Public Shelters
There are no refugee camps in Brazil. Hence, if you arrive in the country and have no place to stay, you may look for a shelter (led by the public system or civil society). It is free to stay in those places.
Although there are some shelters that are specifically designed to receive asylum seekers and refugees, they have limited vacancies (as in São Paulo). Most shelter’s vacancies are open for both Brazilians and foreigners who are at a vulnerable situation. Shelters have diverse stay limits, ranging from one night only up to those where it is possible to stay for various months.
Go to the nearest Specialised Reference Centre of Social Assistance (CREAS) to find information about shelters (Monday to Friday, 08-18h) or contact UNHCR or one of its partners.
São Paulo
If you do not have a place to sleep, you can seek one of the Specialized Reference Center for Social Assistance (CREAS).
- Centro
- Bela Vista
Address: Rua Santo Antonio, 800
Phone: (11) 3129-9216 / 3129-9235 - Sé
Address: Rua Bandeirantes, 55
Phone: (11) 2383-4480 / 3311-0920 / 3396-3500
- Bela Vista
- Norte
- Vila Maria
Address: Rua Soldado José Antônio Moreira, 546
Phone: (11) 2201-5807 / 2949-6495 - Santana
Address: Rua Voluntários da Pátria, 4649
Phone: (11) 4571-0293 - Tremembé
Address: Avenida Mário Pernambuco, 45
Phone: (11) 2261-1314 / 2203-1443 - Casa Verde
Address: Rua Padre João Gualberto, 206
Phone: (11) 2236-8392 / 2236-7002 - Freguesia do Ó
Address: Rua Parapuã, 160
Phone: (11) 3978-2984 / 3977- 8925 / 5413-6419 - Pirituba
Address: Rua: Comendador Feiz Zarzur, 15
Phone: (11) 3972-4171 / 3972-2855 - Perus
Address: Rua Gonçalves de Andrade, 369
Phone: (11) 3917-6380/ 3911- 5211 3918-5410 e 3918-5008
- Vila Maria
- Sul
- Jabaquara
Address: Rua dos Jornalistas, 48
Phone: (11) 5012-8129 / 5016-1572 - Ipiranga
Address: Rua Taquarichim, 290
Phone: (11) 2383-4528 / 2383-4529 / 2383 4527 - Vila Mariana
Address: Rua Madre Cabrini, 99
Phone: (11) 5083-4632 - Cidade Ademar
Address: Rua Ranulfo Prata, 289
Phone: (11) 5677-0341 / 5562-2874 - Campo Limpo
Address: Rua Landolfo de Andrade, 200
Phone: (11) 5814-7483 - Capela do Socorro
Address: Av. Senador Teotônio Vilela, 2394
Phone: (11) 5666-8940 / 5666-8494 - Santo Amaro
Address: Rua Padre José de Anchieta, 802
Phone: (11) 5524-1305 - M´Boi Mirim
Address: Rua: Miguel Luiz Figueira, 16
Phone: (11) 5891-3483/ 5891-3632
- Jabaquara
- Leste
- Sapopemba
Address: Avenida Sapopemba, 6293
Phone: (11) 2115-2738 2115-3313 - Vila Prudente
Address: Avenida Paes de Barros, 3345
Phone: (11) 2219-2049 / 2219-1760 - Mooca
Address: Rua Síria, 300
Phone: (11) 2225-1302 / 2225-1302 - Penha
Address: Rua Antonio Taborda, 37
Phone: (11) 2023-0770 - Aricanduva
Address: Rua São Contancio, 457
Phone: (11) 2268-1793 / 3246-8310 / 3246-8312 - Itaim Paulista
Address: Rua Celso Barbosa de Lima, 501/503
Phone: (11) 2156-3814 / 2569-2797 / 2569-2802 - São Mateus
Address: Rua: Ângelo de Cândia, 964
Phone: (11) 2012-6406 / 2012-5987 / 2012-6092 - Guaianases
Address: Rua Nabuco de Abreu, 06
Phone: (11) 2554-7115 - Itaquera
Address: Av. Maria Luiza Americano, 1877
Phone: (11) 2745-5900 - Cidade Tiradentes
Address: Avenida Nascer do Sol, 529
Phone: (11) 2363 9876 / 2363 9886 / 2363 9875 - Ermelino Matarazzo
Address: Av. Boturussu, 1626
Phone: (11) 2545-3211 - São Miguel Paulista
Address: Rua José Pereira Cardoso, 183
Phone: (11) 2031-4459 / 2031 -5859
- Sapopemba
- Oeste
- Pinheiros
Address: Rua Mourato Coelho, 104/106
Phone: (11) 3063-0807/ 3085-2615 - Butantã
Address: Ministro Laudo Ferreira de Camargo, 230
Phone: (11) 3743-2734
- Pinheiros
Rio de Janeiro
In Rio de Janeiro, you can contact the UNHCR partner organization for information on shelters.
- Caritas Arquidiocesana do Rio de Janeiro
- Email: carj.refugiados@caritas-rj.org.br
- Phone: +55 21 2567-4105 /2567-4177
- Website: http://www.caritas-rj.org.br/
Manaus
In Manaus, you can contact the UNHCR partner organization for shelter information.
- Pastoral do Migrante de Manaus
- Address: Rua Leovegildo Coelho, 237 – Centro
- Email: spmmanaus@yahoo.com.br
- Phone: +55 92 3232-7257
Curitiba
In Curitiba, you can contact the UNHCR partner organization for information on shelters.
- Caritas Brasileira Regional do Paraná
- E-mail: caritaspr@caritas.org.br
- Phone: +55 41 3023-9907
- Website: http://pr.caritas.org.br/
Brasília
In Brasília, you can contact the UNHCR partner organization for information on shelters.
- Instituto Migrações e Direitos Humanos – IMDH
- Email: imdh@migrante.org.br or imdh.diretoria@migrante.org.br
- Phone: +55 61 3340-2689 or +55 61 3447-8043
- Website: http://www.migrante.org.br/
Rental
There are no limitations for asylum seekers or refugees to rent a house or apartment in Brazil. Rent must be made through a rent agreement, in which all rights and duties of owners and tenants need to be included.
There are various real estates agencies that operate through the country. Nevertheless, a contract done directly with the owner is usually less expensive.
Note that rent agreements frequently determine one of those warranty forms:
- Indication of a Guarantor: someone that commits to pay the rent in case you do not fulfill the payment;
- Lease insurance: you can hire an insurance company as your guarantor;
- Security deposit: it consists in offering the lessor an amount of money to be kept as a guarantee until the termination of the contract.