South America (Brazil, visas, etc.)

I posted this on a Roll Call forum but since that cruise (early 2017) is still a long time away I place it here in hopes that some travelers might have observations to offer. Not looking for controversy, just helpful commentary! Thanks.

I'm seriously considering this cruise (Rio to Santiago) but will likely wait a while to see what might happen with the pricing. And as much as I would like to see Brazil, I dread the thought of the hassle and wasted expense of obtaining a visa. Why would any nation that values tourism place such a burden on its prospective visitors? Especially with the Olympics being held there next year.

I posted this on a Roll Call forum but since that cruise (early 2017) is still a long time away I place it here in hopes that some travelers might have observations to offer. Not looking for controversy, just helpful commentary! Thanks.

 

I'm seriously considering this cruise (Rio to Santiago) but will likely wait a while to see what might happen with the pricing. And as much as I would like to see Brazil, I dread the thought of the hassle and wasted expense of obtaining a visa. Why would any nation that values tourism place such a burden on its prospective visitors? Especially with the Olympics being held there next year.

Not sure what your question is. We went to Rio to catch the ship for a cruise, and we needed a visa. It was a hassle getting it, but that's the way travel works. You deal with the bureaucracy if you want to see the place.

Thanks for the quick reply, shredie, but it's definitely not the way travel normally works, at least among mutually friendly nations. And even if it were, the question would be why? If they just want the revenue, let them be honest and charge a tourist fee. (Same should apply for U.S. treatment of foreign visitors, naturally.)

Not that it is justified, but try coming to the U.S. and Canada from Brazil. For

the U.S. it requires two in present visits, and then a wait. It can take months.

Same for Canada and both with money, pictures, and passport left with them

for a period. The U.S. was for an overnight stop only. Argentina now charges a fee, all these fees are bases on what their citizens have to pay to get in your country. If you want to

go, it is just the price for travel. South America isn't alone in the world.

Asia, most countries, some of African nations.

We did not have a hassle getting our Visa's for our trip to South America two years ago. We live in Atlanta and just went down to the Embassy and got it the same day.

We are planning to go again soon. It is good for 10 years. We pay to go there and they pay to come to the states

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I posted this on a Roll Call forum but since that cruise (early 2017) is still a long time away I place it here in hopes that some travelers might have observations to offer. Not looking for controversy, just helpful commentary! Thanks.

 

I'm seriously considering this cruise (Rio to Santiago) but will likely wait a while to see what might happen with the pricing. And as much as I would like to see Brazil, I dread the thought of the hassle and wasted expense of obtaining a visa. Why would any nation that values tourism place such a burden on its prospective visitors? Especially with the Olympics being held there next year.

I believe the cost of a visa for Brazil is set to equal the amount charged by your home country. If you are from the US, then Brazil just charges what the US charges their citizens. If you object to the amount, write your congressman or President.

I agree it's a bit of a hassle - lots of paperwork to get in order to submit to the Embassy - at least for Canadians.

Cheers.

I believe the cost of a visa for Brazil is set to equal the amount charged by your home country. If you are from the US, then Brazil just charges what the US charges their citizens. If you object to the amount, write your congressman or President.

Based on my research that's how it works although I don't know who first added the fee & who merely responded.

At least in Argentina they don't call it a visa but instead a reciprocity fee because the U.S. charged Argentinians so they charge Americans...tit for tat.

Based on my research that's how it works although I don't know who first added the fee & who merely responded.

 

At least in Argentina they don't call it a visa but instead a reciprocity fee because the U.S. charged Argentinians so they charge Americans...tit for tat.

Exactly. And Brazil and Argentina are not the only two countries that do this.

USA citizens are lucky that many more countries do not have this visa/reciprocity fee as citizens of those countries also have to pay the same high amounts that the citizens of Brazil and Argentina pay for a USA visa.

At one time some of the Brazilian Consulates required that you apply in person for the visa. That would add a lot of cost to an application.

At one time some of the Brazilian Consulates required that you apply in person for the visa. That would add a lot of cost to an application.

Several years ago we consider a SA cruise sailing from Rio & many times they were not processing visas in one day requiring multiple trips to get their Brazilian visa. Thus instead many hired businesses to get the visa which added more to the cost which was nearly $500 for our 2 visas just to go from the airport to the ship in Rio. Instead we waited until the next year when they began sailing from Buenos Aires & could pay our reciprocity fee online which saved us a couple of hundred dollars without having to waste time going to their office.

Exactly. And Brazil and Argentina are not the only two countries that do this.

 

USA citizens are lucky that many more countries do not have this visa/reciprocity fee as citizens of those countries also have to pay the same high amounts that the citizens of Brazil and Argentina pay for a USA visa.

We have been to Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Argentina and Uruguay. Now, only Argentina charges the recipro fee. Chile no longer does.

Of course, Brazil dies as well.

As long as Brazil requires me to go to a consulate to acquire a visa, I will not go to Brazil.

As long as Brazil requires me to go to a consulate to acquire a visa, I will not go to Brazil.

And we came to the same conclusion & wonder if Princess changed their embarkation port to Buenos Aires because of the Brazilian visa situation.

We are going to Rio after a cruise finishing in Buenos Aires. We have submitted the visas online and are hoping to pick them up in Iguassu. We are from Australia but living in Utah for 4 months before the cruise. We would have to fly to Los Angeles to get our visas. Has anyone any experience in doing this?

We are going to Rio after a cruise finishing in Buenos Aires. We have submitted the visas online and are hoping to pick them up in Iguassu. We are from Australia but living in Utah for 4 months before the cruise. We would have to fly to Los Angeles to get our visas. Has anyone any experience in doing this?

