Brazilian visa requirements

[Keith1010]

We elected to use a visa service rather than go to Miami. I called Zierer but they would not allow us to submit the application until 90 days prior to our cruise. That was not acceptable because we were traveling in November and needed our passports. My TA recommended ProVisa inc. in New York and they were very responsive. They were issued in September (our cruise is January) and are good for 10 years, up to 90 days each visit and 180 days per year.

 

Cost was $140 + 20+ 49 each. One shipping fee of $20 to overnight both of them back to us.

Website is Provisainc.com We had them 7 days after we sent our passports, pictures and forms

 

After paying so much for the visas I know we will go back to Brazil. There's an Amazon river cruise in my future.

 

Too bad the service is doing this. Used to be that the Visas had to be used within 90 days of issuance meaning within 90 days of issuance that you had to enter Brazil and if not no matter what length of time they were good to (used to be up to 5 years for a tourist visa) they became invalid but the 3 month rule changed about a year or so ago.

 

Glad you found another service to use instead.

 

Keith

[Bowie MeMe]

We elected to use a visa service rather than go to Miami. I called Zierer but they would not allow us to submit the application until 90 days prior to our cruise. That was not acceptable because we were traveling in November and needed our passports. My TA recommended ProVisa inc. in New York and they were very responsive. They were issued in September (our cruise is January) and are good for 10 years, up to 90 days each visit and 180 days per year.

 

Cost was $140 + 20+ 49 each. One shipping fee of $20 to overnight both of them back to us.

Website is Provisainc.com We had them 7 days after we sent our passports, pictures and forms

 

After paying so much for the visas I know we will go back to Brazil. There's an Amazon river cruise in my future.

 

The river boat cruise that International Expeditions does is truly a trip of a lifetime. The guides were amazing and such gentlemen. The crew does and amazing job of showing you the Amazon and all of its wonder. We followed this with a trip to Machu Picchu and again spectacular beyond words. The Galapagos Islands with IE was also a great trip and no visa needed for Ecquador.

[scmexico]

We used a service out of Houston called Visa Express. We had a very difficult time with my wife's visa since the name on her passport is different than her drivers License. We did not supply any financial records or utility bills. All in all they were extremely helpful. Especially a woman named Nina. I was concerned that we may need to cancel our cruise without the visa which proved very difficult to get. It did work out in the end.

[Sunsailor]

The river boat cruise that International Expeditions does is truly a trip of a lifetime. The guides were amazing and such gentlemen. The crew does and amazing job of showing you the Amazon and all of its wonder. We followed this with a trip to Machu Picchu and again spectacular beyond words. The Galapagos Islands with IE was also a great trip and no visa needed for Ecquador.

 

You'll have to tell me all about that trip when we meet on the Star. See you soon.

[camnjoss]

We were told all of the same paperwork plus a copy of our drivers' license. The only money mentioned was a postal money order to pay. Are you going direcly to the embassy or via a service.

[tlmoose]

Just went through the process for our Santiago-Rio cruise in Feb. The SF Consulate General didn't require the finiancial info... but all the comments on following the instructions are true. We arrived 5 min before our scheduled "appt" and only had to wait for 8-10 minutes. The lady at the counter went through my package carefully, checking for all the required documentation -- then she barely looked at my husband's because she figured it would be as complete as mine. We got our visas by mail because we did not have time to wait the 5 business days they say is the minimum processing time. (We live more than 2000 miles from the consulate, so it was not something where we could just stop back by to pick them up.) Before we left the counter, she gave us an estimated date they would mail it -- when I checked the USPS site to track the package, it had already arrived!

Bottom line... read and follow the instructions!

[Steamboat Bill]

We applied for our Brazilian visas by mail to the Chicago consulate and received our passports back with visas earlier this week. They did not ask for bank statments nor did we supply anything like that. It seems that each Brazilian consulate has its own website; once you determine which one serves your area, follow the instructions. The online form was extensive and the requirement to use only USPS Express Mail a little annoying, but in the end the process was fairly simple and very fast--about ten days from the time we mailed the visa materials to the consulate until the passports were back in our hands.

 

Bill Worden

Detroit, MI

[YAC]

The sounds very confusing - so if we flew from BA to IGR (Argentina), toured around Iguazu Falls and then fly from IGU (Brazil) to Lima, we would still need a Visa just to fly out of Brazil? If that's the case, then it looks like visiting Iguazu Falls on the Brazilian side is a must if I'm going to pay all that extra money! Any suggestions - such as get the visa before leaving the US or just wait until arriving in Brazil? Rio is not part of our trip:rolleyes:

[CACruzrs]

The sounds very confusing - so if we flew from BA to IGR (Argentina), toured around Iguazu Falls and then fly from IGU (Brazil) to Lima, we would still need a Visa just to fly out of Brazil? If that's the case, then it looks like visiting Iguazu Falls on the Brazilian side is a must if I'm going to pay all that extra money! Any suggestions - such as get the visa before leaving the US or just wait until arriving in Brazil? Rio is not part of our trip:rolleyes:

 

 

As I understand it, you will need your Brazilian visa in your hand BEFORE you will be allowed to board a ship or plane to enter that country. We just got ours processed a few weeks ago. Go to the website for the consulate nearest you and follow the directions EXACTLY under the Tourist Visa tab. The overall process can take up to a month or more.

