BRAZILIAN ENTRY/VISA REQUIREMENTS

[trilingual]

Brazil, unlike most other countries in South America, requires tourist visas for citizens of countries that require similar visas for Brazilian travelers. Brazil is very big on reciprocity in this area. As a result, citizens of most of the English-speaking countries require a tourist visa to enter Brazil. Citizens of EU countries (at least the current 15), Israel and a number of other countries DON'T need visas, just a valid passport. To find out if you need a visa, ask your airline or, to be absolutely sure, call the nearest Brazilian consulate or embassy, or check their websites.

 

Visas are issued by embassies and consulates of the countries that require them. In the U.S., for a Brazilian visa you need to go to the Consulate General of Brazil that serves the state in which you live. You can go to the website of the Brazilian Embassy in Washington at http://www.brasilemb.org for general information about visa requirements and links to their consulates in the U.S. There are also websites for Brazilian embassies and consulates in other countries, which you should be able to locate using Google, Yahoo or another search engine.

 

To get a Brazilian visa in the U.S., you'll need a passport with at least six months validity, a filled out application form (downloadable from the embassy/consulate sites), two passport photos, and a copy of your airline ticket or itinerary (printed out by the airline/travel agency). If you're a U.S. citizen you'll also need a cashier's check or money order for US$100 made out to "Consulate General of Brazil." (This is the same fee the U.S. charges Brazilians, and others, for tourist visas. Reciprocity in action!)

 

If there's no consulate in the city you live in, check the embassy/consulate website for information about applying by mail. You can also use a visa service. You can locate one through your travel agent. The visa services charge an extra fee, sometimes as much as $75 or more, to get the visa for you.