6 Reasons the World Cup is a Big Deal for Relocation

The 2014 FIFA World Cup is being held in Brazil this summer. There is no doubt that this event will make for an exciting time throughout the country, but as an increasingly popular location for expatriate assignments you should be aware of potential challenges.

1. The 2014 FIFA World Cup will take place from Thursday, June 12th to Sunday, July 13th, 2014.

2. The matches will be played across 12 Brazilian cities:

• Rio de Janeiro
• Sao Paulo
• Belo Horizonte
• Porto Alegre
• Brasilia
• Cuiaba
• Curitiba
• Fortaleza
• Manaus
• Natal
• Recife
• Salvador

3. The Ministry of Tourism estimates the movement of 3 million Brazilian citizens and 600,000 foreign visitors for the event.

4. The Aviation Authority authorized an additional 2,000 flights during this period.

5. Schools have altered the academic calendar so that students are on vacation at this time—this is an attempt to reduce traffic.

6. Any day on which the Brazil national team is playing a match will be considered a National Holiday.

What does this mean for an expatriate assignment?

• Limited or no availability of hotels and temporary housing in the 12 cities hosting matches for the extent of the event. Housing that is available can be expected to have inflated pricing.
• Full and expensive domestic and international flights.
• Busy and expensive restaurants and tourist destinations.
• Delays in customs for unaccompanied shipments, specifically air shipments.
• Delays in visa and immigration authorizations and related services (driver’s license, tax payer ID, etc.). 

PS—The 2016 Summer Olympics will be held in Rio de Janeiro, too!