RealWorld Guide to Visas for Brazil
Many tourists don't require a visa for their holiday in Brazil, but the situation does change, and citizens of many nations which are used to travelling without a visa can find Brazil to be the exception that proves the rule...
UK and EU Nationals
If you have a UK passport (or any other EU passport) then the situation with visas for Brazil is very simple: you do not need a visa to visit Brazil. However, you should make sure that:
- Your passport has 6 months validity remaining on the date of entry to Brazil.
- You should have at least one blank page.
In practice it's rare for either of these criteria to pose a problem at borders in Brazil, but you may not be allowed to board your flight to Brazil if your passport doesn't meet these conditions, so it's as well to make sure.
If you will need to renew your passport to meet these conditions, but want to get your holiday in Brazil booked, don't worry: we can book everything on your existing passport and then change the details once you have them. You just need to make sure that they return your old passport to you, and take that with you as well.
Other Nationalities
Many other countries also benefit from visa-free travel to Brazil, but citizens of the US, Australia and Canada DO require a tourist visa for Brazil. The easiest way to apply for a visa is by a Brazilian embassy or consulate in your home country, but you can also visit a Brazilian consulate in South America (eg: in Buenos Aires) if you are already travelling there.
To check if your passport entitles you to enter Brazil without a visa, check the up-to-date information here.
Do I Need a Yellow Fever Certificate for Brazil?
Another common question when discussing visas for Brazil is the need (or not) for a Yellow Fever vaccination certificate when entering Brazil. The short answer is that you don't need to present a certificate UNLESS you are entering from a country where yellow fever is endemic or have visted such a country in the previous three months. If this is the case then you may be asked to show your Yellow Fever certificate on entering Brazil.
Currently, the list of endemic countries includes: Angola, Benin, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, French Guyana, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, Peru, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Venezuela and Zaire. So if you are travelling elsewhere in South America before you get to Brazil then even if you aren't travelling in a Yellow Fever area, you may require the innoculation.
For more detailed information on which jabs you may need for travel to Brazil, check our detailed guide here.