Miscellaneous Information - Brazil

This section contains information on:

Passport, visa and work permit requirements

Travel to Brazil and getting around once you're there

Language

Portuguese is the official language of Brazil. Except for the languages spoken by Indian tribes living in remote reservations, Portuguese is the only language of daily life. Brazil is the only Portuguese-speaking country in South America.

Country Dialling Code: 55

Visas, residency and work permits

If you are a citizen of one of the countries listed at the bottom of this section, you do NOT need to obtain a visa if you wish to travel to Brazil as a tourist. You will however need a passport valid for at least six months and a return or onward flight ticket. Depending upon where you've arrived from, you may also need an international certificate of vaccination.

All other nationalities must apply for a visa at their nearest Brazilian Consulate.

UK and ROI passport holders do not need a tourist visa to visit Brazil.

Northern Irish passport holders come under the jurisdiction of the UK consulate in London.

Tourist visas

If you only plan staying in Brazil for short periods, a tourist visa will suffice but bear in mind that you are forbidden to work on a Tourist visa and you can stay in the country for up to 90 days. You will also need to produce a return ticket on arrival.

The processing of tourist visas normally takes three working days but in times of heavy workload it can take up to 10 days so make sure you allow plenty of time.

Work visas

You will need to apply for a visa if you wish to work in Brazil either temporarily or permanently. You will also need a visa if you wish to retire/reside permanently in Brazil. You can apply at your nearest Brazilian Consulate.

Residence visas

In order to obtain a permanent residence permit you must to prove that you have funds in excess of US$50,000. Your visa is initially issued on a five-year conditional basis and you must apply to the Federal Police to have your visa re-validated.

If you intend employing Brazilian staff, whether in the home or workplace, the amount of your initial investment figure may be reduced.

If you plan on retiring to Brazil you must be over 50 and receive a monthly pension of over $2,000 per calendar month.

Payment for visas

Currently the Brazilian Consulate in London will only accept payment for a visa by postal order. They will not accept any other form of payment, including cash.

The Consulate in Dublin asks that payment is made directly (not electronic transfer as you need a stamped receipt) to their bank account before submitting your visa application. They also will not accept any other form of payment.

The following links will take you to:

UK Consulate web site in London

ROI Consulate web site in Dublin

Countries not needing a tourist visa

Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macau, Malaysia, Monaco, Morocco, Namibia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, the Sovereign Order of Malta (citizens of Malta must have a visa), Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, United Kingdom, Uruguay, the Vatican and Venezuela.

Getting there and getting around

You can fly to Fortaleza Airport from most of the UK airports and likewise from major European and USA cities. Many airlines offer the route including Brazil’s national carriers Varig and Tam.

Due to the sheer size of the country, internal travel is best undertaken by air and both airlines offer domestic flights across Brazil. Somewhat surprisingly though, even domestic flights are subject to departure tax in Brazil.

Airport Info

Fortaleza’s Pinto Martin International Airport was completed in 1998 and has capacity to operate for the next 40 years. Built over four floors the passenger terminal is the main hub with access to the following:

basement - public transportation and parking lot
ground floor - check-in, arrivals
first floor - departures, shops and restaurants, car rentals, tourist information
terrace - panoramic view and additional shops, including a cyber-cafe and a chapel

If you want bus services you’ll find them on the basement level next to the parking lot.

To reach this level, leave the building at the ground floor level and take the elevator down to the parking level (there is no access from inside the airport).

Taxis

Taxis operate just outside the main building of the airport on the first floor. Prices are fixed beforehand so make sure you fix the price before the journey starts (the meter is not turned on).

You'll be able to get taxis in all the large towns and tourist areas and most hotels, restaurants, etc will call a taxi for you. Again, make sure that you fix a price before you start the journey, especially if you pick one up in the street.

Car Rental and Driving

Car rental is very straightforward in Brazil and all the major cities and resort areas offer a selection of companies, including Hertz and Avis.

You just need to present your driver’s licence and some may want to see your passport though this is not true of all companies. Like most other countries, they will want to take an imprint of your credit card as security.

Which side?

Driving is on the right hand side of the road in Brazil and the roads are quite easy to navigate – UK/RoI drivers - remember to “drive on the other side”.

If you plan to do more than just local driving you may be surprised at how long it takes – Brazil is a big country. You could consider either going by coach or if your destination is very far, the most popular form of cross-country transport is plane.

Transport in Brazil is of a very good standard and improving all the time. The government is committed to opening up the country to tourism and has already upgraded many airports and built several new airports. They are also investing heavily in new roads and general infrastructure.

Climate

Although most of Brazil lies in the tropics, more than 60 percent of the population live in areas which are cooled either by altitude or sea breezes.

While the coastal cities of Rio de Janeiro, Recife and Salvador can get extremely hot, plateau cities such as São Paulo, Brasília and Belo Horizonte have mild climates, and the southern cities of Porto Alegre and Curitiba have a climate similar to that of southern Europe.

North East Region

Brazil is at its hottest in the northeast, where temperatures of more than 38°C are often recorded during the dry season between May and November, although temperatures of around 29° – 30° are more usual.

Along the Atlantic coast from Recife to Rio de Janeiro, temperatures are a cooler 23 to 27°C.

Inland, on higher ground, temperatures are lower, ranging from 18 to 21°C. South of Rio the seasons become more distinct and the annual average temperature is around 19°C.

Brazil's most intense rain falls around the mouth of the Amazon near the city of Belém, and also in the upper regions of Amazonia where more than 2,000 millimetres (78 inches) of rain fall every year.

The rainy season

The rain in Brazil falls mainly between December and April and most of Brazil experiences moderate rainfall during this period - between 1,000 and 1,500 millimetres (39 to 59 inches) a year.

The driest part of the country is the northeast, where rainfall is irregular.

Electricity

Brazil uses 110/220 volts AC (60 Hz)

Brazil is one of a few countries that uses both 120 and 240 volts for everyday appliances. Expect the voltage to change back and forth as you travel from one place to the next - even within the same Brazilian state, sometimes even within the same building. There is no physical difference in the electric outlets (power mains) for the two voltages.

Electric outlets usually accept both flat (North American), and round (European) plugs. Otherwise adaptors from flat blades to round pins are easy to find in any supermarket or hardware shop.