[Menininha82]

@YAC

According to many posts on various forums, you can probably find a taxi driver to take you across the border, from Argentina to the airport in Brazil, without stopping for border 'formalities'. Whether you are comfortable being in Brazil illegally, and whether you will be fined when leaving from the Brazilian airport (IGU) without presenting the document you are given on official entry, are other considerations.

Instead of wasting time waiting for a Brazilian visa to be processed in Puerto Iguazu (not always without a wait), better to get your visa at home before leaving.

[Fattony]

The sounds very confusing - so if we flew from BA to IGR (Argentina), toured around Iguazu Falls and then fly from IGU (Brazil) to Lima, we would still need a Visa just to fly out of Brazil? If that's the case, then it looks like visiting Iguazu Falls on the Brazilian side is a must if I'm going to pay all that extra money! Any suggestions - such as get the visa before leaving the US or just wait until arriving in Brazil? Rio is not part of our trip:rolleyes:

 

 

You need a visa to ENTER a country, not to EXIT (though there will be immigration officers checking passports at the airport when you exit). Some reports say a brief tour that includes a stop on the Brazlian side 'may not require a visa (ie. the tour stays just inside the park on the border), but once you go through a border crossing, such as you'd need to do in order to get to the Brazilian city of Foz de Iguaçu to fly out, you most definitely would need to get a visa. You may be able to get it on the Argentine side at a Brazilian consulate or in Buenos Aires at the Brazilian embassy, though perhaps with an overnight stay required, but IMHO safer to get it before leaving the U.S. I'm sure other posters can advise on their experiences. You might also search the Lonely Planet guide book's "Thorn Tree" board.

 

Regarding a cruise stopping at Brazilian ports, there is no question: you'd need a Brazilian visa.

 

Brazil does not grant airport visas, hence the statement above that if you don't have a visa when trying to board a flight to Brazil you'd be denied boarding. The airline would tell you that in advance (at least if you asked).

 

May sound strict, but the U.S. requires visas even if just transiting an airport (e.g., flying into JFK from one country and then flying out a few hours later to another country).

[coyboy1971]

Just went through the process for our Santiago-Rio cruise in Feb. The SF Consulate General didn't require the finiancial info... but all the comments on following the instructions are true. We arrived 5 min before our scheduled "appt" and only had to wait for 8-10 minutes. The lady at the counter went through my package carefully, checking for all the required documentation -- then she barely looked at my husband's because she figured it would be as complete as mine. We got our visas by mail because we did not have time to wait the 5 business days they say is the minimum processing time. (We live more than 2000 miles from the consulate, so it was not something where we could just stop back by to pick them up.) Before we left the counter, she gave us an estimated date they would mail it -- when I checked the USPS site to track the package, it had already arrived!

Bottom line... read and follow the instructions!

 

Our experience this week at the SF Consulate was the same. Read the detailed instructions posted on their website and we were in and out. Despite the fact that I had a 10 am appt and my partner had an 11 am appt, the agent met with us back to back and we were finished by 10:15 am.

[mcl529]

I will be on a South America Antarctica Cruise next year and plan to do a side trip to visit both side of the Iquazu Fall. I will be flying in from Buenos Aires to Puerto Iquazu and staying on the Argentina side.

 

 

 

In applying for a Brazil Visa, I will not have a Brazil address and proof of itinerary that I will be visiting Brazil (the cruise is not going to Brazil, airline ticket and hotel is the Argentina side) Will I have problem obtaining a Brazil Visa from the San Francisco Consulate without a Brazil address or itinerary?

 

I don’t want to go through the process, filled out the application, purchased the USPS Money order, went for the appointment and then got rejected.

[Artemis]

mcl529, you shouldn't have a problem if you supply proof of your international air and cruise, plus your flight arrangements to the Argentinian airport and hotel confirmation. I'd probably include a brief statement of intent to go to the Brazilian side of the falls on specific date(s) so they understand why you need the visa.

 

See this excerpt from the San Francisco instructions:

 

4. A copy of the round trip or multi-country travel itinerary or a statement from a travel agency, addressed to the Brazilian Consulate, or an e-ticket confirmation. In all cases, the name of the passenger, the confirmed itinerary, airline/cruise company, flight number/vessel name and dates of arrival in and departure from Brazil must be clearly displayed.

 

 

If you use a visa agent, they should be able to advise, as well.

 

The falls are fabulous. Enjoy your trip!

 

 

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