Border life
Living in Foz do Iguaçu or Ciudad del Este while studying medicine: what matters
Published · Golden Keys
You can live in Foz do Iguaçu (Brazil) and study medicine in Ciudad del Este or Presidente Franco, but it depends on three things: which campus your program is at, which bridge you'd cross every day, and what migration paperwork your university requires.
The new factor is the Integration Bridge, opened in December 2025 between Foz and Presidente Franco. In 2026 Brazil's Federal Revenue cleared, in stages, the Foz–Presidente Franco urban bus line (August) and local residents' cars (September).
The two bridges
The Friendship Bridge is the traditional link between Foz and Ciudad del Este's Microcentro. The Integration Bridge sits about 3 km downstream and lands in Presidente Franco; it was built to reorganize border traffic and relieve the Friendship Bridge.
| Since | Clearance | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | Bridge opened; ANTT cleared it for international traffic, subject to customs clearance | Diário do Transporte, 15 Sep 2026 |
| 3 Aug 2026 | Foz–Presidente Franco urban buses, regular international lines, charters not ending in Foz or CDE, empty trucks over 3.5 t | Diário do Transporte, 3 Aug 2026 |
| 14 Sep 2026 | International bus lines, tourist charters and cars of residents of Foz, Ciudad del Este, Presidente Franco and Hernandarias with the required paperwork | Diário do Transporte, 15 Sep 2026 |
What to check before deciding
The reports don't cover pedestrian crossing or hours; Foz customs was to publish crossing hours and conditions. Crossing twice a day adds a step you don't control, which matters with early classes and hospital practice.
- Which campus and city your program is in (see the official list by site)
- Which bridge you'd use and its current rules and hours
- What migration paperwork your university requires from students living in Brazil
- How long the crossing takes at your real class times: test it before signing a long lease
Where Golden Keys helps
Golden Keys works with properties on the Paraguayan side. If you choose to live in Paraguay, we show options near your campus; see our Ciudad del Este guide.