International schools in Brazil

Brazil offers American, British, IB, French and German programmes alongside Brazilian schools, some of them bilingual. Several international schools also teach Brazilian studies, so the useful question is which diplomas a student can finish with rather than which label a school uses. ↗

• American: Graded in São Paulo, Escola Americana do Rio de Janeiro (founded 1937, with an IB continuum) and the American School of Brasília, which publishes an average IB Diploma score. ↗ ↗
• British: St Paul’s in São Paulo records British School Overseas recognition in 2012 and IB Diploma provision since 1987; The British School in Rio de Janeiro combines Brazilian studies with IGCSE and the IB Diploma. ↗ ↗
• IB with local accreditation: School of the Nations in Brasília, founded in 1980, is authorised for the IB Primary Years and Diploma programmes and accredited by both NEASC and the Federal District education secretariat. ↗
• French and German: Lycée Pasteur in São Paulo prepares students for the French Baccalauréat, and the German Colégio Visconde de Porto Seguro, dating to 1878, has several campuses and qualification routes. ↗ ↗

Our curriculum guide explains how the IB, British and American routes compare.

Brazilian-calendar schools generally run from February to December, while some international schools follow an August-start year. A family arriving in July or August can join an August-start school at the beginning of its year but would enter a Brazilian-calendar school mid-year, and the reverse applies for a January arrival. ↗

Billing years can differ from teaching years: Graded, for example, bills on a July–June fiscal year. Ask each school which grade it would offer for your child’s arrival date. ↗

Family reunion visa. Brazil’s Migration Law (Law 13,445 of 2017, article 37) grants a family-reunion visa or residence authorisation to the spouse or partner and to the child of an immigrant who holds a residence authorisation. Consulates publish the document list for the post where you apply. ↗

Equivalência of school records. Recognition of primary and secondary studies from abroad is handled by the state education secretariat in the state where the family lives, not by the federal Ministry of Education. Foreign certificates are apostilled in Hague Convention countries (otherwise authenticated by a Brazilian consulate), and documents in other languages generally need a sworn public translation. ↗

In São Paulo state, Deliberação CEE 21/2001 sets the rules. A student continuing primary or secondary school applies directly to the chosen school, which places the child according to prior schooling and competences. A formal equivalence declaration for a completed primary or secondary level is requested from the regional Diretoria de Ensino where the family lives. ↗

Apostille birth certificates and recent school reports before leaving, since both the visa and any equivalence request rely on them. Our admissions timeline guide helps sequence records, assessments and deadlines.

São Paulo has the widest choice, including Graded, St Paul’s, British College of Brazil, Avenues, St Nicholas, Chapel and Lycée Pasteur. Our São Paulo city guide covers each school, dated fees and campus locations.

Rio de Janeiro: The British School, founded in 1924, reports more than 2,000 students across Botafogo, Urca and Barra. Escola Americana do Rio de Janeiro describes an IB continuum and roughly 1,300 students. ↗ ↗

Brasília: the American School of Brasília, which reports more than 60 years in the city, and School of the Nations, an IB World School founded in 1980. ↗ ↗

Belo Horizonte and Curitiba: Escola Americana de Belo Horizonte offers an English-primary programme with IB and AP courses, and the International School of Curitiba has operated since 1959. ↗ ↗

Fees are set school by school and often quoted as monthly instalments; for dated figures see the São Paulo guide and our fees comparison guide.