botafogo bay, brazil. source: http://www.worldofstock.com

Before you start daydreaming about all the beautiful beaches and people in Brazil, remember:

ANYONE WITH A US OR CANADIAN PASSPORT NEEDS A VISA FOR BRAZIL.

On New Years Eve 2014, I sat at Phoenix Sky Harbor airport waiting to board my plane to Costa Rica. I was full of joy. I had spent two holidays at home with friends and family. I was going to spend NYE in a fun place I had never visited before. I had all my travel plans set for Costa Rica and my follow on destination, Brazil. I was feeling pretty carefree.

I don’t know why, but I decided to check the US State Department website for these two countries, and that’s when I saw that Brazil required a tourist visa for entry. No big deal. I had run into other countries where they make you buy one at the airport when you land, or something like that. NOT BRAZIL THOUGH.

Brazil makes anyone using a US or Canadian passport go through a lot of extra steps that many other countries do not. This is an action known as “reciprocity”, which basically means that the government of Brazil believed that the US and Canada makes it hard for their citizens to visit, so they’re going to make it hard for our citizens to visit Brazil (very simplified). So, needless to say, I had something to think about on my five hour flight to Costa Rica.

Fast forward to the 5th of January, which is the day I was told that the Embassy of Brazil in Costa Rica would be open again. What I wasn’t sure about was what I needed for the visa application. I read the online application from the embassy, as well as a bunch of other sources. I came to the conclusion that I did need a yellow fever vaccination (which isn’t true). I went to the local ministry of health in Turrialba, got my paperwork, and headed off to the Embassy in San Jose. After my two hour bus ride there, I was told I would need more documentation and other hoops to jump through. Since the embassy only processes visas until noon, and it was currently 11:30, I would have to come back. I did return the next day, the staff there was very helpful, and I ended up getting my visa.

To save you all the hassle, let me clarify what you will need to complete the visa packet to visit Brazil for tourism (if you’re American).

1) Passport that is valid 6 months past you stay in Brazil, with at least one blank passport page (because the visa is actually placed in your passport).

2) The cover page that you printed after filling out the online visa (“Visa Form Delivery Receipt”).

3) One passport sized photo, with a white background, no facial expression, and nothing covering the face.

4) Proof of travel into and out of Brazil. EX: Printed itineraries of your flight into Brazil and out of Brazil.

5) Proof of lodging while in Brazil. EX: Printed Airbnb itinerary or hotel reservation.

6) Proof of sufficient funds ($100 for every day that you are in Brazil). EX: Most recent bank statement that shows you have that amount of money.

7) AND HERE’S THE KICKER. $160 US Dollars deposited into an account for Brazil. Now, in Costa Rica, these funds can only be deposited in their account at one bank. You will receive a receipt and have to show it as proof of payment to finalize the application.

After all of that, you too may become a proud new owner of a tourist visa to Brazil.

From start to finish, the whole process took me two days to complete and I am very thankful that I received the visa (as I was supposed to apply before I left the US). The staff at the Embassy of Brazil in Costa Rica were very friendly and very competent. I just find the process very cumbersome and wished that there were some kind of warning when booking flights or lodging reservations. Otherwise this could have turned into a very expensive lesson for me.

Be warned and plan ahead. Below is a list of Countries where Americans need visas prior to travel.

Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Benin, Bhutan, BRAZIL, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, CHINA, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Liberia, Libya, Mozambique, Nauru, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, RUSSIA, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Yemen.

You are awesome!

-Mike

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