Brazil Visa

[seagoingJLW]

We are considering taing a cruise from Santiago, Chile to Rio in December of 2005. Since we disembark in Rio and need to get to the plane,do we need a Brazilian visa?

 

It is very expensive just for a transit.

 

Joan

[greatam]

If you are American, the following applies.

 

Yes, you will need the visa. Good for the life of your passport-10 years. And maybe a Yellow Fever shot, although I don't think so if you are only going from the ship to the airport in Rio. Check with the CDC. We got one as we had been to Peru and Brazil, but no one has ever asked to see the card. Of course, if I didn't have it, they would ask and then we would be in trouble. And be prepared to be photographed and fingerprinted, although I am not sure how that is applicable on a cruise. I know if you arrive in Brazil via air, they take your picture and fingerprint.

 

Around South America is a GREAT cruise, one not to be missed. Be prepared, though. Even though it is summer in South America, you will be going to places where the temps don't reach much above 55. And it is very windy in Ushuaia and Puerto Montt. We felt very sorry for the Europeans on our cruise. They were truly unprepared, with light jackets, no gloves, and no hats. They were miserable. It snowed on us going around Cape Horn in Feb. 2002. Not much, but you knew you weren't in Florida. Enjoy!!

[kitty9]

I just did a cruise that included Brazil and you most definitely do need a Brazilian visa even if you're only in transit. I don't understand the comment about the visa being good for the life of your passport because mine, and my 6 other traveling companions on the cruise, was only good for 6 months.

 

Unless you're going to be visiting a yellow fever area, you won't need a vaccination. We all needed one because we had also cruised in Africa, and it is a Brazilian requirement to have the vaccination if you've visited an area that is known to have yellow fever. Since you're only going from Chile to Rio, and you're probably not going to be in an infected area, you won't need the vaccination.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Passports are good for 10 years.

But those Brazilian visas - as well as other countries - are only good for 6 months.

[StephenJohnson]

Chilean toursit visas are good for th elife of the passport, I can't speak about Brazilian ones - we finished in Argentina.

 

Have fun, and go to Iguazu falls, if you can.

[RandyD]

In Dec 2001, plans to go to Europe with family for Christmas fell through last minute (they bought bigger houses), and having 3 weeks approved for leave we came across an extremely inexpensive cruise (last minute one-way airfare cost more than twice what the cruise did, remember it was 2001 when travel was being avoided) 3 week cruise from Chile to Rio (although we had never been on a cruise - previous attempt was cancelled by bankruptcy on the part of the cruise line). Anyway we booked this only 10 days out and fortunately we live about 1 1/2 hours from Washington, DC so I made two trips to the Brazilian Consulate (Embassy does not do that stuff - different building on same property) to get our visas, which HAL said were essential in letting us on the ship.

 

Whereas there was a family from Puerto Rico that had 4 cabins across from us that did not have the Brazilian visas in boarding, but had made arrangements to get them during our (2-day) overnight in Buenos Aires. Unfortunately during the first 2 weeks of the cruise Argentina's government crumbled resulting in 6 different Presidents; yet HAL took us there, but because of extensive rioting/killings the night before we docked in Buenos Aires, basically everything was closed down and the group from PR could not get their visas for Brazil. Thus during our next port in Montevideo, Uruguay, (last before Rio) HAL had to force this family off the ship to make their own arrangements back home to PR (reason that they could not get the visas in Montevideo was that it was New Year's Eve and the Brazilian Embassy was understandably closed.

 

Bottom line is that I just got my passport out and the visa attached to the passport, clearly states that it is valid for 5 years. Thus 1 1/2 years later we took our second cruise (Ft. Lauderdale to Orinoco River in Venezuela (once again their President was being forced out) and then on to the Amazon because I checked that our visas were still good. However this time we did have to get the Yellow Fever immunization, which was somewhat pricey for a shot (like $75) and somewhat tedious to arrange as we live in a rather remote and rural county. But since we were transiting from Venezuela, Brazil was requesting a yellow fever vaccination, although it was not so adamant as the visa requirement. (State Dept. and county health department also highly recommended a Hep A vaccination for traveling anywhere outside of the USA, plus I knew I was due for a tetanus, both of which were actualy cheaper through the county, and it was nice to be a pin cushion in one place and at one time.

