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Obtaining a visa for Brazil?


Phillygirl3
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I am cruising Rio to Barcelona and was told by my travel agent that he can take care of getting the visas for my husband and I. I'm not sure how that works as we usually have had to mail away our passports to the embassy or a visa service. Has anyone had any experience with obtaining a visa for travel to Brazil. Many thanks for any input regarding this matter.

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Am going in Feb...and my research indicated that it would be easier to just go to the Brazilian embassy (in our case, in Los Angeles), fill out the paperwork, leave our passports, and then pick them up several days later. Apparently one also needs paperwork proving booked airfare. Haven’t done it yet, I think this thread will be quite helpful!

 

 

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If your TA offers to handle your visa, they are likely going to use an agency (unless they are a TA as well as an agency that processes visas). Somehow your passport will have to get into the hands of the agency that will attach the visa to your passport (unless things have changed in the past two years). I've had a visa for Brazil twice and used an agency both times. We don't use Regent simply because the cost is too high and it is easier to use a well known agency.

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We were looking into getting visas for Russia for last month (finally decided to just use the 72-hour blanket visa instead) and our TA also offered to handle everything for us. He was going to use an agency as well - not sure which one.

 

I hate the idea of not being in possession of my passport (control issues, perhaps?) but I know it's a necessary evil for a lot of visas. Not having any embassies nearby, I'd just let my TA handle it if it were me.

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We used Regent to obtain Brazilian Visas 7 years ago. You have to fill out copious amounts of paper work. We mailed our passports, photos & paper work to our TA. She checked it then forwarded everything to the proper agency. We received our passports with attached Visas in 2-3 weeks.

My sister also got her Visa by visiting the embassy in Los Angeles. They were very strict reguarding appointments. It was cheaper but not worth our time of driving to LA from Santa Barbara.

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Not sure where you live, but in Canada we need to hand deliver or mail our Visa application to the closest Brazilian Consulate. The application requires an application form completed online, your passport, a passport photo (hard copy and digital), a digital signature, $120 CDN money order pp, and a paid return mailing envelope if you want your passport mailed back rather than picking it up yourself. There are minimum standards for the digital items.

 

There is a lot you will need to provide but the website for the Consulate gives step by step instructions that we found simple to follow . Since I t is easy to do on your own I don't see the value of paying an agent to do it for you.

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Am going in Feb...and my research indicated that it would be easier to just go to the Brazilian embassy (in our case, in Los Angeles), fill out the paperwork, leave our passports, and then pick them up several days later. Apparently one also needs paperwork proving booked airfare. Haven’t done it yet, I think this thread will be quite helpful!

 

 

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BarbarianPaul, you might want to join the roll call for the Feb Rio to Barcelona cruise. If you do, you can sign up for the Meet and Mingle (MM) where CC members have a chance to get to know each other. We need 3 more to sign up in order for Regent to host a MM (which sounds like a nice event although as this will be our 1st cruise on Regent so I don't speak from experience).

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In the NYC area the Brazilian Consulate is well known for being extremely unpleasant in processing visas. You deliver your paperwork and passport during limited hours, leaving them there and must return one or more days later during set hours to retrieve them. They 'stirred' my courage to use an expediter/agency, sending off papers and passport via Fed Ex or registered mail. It worked efficiently and proved well worth the cost.

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BarbarianPaul, you might want to join the roll call for the Feb Rio to Barcelona cruise. If you do, you can sign up for the Meet and Mingle (MM) where CC members have a chance to get to know each other. We need 3 more to sign up in order for Regent to host a MM (which sounds like a nice event although as this will be our 1st cruise on Regent so I don't speak from experience).

 

 

 

Carnivale-

 

Of course I’d be happy to, but the cruise to which I’m referring is 34 days and includes Antarctica on Holland America. Have never cruised the line, and having been spoiled by Regent and Viking it’s going to be a bit of an adjustment, but in this case the itinerary was just too good to pass up.

 

 

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In the NYC area the Brazilian Consulate is well known for being extremely unpleasant in processing visas. You deliver your paperwork and passport during limited hours, leaving them there and must return one or more days later during set hours to retrieve them. They 'stirred' my courage to use an expediter/agency, sending off papers and passport via Fed Ex or registered mail. It worked efficiently and proved well worth the cost.

 

Paula, my sister said the same thing about Los Angeles.

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One reason for using a service is that they check your work -- if you have made an error, they assist you in fixing it. If you drop your application off at a Consulate, they are not likely to help you and are quick to just reject the application if you make a mistake.

