Brazil Travel Information
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Traveling To Brazil
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Passport and visa requirements
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A valid passport and a 90-day tourist visa for certain citizenships are required to enter Brazil. Customs regulations mimic those of the entering traveler's citizenship. At present, a tourist visa is required for American and Canadian citizens but not those of most European countries. The passport must be valid for more than six months after your date of arrival in Brazil, and the visa must be obtained from a Brazilian consulate before departure. It is the passenger's responsibility to check with local immigration offices or the Brazilian consulate prior to departure for current entrance requirements. For more information see www.passportexpress.com or www.brazilemb.org.
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Immunizations
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A Yellow Fever vaccination is required if you are entering from or have travelediduring the preceding ninety days in certain countries (including Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela) and recommended for travelers who are visiting the sixteen states of Brazil and Iguazu Falls where outbreaks of the disease have occurred. Travelers must be vaccinated ten days prior to travel to Brazil.
The following vaccinations are also recommended when visiting certain areas of Brazil:
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Hepatitis A
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Hepatitis B
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Typhoid
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A prescription anti-malarial medication is recommended when traveling in certain areas.
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Rabies, depending on the itinerary
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The Centers for Disease Control provides immunization information for travel in Latin America. www.cdc.gov
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Customs
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Entry
During the flight to your first Brazil destination, a flight attendant distributes a Brazil entrance form to all passengers. At Customs, travelers are asked to show the completed form along with their passport/visa, and are asked how many days they plan to be in Brazil. Normally, the passport will be stamped indicating a permissible stay of 90 days and a copy of the Customs form will be returned to the traveler.
Exit
The Customs document must be presented when exiting Brazil. Passengers departing Brazil on an international flight are charged a departure tax of $36US (payable in reales or US dollars). A domestic airport departure tax of $7US per person is charged.
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Exchanging currency
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The Real is the official currency of Brazil. Current exchange rate information is available on our website under "Traveler Information." Major credit cards are widely accepted at hotels and restaurants in major cities and in some smaller towns throughout Brazil. Traveller’s Checks, for exchange purposes, are accepted only at a few locations, even in major cities, and not worth the hassle. ATM machines, with instructions in English, are widely available in all major cities and large towns though not 24-hours a day. Nonetheless, ATM machines are the most convenient and economical way to obtain reales without having to carry around excess cash.
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On trips of two weeks or less, we recommend carrying only US cash in $20US denominations to exchange as needed. Hotels exchange money, and most offer safe-keeping for valuables. As in other Latin American countries, getting change from large-denomination bills is always problematic. Before departure, we send booked passengers a packet of trip information that contains operating hours for money exchange offices (Casas de Cambio) and more money tips.
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Using electricity
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Since you may find either 110-volt or 220-volt current where you travel in Brazil, it is wise to pack a voltage transformer along with adapters for European two-prong plugs. For video cameras, we suggest packing an extra set of charged batteries.