 

Bottom line is that there might be two kinds of visas such as I have also experienced with China. Some countries offer one time visas for a certain amount, but then if you check further you might find that they offer multiple entry visas for not much more, and since getting a visa is generally such a difficult project, I automatically go for the multiple entry.

 

Thus that might help explain the confusion that I have read on this specialized thread.

 

This summer we visited Russia which was a different version of the visa game, different than when I was previously there in college decades ago.

 

Hopefully this helps.....Randyd

[RandyD]

Joan, you might want to consider spending a couple of days in Rio and environs. We did in order to bring down the expense of our one way fligh home. I was against it, but it made our flight a lot cheaper and we are glad that we stayed. Just be careful, yet food is great and there are incredible vistas. As I recall the cab fares are established by zones or something, and were reasonable. We actually enjoyed our three days in Rio, and watching The Weather Channel in Portuguese is a real challenge. Rd

[1cruise2U]

Just got back from Brazil, Dec 2004, you do need a visa and you have to send the passport and birth certicate with letter of travel to the Brazilian Consulate, if you don't have the Visa they do not let you enter

http://www.brasilemb.org/

 

http://www.brasilemb.org/consulado/consular_vitem2.shtml

 

This is the best site to goto, all your questions will be answered, give yourself enough time because the Visa cost about 180 per person.

[greatam]

I just did a cruise that included Brazil and you most definitely do need a Brazilian visa even if you're only in transit. I don't understand the comment about the visa being good for the life of your passport because mine, and my 6 other traveling companions on the cruise, was only good for 6 months.

 

QUOTE]

 

kitty9,

 

My Brazilian visa, issued Sept. 2001, is good for the life of my passport (which was about 7 years) when the Brazilian visa was issued. Has the same expiration date as my passport. And you can definitely buy a Brazilian visa good for at least 5 years, today. Some confusion reigns becuse on the face of the visa it states "Stay up to 90 days Renewable for 90 days. Maximum-180 days per year". Or maybe the cruise ships get bulk visas for just the cruise. I don't know that as a fact. A lot has changed in South America. I fly to South America, mostly Peru and Chile, at least 4 times per year on business. Brazil is now looking much more closely at American passports to find out if you have been in ANY POSSIBLE yellow fever country. They are now considering some parts of the Mid East as POSSIBLE yellow fever locations. I think this is just for Americans. Tit for Tat or so they feel. Maybe they will figure out not to send us any more terrorists.

 

A business associate was denied entry into Brazil in June, as he had been in Jordan, Iraq, Morocco, Kuwait, and UAE and had no yellow fever certificate. None of those countries are on the Yellow Fever list It was a zoo trying to get a doctor to the airport to get him legal, so we could have our meeting in Sau Paulo

[Jaffa]

This has been an interesting thread!

 

Perhaps you all could help me out with a couple of pointers as well.

 

I depart Australia on Jan21 for a 68 day round the world trip (my first)

 

I am flying to America for 2 weeks and then from Miami to Buenos Aires on American Airlines for 5 days before l join the Silver Wind. I am in fact doing the opposite to what has been suggested above in cruise direction.

 

The cruise goes for 35 nights from BA up the coast docking at numerous ports in Uraguay, Rio (3 nights) across the Atlantic to Africa around the coast and ending up for disembarkation in Port Louis Mauritius.

 

I have just been trying to work out wether my position would be that complicated by going to South America first then to Africa rather than the other way around (re vacinations and Visa's)

 

I have never been to a "yellow fever" country but was wondering wether Africa would require it because l have been to South America?

 

Because l am on the cruise going through rio will l require a visa?

Once l disembark in Mauritius l will be flying to Johanessburg and onto safari for 9 nights. I will only be in South Africa and won't be crossing borders so are there any suggestions on vacinations for this, both nessasary and suggested one's.

 

Maybe someone has done something similar to this and has some extra info they might like to pass on.

You are right though, its the changing through numerous continents that seems to cause the most problems.

 

Thanks in anticipation.

 

Colin......................................

[StephenJohnson]

You won't require yellow fever for Rio or South Africa, but may for the intermediate ports. I believe that you will require a Brazilian visa to disembark in Rio.

 

Have a great cruise!