Terms & Conditions

Table of Contents

Class Schedule

Group Courses run Monday – Friday.

Private Classes run Monday – Saturday.
Group Courses start on a Monday, or Tuesday if Monday is a public holiday.

Class times will be confirmed the Friday before the class commences.

Group Courses:

Our Group Courses generally run from 9.00 am to 1.00 pm Monday to Friday with a maximum 20-minute break. In some situations, the class may run from 2.00 pm to 6.00 pm with a maximum 20-minute break.

Group Courses facts:

4 hours per day, 5 days a week – a total of 20 hours per week

Levels: Beginner (A1), High Beginner (A1+), Elementary (A2), High Elementary (A2+) Pre-Intermediate (B1), Intermediate (B1+), High Intermediate (B2), Advanced (C), and High Advanced (C+).
If students have learned Portuguese before or know another Latin language, they should take our ‘Prova de Nivelamento’ (Placement Test) so that Caminhos can determine their Portuguese language level.

Small group sizes.
Workbook included.
Gramática Ativa 1 book required for Caminhos Intensive A1 to B1+.

Gramática Ativa 2 book required for Caminhos Intensive B2, C, and C+.

Private Classes:

Private Classes are scheduled throughout the week to meet student demand. It is up to you to let us know how many lessons you would like and what days and times you’re available, and we will find a suitable teacher accordingly.

Private Classes facts:

There are no minimum hours required for Private Classes, but the more classes paid for in advance in one transaction, the less expensive the overall price is.
Online lessons are available upon request.
Minimum 24-hour cancellation policy (working days only). We are happy to change or postpone a Private Class with at least 24-hour notice. Attention: If you want to cancel a private class booked for Monday, it is only possible to do it before Friday at 8 pm.

Class Size

Generally, a minimum of 3 students is needed to open a new Group Course. We have a maximum of 10 students in each class. In the event that fewer than 3 students have registered for a Group Course then Caminhos reserves the right to cancel the course and offer the following:

Option to enroll at a later date
Credit towards Private Classes

Teachers

Usually, Group and Private Classes have permanent teachers, but Caminhos can sometimes reassign teachers due to illness, holidays, or other administrative reasons.

Public Holidays

Brazil has several Public Holidays during the year in which employees have the right to take the day off work. Caminhos closes the school these days and no classes are running. When one holiday falls in a week of group classes, we will compensate for 2 hours of classes, making the class schedule from 08:30 to 13:00 that week.

Pricing, Payments & Discounts

All prices are in local currency (BRL) and are subject to change. You can secure the current price and avoid future price increases by paying the full course amount in advance.

Prices, Payment & Discounts facts:

Group Courses – Caminhos requires a deposit of $500 to secure your spot.
Full payment for Group Courses must be made on or before the first day of class – cash, online bank transfers, credit cards (+5%) and PayPal (+5%)

Private Classes must be paid for in advance
We can only offer a discounted price if you pay for your Group Course or Private Classes in one transaction. Weeks and/or hours purchased in the past will not be counted when calculating a discounted price. Discounts are explained in Prices Overview.

Attendance, Refunds & Cancellations

Caminhos does not offer refunds for bookings or reservation deposits. Only under exceptional circumstances or in the case of an emergency — supported by written documentation — will Caminhos allow you to transfer your credit towards another course or will consider granting a refund.

In the event that you do not show up for your class (either group or private) or you try to change it once the class has already started, you will lose your payment. Attendance is the responsibility of the student. Missed classes cannot be refunded, rescheduled, or transferred to another person.

Courses are valid for 2 (two) years after the payment is made by the students. If you are on a student visa, you can only book the remaining classes while your visa is valid.

Cancelation of Private Classes: we have a 24-hour cancellation policy. We are happy to change or cancel a Private Class with more than 24-hour notice. Attention: If you want to cancel a private class booked for Monday, it is only possible to do it before Friday at 8 pm.

Student Visa: If your student visa is denied, Caminhos will refund 80% of the total amount paid by you.

Caminhos Accommodation

Demand for accommodation is high, so Caminhos advises students to book well in advance.

Accommodation rules:

Students are responsible for following the rules and regulations of their accommodation.
Students are responsible for ensuring that any breakages and damages are reported to the accommodation owner and, when possible, assist in the repair process and/or pay for the damage if they were at fault.
If there is an issue, misunderstanding or complication between the student and their Homestay family, Caminhos will assist both parties to find a resolution.

Most of the Homestay families have a strict ‘no visitor’ policy due to Brazil’s safety issues.
In the case of a student or accommodation host being dissatisfied, we try to help in order to find a solution. However, we are not responsible for refunding the student or the host.

Liability and Insurance

Caminhos is not responsible for any injury, disease, disasters or lost/stolen items at our school, accommodation, or during our activities and city tours. Clients shall not hold Caminhos responsible for any injury or damage resulting from unforeseen complications such as accidents, natural disasters, local conditions, or criminal activities. We highly advise you to get Travel Insurance covering stolen/damaged gadgets and unexpected illness/accidents before coming to Rio de Janeiro.