Brazilian Visa?

I have just learned that we will need to get a Brazilian Visa for our 2 day visit to Rio after the cruise. Does anyone have any suggestions for this process? Is there a company you've used that you'd recommend? (We live in Colorado--under the jurisdiction of the Houston location.)

Thanks.

I have just learned that we will need to get a Brazilian Visa for our 2 day visit to Rio after the cruise. Does anyone have any suggestions for this process? Is there a company you've used that you'd recommend? (We live in Colorado--under the jurisdiction of the Houston location.)

 

Thanks.

Keep this (from the Houston consulate's site) in mind:

"Agencies may require additional time to process visa applications depending on how many they have backed out.

No rush services are offered. Hence no expediting fees are charged by this Consulate."

Regular processing time at this consulate is stated to be 4 business days.

Even if you decide to use a service, read the consulate site carefully:

http://houston.itamaraty.gov.br/en-us/applying_for_a_visa.xml

My wife and I just got our Brazilian VISA... We did the on line application which is now required and then took all required pictures, statement of what we will be doing and proof of funds while we will be there to the Brazilian consulate with the required USPS money order each for US $ 160. It took about 4 weeks to get our passport back with VISA by mail. They say you have it back in 3 weeks if you opt to pick the completed VISA at the consulate. ( we opted for the postage option) It is good for 10 years unlimited entry's. Consulate personnel spoke very good English and were very courteous. Rio is a beautiful city and well worth the wait. You will love it.

My wife and I just got our Brazilian VISA... We did the on line application which is now required and then took all required pictures, statement of what we will be doing and proof of funds while we will be there to the Brazilian consulate with the required USPS money order each for US $ 160. It took about 4 weeks to get our passport back with VISA by mail. They say you have it back in 3 weeks if you opt to pick the completed VISA at the consulate. ( we opted for the postage option) It is good for 10 years unlimited entry's. Consulate personnel spoke very good English and were very courteous. Rio is a beautiful city and well worth the wait. You will love it.

Anyone reading this in future should realize that these comments apply ONLY to the individual consulate in whose jurisdiction the poster resides, presumed (from poster's personal info posted) to be the Miami Brazilian Consulate. Requirements and procedures at other Brazilian Consulates vary.

Yes they certainly do vary. We are in Colorado, so we're assigned to Houston. Either we must hire an agency or we must go to Houston IN PERSON to get the Visa! I've spent a good part of today getting all of the required documentation together, then off it will go to a 3rd party agency. What a pain... Hope it's worth it!

Thanks for the replies.

It definitely does depend on where you live. We are in Connecticut and received our visa for our QM2 cruise in January within two week. We did it through the consulate in Hartford, which services Connecticut and Rhode Island. It seems that these two states have a large number of immigrants from Brazil. and/or Brazilian nationals The consulate certainly did check all of our submitted information, including proof of residency and financials (pertinent sections were highlighted when we received the copies back), but we were able to do all of this by mail using a USPost Office money order for the fee. Others on our cruise who do not live close to a consulate have used Visa Central with good experiences.

Thanks everyone. I've fed-exed our paperwork and passports off to a company called ABriggs. Crossing fingers all goes well.

For anyone else who may be reading this thread, the consulate in Washington, DC (serving District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky and North Carolina) was pretty efficient. You do have to appear in person or have someone appear for you--hence the need to use a Visa service if you are not close by. We live in a suburb so no problem for us. We arrived later than planned so had 14 people in front of us. We probably waited around an hour for our turn but once we got to the front of the line, it took very little time. The critical thing is to make sure you have everything, though there is a computer with printer on site and a post office and ATM nearby if not.

We went in on a Thursday and received our passports back the following Friday in the mail--8 days total--this was about 3 weeks ago.

We understand the most overwhelmed consulate is SF. We were told it will take as long as 7 weeks to get passports with visas back. We used a service as the new procedures (everything scanned in one PDF) was a little beyond our technical capabilities. Took some time to figure out how to go thru all the steps. But fingers crossed they will get to us before Dec 3

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We are in the process right now and are using a service. Still difficult to make sure everything is correct before sending it in tomorrow. We were away from Texas all summer so had to wait until we were back in Texas to have drivers's licenses notarized in our home state. Do hope we have all in order when we ship passports off tomorrow! Expensive but we can't take two days to drive to Houston consulate.

We got our visas today. Took less than a month using rushmyvisa.com. Worth the extra money to not take two trips to SF, over an hour away. They said 7 weeks so, "way to manage expectations!" So relieved. It is discomfiting to actually send the actual passports.

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Our departure is just less that three weeks away. When I went online to check my order status with the visa service which has had my order for three weeks it didn't even show that the documents had been submitted to the consulate. When I sent an email to the service they responded with a reply that my "return by" date is Nov. 10--our flight leaves on Nov. 8! I had requested a return date of Nov. 1 and all the included travel docs showed our travel dates. Hopefully this will be ironed out promptly. If not, you will certainly see a post naming this service which was recommended by our TA.

