @Peter Itamaraca's answer makes sense to me, though.

@abthree Thanx anyway, now that I only have salads for dinner, I think I can hide behind a Sand Dune in case I get in trouble.

Roddie in Retirement馃暤

I did it n ot was really painful. Cdn not American. If you're聽 in a small city way worse. Get your license translated. Detrans wants vehicle weight classes n everything. Cdn drivers let's you drive a scooter and a 5 ton truck on general class. What a spin. Had to take the physco test and a drivers test which is stupid. If you don't聽 ha e your own car you have to take a few drivers lessons聽 so you can use their car for the exam. If you hit the curb or pylon yer done n failed.

01/05/25 I did it n ot was really painful. Cdn not American. - @Cserebogar

Canadians do report more problems with DETRANs; it doesn't make sense, but it's hard to find a pattern.聽 What state required you to take a road test?聽

@sjpetzold

Ironically, three days after we passed our tests and paid for our licenses, we were pulled over at a random roadblock. I was driving and had some worried moments. My wife navigated through the explanation and they recorded my DL info. I鈥檓 suspecting next time they check, we will both be in the system. We did not have proof with us that we had been in Brazil less than 6 months, but apparently my demographic convinced him. I guess they are looking for immigrants from other South American countries (unfortunately for the immigrants). Take-home message: keep your passport with you if it proves you鈥檝e been in the country less than 6 months

@sjpetzold

Ironically, three days after we passed our tests and paid for our licenses, we were pulled over at a random roadblock. I was driving and had some worried moments. My wife navigated through the explanation and they recorded my DL info. I鈥檓 suspecting next time they check, we will both be in the system. We did not have proof with us that we had been in Brazil less than 6 months, but apparently my demographic convinced him. I guess they are looking for immigrants from other South American countries (unfortunately for the immigrants). Take-home message: keep your passport with you if it proves you鈥檝e been in the country less than 6 months

@roddiesho

If you still have a US drivers license (or one from somewhere else), you may just be able to get a Brazilian one without going through the whole testing process, and depending on how long you鈥檝e been here.

@abthree

My understanding is the test is much changed since you took it!

@abthree

Sao paulo.

01/06/25聽 Sao paulo. - @Cserebogar

Bad news!聽 That's the biggest DETRAN in the country, and a state that attracts a lot of expats.聽 I hope that the example doesn't spread.聽 Kudos on overcoming all the barriers and succeeding.