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One reason for using a service is that they check your work -- if you have made an error, they assist you in fixing it. If you drop your application off at a Consulate, they are not likely to help you and are quick to just reject the application if you make a mistake.

 

 

 

Hmm. That’s probably a good reason to just use a service. Does anyone know how long the window to enter Brazil is after obtaining the visa? Though our cruise departs 1/28, we don’t get to Brazil until mid Feb.

 

 

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Hmm. That’s probably a good reason to just use a service. Does anyone know how long the window to enter Brazil is after obtaining the visa? Though our cruise departs 1/28, we don’t get to Brazil until mid Feb.

 

 

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The Brazilian visa for US citizens is good for entries for 10 years from date of issue.

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My travel agent said that you can apply for a visa 90-120 days before the cruise but that he is waiting to hear from Regent and then he will take care of it. Not sure what that means but I will have to stay on top of this. Thanks to all who have provided feedback to my original question.

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My travel agent said that you can apply for a visa 90-120 days before the cruise but that he is waiting to hear from Regent and then he will take care of it. Not sure what that means but I will have to stay on top of this. Thanks to all who have provided feedback to my original question.

 

The Houston Brazilian consulate is the best, completed the form on line, made an appointment, made sure to check and double check everything. Made and appointment and in and out of the consulate in 20 minutes with a visa in our passport. Really easy.

 

As to how long before you enter Brazil, used to be a rule but, no longer. We got our Visa in November and didn't enter Brazil until April and no issues. Unfortunately you can't choose the consulate you use, has to be the consulate responsible for your state. Help is nice to have but, any reasonably intelligent person will have no problem completing the form and following the instructions.

 

And, each consulate has their own rules, processes, and requirements so while nice that a person provided a link to the San Francisco consulate. Don't, I repeat, don't rely on that link if where you live isn't covered by San Francisco. Again, each consulate is different and you have to follow the rules, etc. of the consulate that is responsible for where you live.

 

Also, don't forget, there are often work slow downs by the people in the consulates that can delay things so as the visa is valid for 10 years, apply early to be sure you have the visa before leaving home.

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The Houston Brazilian consulate is the best, completed the form on line, made an appointment, made sure to check and double check everything. Made and appointment and in and out of the consulate in 20 minutes with a visa in our passport. Really easy.

 

As to how long before you enter Brazil, used to be a rule but, no longer. We got our Visa in November and didn't enter Brazil until April and no issues. Unfortunately you can't choose the consulate you use, has to be the consulate responsible for your state. Help is nice to have but, any reasonably intelligent person will have no problem completing the form and following the instructions.

 

And, each consulate has their own rules, processes, and requirements so while nice that a person provided a link to the San Francisco consulate. Don't, I repeat, don't rely on that link if where you live isn't covered by San Francisco. Again, each consulate is different and you have to follow the rules, etc. of the consulate that is responsible for where you live.

 

Also, don't forget, there are often work slow downs by the people in the consulates that can delay things so as the visa is valid for 10 years, apply early to be sure you have the visa before leaving home.

 

Agree that one should not rely on a link in San Francisco but neither should they rely on the good service in Texas. These are guidelines and are available for any city where there is a Consulate for Brazil. The TS lives in Philadelphia and another poster lives in L.A. There is a Consulate in both Philadelphia and Los Angeles. The fact remains that a visa service assists their customers in obtaining a visa in an expedient way while Consulates generally do not.

 

FYI, MOST of the information on the San Francisco Q & A link does apply to everyone that wants to apply for a visa for Brazil and is not specific to San Francisco.

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Agree that one should not rely on a link in San Francisco but neither should they rely on the good service in Texas. These are guidelines and are available for any city where there is a Consulate for Brazil. The TS lives in Philadelphia and another poster lives in L.A. There is a Consulate in both Philadelphia and Los Angeles. The fact remains that a visa service assists their customers in obtaining a visa in an expedient way while Consulates generally do not.

 

FYI, MOST of the information on the San Francisco Q & A link does apply to everyone that wants to apply for a visa for Brazil and is not specific to San Francisco.

 

 

 

I see no reason to pay a for-profit company to put my visa application in the mail for me. (I also don’t pay the store-front income tax services to do my math for me.) Go online, find the consulate that serves your State, download the forms, follow the instructions. No big deal, likely a two week turnaround, no issue if you are planning ahead. In my own case, the consulate in Chicago was responsive, helpful, and I had zero issues.

 

 

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A word to the wise for everyone. Only read the instructions for your particular consulate. There are enough differences between the different consulates that you don't want to be confused reading a different consulate which might cause you to have to start anew. Without reading the directions for each and every of the consulates, no way for anyone to know how close the directions are or aren't. For sure some consulates require detailed financial information from the person applying while others don't among other differences..

