Tourist Visa
For all US citizens coming to Brazil, you need a valid US Passport and you need to have a Brazilian Visa to enter into Brazil. A Brazilian Visa can take up to 2 months to get, as you need to send your passport to the nearest Brazilian embassy (San Francisco for west coast pilots.) A Brazilian Visa is good for 5 years, but it has to be used for the first entry within 90 days of when it is issued. Here is a link to the Consulate General of Brazil in San Francisco.
1. You need a passport good for at least 6 months after your planned entrance to Brazil
2. You need to fill out the online form with information about your Brazil trip
3. One passport size photo
4. Copy of your round trip ticket/itinerary
5. $160 if applied for in person, add $20 if a third party is used, must be US Postal money order made out to consulate general of Brazil
6. Application has to be submitted in person or by an authorized third party. I highly recommend Bay Document Services who did my paperwork 4 years ago. Grace even brought my passport and with the visa to the airport as I was about to leave the country! Really nice people. They charge $55 plus the Consulate charges an extra $20 for you to have a third party do it, but it’s worth the lack of hassle unless you have the time and energy for a visit to San Francisco to wait at the consulate!
Brazil has reciprical passport laws, matching the rules and fees of whichever country your passport is from. i.e. the US charges Brazilians the same fees to get a US visa. Depending on your country’s passport rules for Brazilians you may not need a Brazilian visa. If you have a passport from a European country you probably don’t need a visa (but check to be sure). New Zealand, no visa needed, Australia yes. Most of Central and South America no visa required.