We are in the process right now and are using a service. Still difficult to make sure everything is correct before sending it in tomorrow. We were away from Texas all summer so had to wait until we were back in Texas to have drivers's licenses notarized in our home state. Do hope we have all in order when we ship passports off tomorrow! Expensive but we can't take two days to drive to Houston consulate.

The Houston consulate's website states:

"If the visa application will not be submitted in person:

E) Proof of jurisdiction: notarized copy of one of the following: driver’s license, utility bills, copy of lease, bank statements and in some cases school transcripts are all acceptable documents as proof of jurisdiction."

I see no Brazilian requirement for notarizing within the state.

Did someone where you spent the summer refuse to notarize your Texas license? Or did you just make an assumption?

I would have thought any notary in the US would notarize a driver's license, esp. if you had shown other ID to the notary, or a lease, monthly mortgage bill, utility bill, bank statement. Were you not able to arrange to receive mail, or to have it forwarded by a friend or family member? It is even possible to get such documents notarized at the US Embassy/consulate if abroad.

I do hope you get your visa in time to go on the cruise. And that you have the opportunity to enjoy Brazil.

 

I see no Brazilian requirement for notarizing within the state.

Did someone where you spent the summer refuse to notarize your Texas license? Or did you just make an assumption?

I would have thought any notary in the US would notarize a driver's license, esp. if you had shown other ID to the notary, or a lease, monthly mortgage bill, utility bill, bank statement.

I do hope you get your visa in time to go on the cruise. And that you have the opportunity to enjoy Brazil.

This from the Brazilian Embassy website and since we live in the Houston jurisdiction it applies to us:

Applicants living in Connecticut and Rhode Island, or Houston or Atlanta jurisdictions: The driver’s license copy must be notarized in the state where it is issued, the notary seal must be on the same page as the image.

A very expensive trip is on the line and I'm feeling nervous and annoyed. Accomplished my Argentina reciprocity fee in 20 minutes online just has I did with Australian visa earlier this year. Hope Brazil really wants us!

This from the Brazilian Embassy website and since we live in the Houston jurisdiction it applies to us:

 

Applicants living in Connecticut and Rhode Island, or Houston or Atlanta jurisdictions: The driver’s license copy must be notarized in the state where it is issued, the notary seal must be on the same page as the image.

 

A very expensive trip is on the line and I'm feeling nervous and annoyed. Accomplished my Argentina reciprocity fee in 20 minutes online just has I did with Australian visa earlier this year. Hope Brazil really wants us!

Wow. I would NEVER have thought to read the embassy site, just the one for my own jurisdiction (and I have been getting Brazilian visas for decades).

Very good information to know. I wonder if the staff at those local consulates is aware of requirements not posted on their own specific site?

What about using any other documents that would be proof of residing in their jurisdiction? Drivers license is only one choice.

I can understand that you are nervous as the time gets shorter. I do hope everything works out for you. I have no doubt you will enjoy your visit to this fascinating country with a unique culture and rich history. You will be welcomed with open hearts there.

I would ask you please to understand that proud Brazilians would love nothing more than to have a policy of no visas between the two countries. However, having accompanied the application process of a number of Brazilians for a US visa, to come to Miami to shop, or for study, or to visit a relative legally in the US, I can say that the process they endure is significantly more rigorous, complex, invasive, and expensive, with no positive result guaranteed for the effort and expense, and as proud citizens, they do not brook any perceived-insulting and denigrating rationale of presence in one country being of more value than the other. Let's hope the "visa era" for both countries' citizens ends soon.

And let's hope you get to experience what they are so proud of. Wishing for the successful and timely arrival of your visa.

We are trying to complete all the info for our Brazil visa applications.

These will go specifically to the Miami consulate for our region.

Two questions I am confused about and would appreciate any help

From those who have successfully gone this route:

Does Miami require the photocopies of driver's license and 3 month credit card

Statements to be notarized?

Will we need to send aling our proof of yellow fever vaccination with the application or just have it with us when we enter the country? (Our ship will

stop earlier in Peru and Ecuador.)

Thank you!

Re: yellow fever, from the Miami website

The first paragraph is about protecting yourself. The second, about protecting others.

"Yellow fever vaccines are not required but yet recommended when travelers intend to visit the following States in Brazil: Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Distrito Federal, Goiás, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Pará, Rondônia and Tocantins.

Although Yellow Fever vaccines are not required for visa application at the Consulate General of Brazil in Miami, Brazil may require an international certificate of vaccination against Yellow Fever upon entry for tourists from some countries: Angola, Benin, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Colombia, Ecuador, Gabon, Gambia, Gana, Guinea Bissau, Guyana, Liberia, Nigeria, Peru, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Sudan and Venezuela. Please note that vaccination requirements may change without prior notice. For futher information, please access the Brazilian Health Surveillance Agency's website: http://portal.anvisa.gov.br/wps/portal/anvisa-ingles."