You filled out the online form? Do you have a printout to carry with you?

How long do you intend to be in Puerto Iguazu? Are you under the impression that you can arrive at the Brazilian Consulate there and immediately have your passports stamped (same day) with the visa?

(I believe the office only accepts passports until 12 and it takes 24 hours to get them back. They are closed on weekends.)

(I also believe you could have used a visa service to fulfill the "submit in person" requirement of the Los Angeles consulate location.Of course that is extra expense.)

I am of an age as a traveler that I remember having to get a visa for France, so do not find it unusual, and do not let it stop me from going to interesting places I wish to see.

As long as Brazil requires me to go to a consulate to acquire a visa, I will not go to Brazil.

Well, technically the Miami Brazilian Consulate does NOT require YOU to be at the consulate, just that your documents be presented in person by a representative, if not yourself. But perhaps your enjoyment comes from holding tight to those disgruntled feelings, rather than the amazement of seeing Brazil.

... charges the recipro fee. Chile no longer does.

That's why: The US have now included Chile in their ESTA program for countries whose citizen do not need to apply for visas. ESTA is an online registration program, I think it costs around $ 14.- per person.

Being Australian we had to pay the Argentinian reciprocity fee online and carry the printed out paper the old-fashioned way. We had to pay a Chilean reciprocity fee and only us and Mexicans pay. it had to be paid in person at the airport on arrival (after a thirteen hour flight) and we had to queue for over an hour.

For Brazil it was the full visa and the mechanics of getting it were quite confusing so I recommend checking very carefully. Everyone including our travel agent told us the passport needed to be sent to Canberra, the capital, and it could take a couple of weeks. Very inconvenient if you travel frequently.But somehow online I discovered that in Sydney, where we live, there is a little known Brazilian consulate. You make a booking online for the morning, front up and the passport is ready after 2pm. But you have to pay with a money-order, of all things, which are completely out of date here.

We also have to have a yellow-fever certificate for reentry from most of South America, so for the two of us, the visas and vaccinations cost about $A1000 (maybe $US800) But it was definitely worth it!

. Everyone including our travel agent told us the passport needed to be sent to Canberra, the capital, and it could take a couple of weeks. Very inconvenient if you travel frequently.But somehow online I discovered that in Sydney, where we live, there is a little known Brazilian consulate. !

Funny, when I Googled "brazilian consulate australia", it came right up with the consulate in Sydney and one in Melbourne, as well as the embassy in Canberra. They each have a jurisdiction, clearly listed on their site.

We are going to Rio after a cruise finishing in Buenos Aires. We have submitted the visas online and are hoping to pick them up in Iguassu. We are from Australia but living in Utah for 4 months before the cruise. We would have to fly to Los Angeles to get our visas. Has anyone any experience in doing this?

I don't know your time frame of when you applied for the visas and when you will use them, but I just read on-line that they HAVE to be used within 90 days of issuance. You might need to check this out.

I don't know your time frame of when you applied for the visas and when you will use them, but I just read on-line that they HAVE to be used within 90 days of issuance. You might need to check this out.

Respectfully as possible, if you are not well informed (as by reading thoroughly the site of the appropriate Brazilian Consulate), please, please, please, DO NOT CONFUSE the visa issue further by posting out-of-date information. Whatever you may have read on whatever site is quite old. Visa information may change periodically and the correct info needed by you is to be found on the site of the Brazilian Consulate with jurisdiction over your residence. If you are unsure, understand that perpetuating bad info by continuing to mention it online does not clarify anything for anyone and may make potential tourists insecure for naught.

In fact, the requirement for using a new Brazilian visa within 90 days of issue has not been in effect (for US or Aussie passport holders among others) for at least several years now. (The requirement, when it was in effect, was clearly posted on the Consulates' sites.) Current visas' validity start on date of issue.

Respectfully as possible, if you are not well informed (as by reading thoroughly the site of the appropriate Brazilian Consulate), please, please, please, DO NOT CONFUSE the visa issue further by posting out-of-date information. Whatever you may have read on whatever site is quite old. Visa information may change periodically and the correct info needed by you is to be found on the site of the Brazilian Consulate with jurisdiction over your residence. If you are unsure, understand that perpetuating bad info by continuing to mention it online does not clarify anything for anyone and may make potential tourists insecure for naught.

 

In fact, the requirement for using a new Brazilian visa within 90 days of issue has not been in effect (for US or Aussie passport holders among others) for at least several years now. (The requirement, when it was in effect, was clearly posted on the Consulates' sites.) Current visas' validity start on date of issue.

We are doing Rio in Jan 2016. I checked with our local TA who called the service that they use for getting Brazilian Visas and were told we have to wait until 90 days prior to our departure for Brazil, we can not get it any sooner. We had a bit of a problem last time we got a visa for Brazil at that time it was only good for 5 years, so we have to do it all over again. Maybe because we are from Canada is that why the difference of no more then 90 days before?

Allan

The Toronto Brazilian Consulate says:

VISA ENTRIES AND VALIDITY

The Consulate will issue tourist visas with multiple entries. The tourist visa validity is normally of 5 years from first entry in Brazil for Canadian passport holders.

Perhaps this 90 days is a policy of the visa agency. But I'm not sure why you are using one. I believe you can submit by mail.

However the Vancouver Consulate says:

FOR PASSPORT APPLICATION ONLY:

Passports requested by mail will be valid for a maximum of 3 (three) years only.