Brazil, São Paulo, Immigrant Hostelry Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This is a collection of immigration records from the Immigrant's Hostelry of the city of São Paulo for the years 1882-1925. The hostelry was opened in 1887 and closed in 1978; in its place now sits the Museu da Imigração do Estado do São Paulo (São Paulo Immigration Museum).

This collection contains images of registration records for passengers entering and leaving the hostelry, which includes indexes, passengers’ registration, and vessel lists. Hostelry patrons included not only foreigners but also Brazilian citizens from other states who were relocating to the area. Passengers arrived at the port of Santos and from there they were transported by train to the Immigrant Hostelry (Hospedaria de Imigrantes) in São Paulo, where they received all kinds of help to begin their settling process in the area. These records were obtained from the Arquivo da Secretaria da Promoção Social em São Paulo.

Reading These Records
For help reading these records see Portuguese Genealogical Word List and Brazil Language and Languages.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records: Hostelry records
 * Name
 * Occupation
 * Age
 * Birthplace
 * Ship name
 * Date of arrival
 * Civil Status
 * Family Members
 * Religion

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Your ancestor's given name and surname
 * Identifying information such as residence
 * Estimated marriage or birth year
 * Family relationships

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Make sure to fully transcribe and cite the record entry for future reference
 * The card information will help you determine where he or she came from, the date and place of birth, and the parents’ names
 * This information will let you prepare a family group record for the family. You can then start searching in the records from the place of birth and residence for other members of the family
 * You can use passenger lists to learn an immigrant’s place of origin, confirm their date of arrival, learn foreign names and their Portuguese translations, and find records in his or her country of origin such as emigrations, port records, or ship’s manifests
 * If just the country is given, use the last name to search for your ancestor and his/her family in his/her home country; this is called a surname search and helps to pinpoint what cities/provinces/states were the hometowns of families
 * Use the last name to search for any possible relatives that may have traveled after or before your ancestor.

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * The information was supplied by the immigrant and his identification documents. Incorrect information was occasionally given, or mistakes may have been made when the immigration officer guessed at the spelling of foreign names
 * Remember that your ancestor's name may be spelled according to the new country's native language or the language of your ancestor's home country
 * Clerks may have written/spelled the name of your ancestor as they heard it, not as it is spelled in your ancestor's native language. Learn about pronunciation of your ancestor's native language
 * The port your ancestor departed from may have been miles away from his/her hometown
 * Brazil Emigration and Immigration may be useful if your ancestors immigrated to or from another country

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in Brazil.
 * Brazil Record Finder
 * Brazil Research Tips and Strategies

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.