As for proof of living in the jurisdiction, the site says the following (no req. for notarizing):

"Jurisdiction

The Consulate General of Brazil in Miami requires that, when applying through a third party (friends, family members, employees or agencies), applicants present proof of residence (a copy of driver's license or a utility bill, for example).

The Consulate's jurisdiction is Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

If you reside out of this jurisdiction and are applying through a third party (friends, family members, employees or agencies), please refer to the list of Brazilian consulates in the USA to find the Consular office assigned to your area."

And under:

"REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

Proof of income of the last 90 days (bank statements and/or international credit card statements showing the available credit line or paystubs) compatible with the status of an international tourist. If you cannot provide any of these listed documents, you may have a sponsor who must provide such documents AND an affidavit of support letter assuming full responsibility for your trip, accompanied by a copy of the sponsor's ID. Parents, even if Brazilians, must provide their financial documents to support an application for their children.

Those applying by a third party must present proof of residence within the jurisdiction of this Consulate (Florida, Puerto Rico or U.S. Virgin Islands): copy of Driver’s License or any recent utility bill – issued within the past 90 days)."

One wonders who sets these various regional rules. We'll be running the gauntlet after my renewed passport arrives from Philly.

One wonders who sets these various regional rules. We'll be running the gauntlet after my renewed passport arrives from Philly.

Whereas at the US Consulate in Rio, one wonders which agent got up on the wrong side of the bed, or has a headache, or had a fight with his wife, because requirements for Brazilians seem to vary from window to window.

The gauntlet there includes appearing in person at substantial cost from however many thousands of miles away one lives and providing complete financials for many years past, among other requirements. Then, even if you are the successful physician son of legal US resident, someone who has visited Mom and returned home several times, you can still travel a long way to pay your money and get refused a new visa, with no explanation owed.

The only thing you can control is your attitude toward the process. I've had a worse time getting a new drivers license at the DMV than a visa several times at my local Br. Consulate. If you want to consider it a gauntlet, that's your choice. In that case, you might find any other parts of the Brazilian bureaucracy, for citizens or visitors, that you might encounter to be even more frustrating.

(Please, no xenophobic judgements from the peanut gallery about the value of being illegal in one country as more desirable than in another.)

My visa nightmare has ended with visas in hand to leave in one week. The problem was not with the Consulate but with the service we used since we live too far away to apply in person. Tack on $100+ pp to the regular fee and more if you need a rush. Also found a "passport replacement fee" of $30 pp tacked on at the end. When I called to question it they removed it, saying it's a "insurance" for your passport and unless you tick an obscure box you'll be charged. Bottom line--do it in person if at all possible. At least now I can sleep at night with passports/visa back.

For others who may be looking at this thread, someone on our roll call booked our cruise then ended up canceling within the 72 hour window since it was impossible to get a Visa in less than 2 months--San Francisco. On the other hand, it took us 8 days to gets ours in DC. So, whether or not you can get a Visa within a reasonable amount of time is totally dependent on where you live. Unfortunately, you have to apply at the consulate which services the area in which you live.

For others who may be looking at this thread, someone on our roll call booked our cruise then ended up canceling within the 72 hour window since it was impossible to get a Visa in less than 2 months--San Francisco. On the other hand, it took us 8 days to gets ours in DC. So, whether or not you can get a Visa within a reasonable amount of time is totally dependent on where you live. Unfortunately, you have to apply at the consulate which services the area in which you live.

And be aware that each consulate has slightly different requirements, so read that consulate's site thoroughly.

The San Francisco Brazilian Consulate states that processing time is "at least 5 business days".

The number of people applying for visas at any Br. Consulate tends to surge before Carnaval and other big celebrations like a Reveillon.

They told is it would take 7 weeks in SF but took a tad over 4 (using a visa service). It would have been terrible to miss the cruise for want of a visa!

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I just had recent experience with the San Francisco consulate for our Brazil visas. I used Visa Central and sent our docs to them on August 10, got notice that our appointment was scheduled for October 22, received our passports back on October 30. Other than the long wait the service was great. If I hadn't read up on the rules before hand I might have missed the boat (literally). San Francisco seems to have the longest wait time of all the consulates. It pays to plan ahead.

For others who may be looking at this thread, someone on our roll call booked our cruise then ended up canceling within the 72 hour window since it was impossible to get a Visa in less than 2 months--San Francisco. On the other hand, it took us 8 days to gets ours in DC. So, whether or not you can get a Visa within a reasonable amount of time is totally dependent on where you live. Unfortunately, you have to apply at the consulate which services the area in which you live.

Where you live, and time of year you process it and whether or not you drop it off in person, mail it yourself or even use a service and some luck.

We got our last one in 30 days and I know others who used the same service and it took four months.

Keith