 

Each consulate has their own specific instructions that you need to follow in detail so reading another consulate's instructions can only confuse you and cause you to miss a difference. GottaKnowWhen is absolutely correct in that you really don't need to use a for profit company which can come close to doubling an already high cost for your visa.

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I see no reason to pay a for-profit company to put my visa application in the mail for me. (I also don’t pay the store-front income tax services to do my math for me.) Go online, find the consulate that serves your State, download the forms, follow the instructions. No big deal, likely a two week turnaround, no issue if you are planning ahead. In my own case, the consulate in Chicago was responsive, helpful, and I had zero issues.

 

 

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Obviously advice on CC is not applicable to everyone. Some people pay Regent to obtain their visa, others use a service and others do it themselves. It is all good.

 

Rallydave, I have no doubt that posters understand that they they need to consult their 'local' Consulate IF they want to do the process themselves. We (you included) are simply giving our experiences.:cool:

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Here is my take on getting a visa for Brazil and this is based on having to get it on three different occasions and seeing what others have and for that matter are going through as I have a friend who just got her visa a couple of weeks ago.

 

It is a "crap shoot". The time frames for getting them change often. Sometime with a visa service you can get them in days/one or two weeks. However, and I am not exaggerating, I have seen it take a few months and people very stressed out. Sometimes for whatever reason some of the consulates (where it gets submitted is based on where you live) just slow it all down particularly with visa services while others do not. Sometimes one does a good job but six months later they are slow and the other problem one is now better.

 

In person is great if you live near a consulate. Yes, some are easier to deal with then others. Again, sometimes it varies.

 

If I lived in the same city as a consulate or very close (within an hour or two) I would go there myself. Otherwise I would use a visa service but not just any visa service. I would want recommendations and I would also call them to find out what their recent experience has been. Now I do not like my passport out of my hands and given the problems that occur getting a Brazilian Visa I will pay to have it expedited.

 

Again, their performance changes all the time. When I got my second one in 2006 it took several weeks with a lot of stress. In 2012 when I got my most recent one (thank goodness it is now good for 10 years with no entry requirement of 90 days or it is invalid as it used to be) my turn around time using a service was a week. I know people who used the same service about six months later and it was taking months and not at all a good situation.

 

So this is why I think you will get mixed messages on this one because each experience can be very different from each other when it comes to getting a visa for Brazil.

 

Keith

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I needed a babkmststement and a notary to sign the copy of my license . Some states do. It ask that. This is mybe 3D Visa for Brazil. Done many outhers and I find this one hard. China and Au are easier.Ripussia I use a private tour company and I go from there.

 

 

In 2019 I need five Visas for a WC plus one for China. Busy year for my passport

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I needed a babkmststement and a notary to sign the copy of my license . Some states do. It ask that. This is mybe 3D Visa for Brazil. Done many outhers and I find this one hard. China and Au are easier.Ripussia I use a private tour company and I go from there.

 

 

In 2019 I need five Visas for a WC plus one for China. Busy year for my passport

 

Robin surprised that you need five visas for the WC. I know the ETA for Australia and also Mozambique if you decide to get off the ship, but was curious what the other ones were.

 

Keith

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Robin surprised that you need five visas for the WC. I know the ETA for Australia and also Mozambique if you decide to get off the ship, but was curious what the other ones were.

 

Keith

This is WC 2019 with it came an email.from agent and she listed five.i honestly do not have the list. Maybe somewhere in Africa. Au is so easy. My agent doesn't the form and I get it fast.

 

The Brazil one makes me nervous because I have always done my own until, 2016 when she took over. I would pay to have it come faster. I leave in Nov for Fl so I really want it soon.she rhinos it could take a month. Plus it is going to her office which is so wrong. It should come to me. Now she has to,ups it to me. The last time I got a new passport I called to,follow up on it. Just makes me nervous

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This is WC 2019 with it came an email.from agent and she listed five.i honestly do not have the list. Maybe somewhere in Africa. Au is so easy. My agent doesn't the form and I get it fast.

 

The Brazil one makes me nervous because I have always done my own until, 2016 when she took over. I would pay to have it come faster. I leave in Nov for Fl so I really want it soon.she rhinos it could take a month. Plus it is going to her office which is so wrong. It should come to me. Now she has to,ups it to me. The last time I got a new passport I called to,follow up on it. Just makes me nervous

 

Yes, the Brazil one is really unpredictable as I posted early.

 

 

Totally inconsistent.

 

Good luck with this.

 

Keith

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