BRAZIL VISAS AND ENTRY REQUIREMENTS – FAQ’S
There is much confusion out there in the blogosphere regarding visas and entry requirements for Brazil. Below is some useful information regarding Visas, passports and other issues about entering Brazil.
1) DO I NEED A PASSPORT TO TRAVEL TO BRAZIL? YES. Everyone needs a passport to travel to Brazil regardless of country. The passport must be valid for at least 6 months after the date you arrive in Brazil and have at least one blank page available for the visa stamp. click HERE to get a US Passport
2) DO I NEED A VISA TO TRAVEL TO BRAZIL? It depends on what country you hold citizenship from. In short, if the country that you hold a passport requires a Visa for Brazilians to enter your country, then the same applies for you entering Brazil. (If you are an American, Canadian or Australian citizen you DO REQUIRE A VISA IN ADDITION TO A PASSPORT IN ORDER TO TRAVEL TO BRAZIL.)
3) WHAT COUNTRIES DO NOT REQUIRE A VISA FOR BRAZIL? Below is an abbreviated list of countries that are currently EXEMPT from Visas. ( The list was updated September 2010 and is subject to change). Argentina .Austria, Barbados, Belgium, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Chile, Colombia ,Costa Rica, Croatia,Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Guatemala, Guyana, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, ItalyLithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Malta, Monaco, Morocco, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Surinam, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Trinidad, Tunis, Turkey, Uruguay, Venezuela.
4) DO I NEED SHOTS OR ANYTHING ELSE TO TRAVEL? You may require a yellow fever certificate to travel to Brazil but only if you have been to the following countries within 90 days before entering Brazil. Any country in Sub Saharan Africa,Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname Currently you do NOT require shots to travel to Brazil unless you are travelling to extremely remote parts of the Amazon.
5) HOW DO I GET A VISA? You can get a Visa in person at our closest consulate of Brazil to where you live or through a third party company that specializes in processing visas if you do not want to go through the hassle of going to your nearest consulate or if your nearest consulate is too far away.
6) IS IT SAFE TO SEND YOUR PASSPORT A BRAZIL VISA PROCESSING COMPANY? Yes it is but make sure the company is legitimate and send your paperwork securely via FEDEX, UPS, courier or similar.
7) DO I HAVE TO SEND MY ACTUAL PASSPORT WHEN SENDING FOR MY VISA? Yes. A visa is a stamp on your actual passport so you must send in your passport.
8 ) CAN I GET A BRAZIL VISA UPON ARRIVAL? Unfortunately no. Brazil doesn’t offer
“visas on arrival” as do many countries around the world. You have to get one before departure. It can take up to a few weeks to process your visa depending on the turnaround time from your specific consulate so DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE. You cannot board a flight to Brazil without a VISA so make sure you have proper documentation!!
9) WHAT CITIES IN THE USA AND CANADA HAVE CONSULATES OF BRAZIL? The following is a list of Consulates of Brazil in the USA as well as the jurisdiction
1. Boston: (For Residents of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont)
2. Atlanta: Residents of: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee (call (404) 949-2400)
3. Chicago: Residents of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
4. Houston: Residents of Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.
5. Los Angeles: Residents of Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, and in the State of California, the counties of Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis, Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura.
