International Removals to and from São Paulo
The port of Santos, the climb to the city and the airports around it
A few short questions. Nothing is sent until you check and confirm.
Which port does a container for São Paulo use?
Santos, on the coast about 79 km from the city. IAM names the sea gateway in its routing note: “Santos (Sao Paulo state — Brazil's largest port)”. Wikipedia calls it “Brazil's leading port in container traffic” and says “As of 2024, it was the second busiest container port in Latin America.”
The same page also calls Santos the largest port in Latin America and the busiest on a 2022 ranking, so its Latin American position is stated two ways. Its volume figure is 2.697 million TEU, with no year attached in the text we read. One terminal is singled out as “the largest container terminal in South America”, named Tecon Santos.
Which terminal takes a particular container is the shipping line's decision, and no operator page told us, so ask your mover to name the terminal before you book a delivery lorry. The sea freight guide explains how that leg works.
How does the load get from the quay to the city?
By the two mountain highways or by rail. Wikipedia writes “The terrestrial access system to the port is made up by the Anchieta and Imigrantes highways and by the railroads operated by Ferroban and MRS.”
The climb is not trivial: “The location of the city of Santos was chosen at a convenient point for crossing the Serra do Mar mountain range, which is the main obstacle to access the interior.” So the road from the quay to a São Paulo street crosses that range.
Queues are part of the picture. The page reports “Due to the fact that the port operates 24 hours a day there is a lot of congestion on the roads and railways.” It also records a port strike in 2016 that stopped all terminal activity apart from a short list of exceptions. Build slack into a delivery date.
Which airport serves a São Paulo arrival?
Guarulhos for international flights. The city page says “São Paulo has two main airports, São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport for international flights and national hub”, with Congonhas used for domestic and regional services. It places Guarulhos about 25 km north-east of the centre.
IAM lists the same airport first for air freight, so a part-load that flies would normally land there. A third airport further out also serves the wider region: “The region of Greater São Paulo is also served by Viracopos International Airport”. Which one your freight uses is for the forwarder to say.
How big is the area, and which neighbours are covered here?
Large enough that the city name alone is vague. Wikipedia's city list gives 11,904,961 people for the São Paulo municipality, and it says that “Greater São Paulo , is home to more than 20 million inhabitants”.
Two neighbours matter to a mover. Guarulhos, home of the main airport, has 1,349,100 people in the same list, and Campinas, also in São Paulo state, has 1,187,974. Neither has its own page: we found no moving rule, customs counter or port fact that applies to them and not to São Paulo, so a delivery there follows the guidance on this page.
Does the FCDO warning reach São Paulo?
Not on the page we read. The main FCDO page for Brazil, current on 8 November 2026, advises against all but essential travel to parts of Brazil, and the areas it lists are river areas in the west of Amazonas State.
We did not read the Safety and security or Regional risks pages, which may carry city-level cautions. The Brazil overview shows the dated warning in full, and the UK to Brazil page covers the visa, the passport and the order of events. Rules for the goods themselves are on the Brazil customs page.
Where to look next: what changes if part of the load flies.
Questions about moving to São Paulo
Which port does a container for São Paulo use?
Santos, according to the IAM guide, which lists it first among Brazilian sea ports of entry.
The shipping line decides the terminal, so ask your mover.
Which airport takes international arrivals?
Guarulhos, about 25 km north-east of the centre, according to Wikipedia.
Congonhas handles domestic and regional flights.
Do Guarulhos and Campinas have their own pages?
No.
We found no rule that applies to them and not to São Paulo, so they are named here. The Brazil customs page covers the papers.
Tell us about your São Paulo move
Share your departure postcode, arrival month, the district or neighbouring city in São Paulo state and rough load size.
About International Removals Companies
International Removals Companies is an enquiry and introduction service run by DATACONTEXT (UK) LTD, in partnership with AGM Group. We don't move goods ourselves: the removal company quotes for your move and carries it out, so check its credentials and terms before you book. Our service is free. Discuss the quotation and booking terms directly with the removal company.
- Email[email protected]
- In partnership withAGM Group (agm.group)