6. Miami: Residents of of Florida, Puerto Rico, & US Virgin Islands.
7. New York City: Residents of Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and the Bermuda Islands.
8. San Francisco: Residents of Oregon, Washington, Alaska and in the State of California
CANADA:
1. Toronto: Residents of Ontario (except National Capital Region), Manitoba and Nunavut
2. Ottawa: Residents of National Capital Region
3. Montreal: Residents of Quebec (except National Capital Region), New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island
4. Vancouver: Residents of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Yukon and the Northwest Territories
10) WHAT ABOUT VISA LOCATIONS FOR EUROPE/MIDDLE EAST OR THE REST OF THE WORLD? If you are in the Middle East you can process your visa in Beirut, Kuwait City, or Abu Dhabi among others. If you are in Europe there is a consulate of Brazil in just about every major European capital. The same corresponds to major world capitals in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Here is a list to Brazilian consulates in the Middle East:
Here is a list to Brazilian consulates in Europe:
Here is a list to Brazilian consulates in Asia:
Here is a list to Brazilian consulates in Australia:
Here is a list to Brazilian consulates in South and Central America:
11) WHEN DO I NEED TO GET MY VISA? It is recommended to get it as soon as your book your trip to Brazil. Until very recently you had to commence travel within 90 days of visa issuance in order for the Brazil visa to be valid, but that restriction has now been lifted and you can get your visa any time prior to travel. Because many people go to Brazil for Carnival and New year’s there is typically a big backlog of visas around this time period and it is recommended to get the visa out of the way early.
12) What are the required documents to get a visa?
Required Documents:
1- Original passport (valid for at least 6 (six) months prior to its expiration date). The passport must have at least 2 (two) blank visa pages.
2- One recent individual passport photo, full- frontal, white background.
3- One visa application form, duly filled-out and signed. (Signature must be original and in “BLUE” ink, no faxed forms).
4- Photocopy of round-trip airline ticket, print-out of itinerary or letter from travel agent/airline, confirming purchase of round-trip ticket, including dates of departure and return from Brazil. ( For airline employees, photocopy of airline ID card)
5- For children between the ages of 3 months to 6 years, certificate of vaccination against polio, stating type and dosage.
6- For applicants under 18 years of age, when traveling without both parents or legal guardian(s), a notarized letter of consent signed by parents or legal guardian(s) authorizing the Consulate General of Brazil to issue a visa for the minor applicant (proof required: birth certificate) .
7- Whenever applicable (i.e., for participants in athletic competitions or performing arts events), copy of letter from sponsor/organizer with detailed information on the event as well as conditions of attendance.
8- For US citizen , a processing fee of US$ 130.00 in US POSTAL Money Order (ONLY) available at any Post Office will be charged in reciprocity to identical fee paid by Brazilian citizens who applied for a VISA for the United State of America.
9- In addition to the processing fee above a handling fee US$ 20.00 per visa in US POSTAL Money Order (ONLY) applies for applicants submitting by mail or by any individual othert than the applicant.
10- For costs of tourist visa to NON-AMERICAN citizens.(See list below- “VISA COSTS”).
11- For children of Brazilian citizens, provide a notarized letter stating that the child has never been registered as Brazilian citizens in any Brazilian Embassy or Consulate, nor has had a Brazilian passport previously. Please, note that Brazilian citizens must travel to Brazil with a Brazilian passport. (Brazilian bearing a American Passport that has renounced the Brazilian citizenship must present proof).
12- For citizens of Commonwealth of the Bahamas, all fees must be paid with American Express Money Orders or Thomas Cook Money Orders only.
What is the cost to obtain a Visa?
Tourist Visa Fees:
* United States citizens will be charged a non-refundable processing fee of US$ 140.00 per visa, in reciprocity to an identical
fee paid by Brazilian citizens who apply for a Visa to the United States;
* Visa fees for Citizens of countries below will be as follows:
Australians, USD$30, Mexicans USD$30, Japanese/Russians $50 all other nationalities $30
All other citizenships US$ 20.00 Payments accepted only in US Postal money order.
13) HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET A VISA? IT completely depends on the consulate the you send your passport to. It can range from 24 hours to 4 or more weeks. Check with your corresponding consulate for details or ask the visa processing company for details.
14) IS IT EASY TO GET A VISA? If you follow the instructions that are straightforward off the consulate in your jurisdiction’s website it should be a smooth process. Make sure to have all your information complete and EXACTLY as they ask for it. You will most likely NOT get your visa rejected as long as you filled out the forms correctly.
