6 things to know, before you travel to Brazil

The most important thing to know, before you go to Brazil is to check if you need Visa to access the country. 
If you plan to travel to Brazil for 2014 football World cup finals , check my post - Visit Brazil for world cup 2014 .
Here are some practical tips, which I hope will help you to plan your trip, but it’s better to check for more details your nearest Brazilian Consulate.

1. Visa requirements.

• Valid International Passport;
• Each traveler must complete their own Visa Application Form, including children under 18;
• Payment of a fee, which varies according to the type of visa and length of stay;
• Passport must be valid for at least six months from the date of the visa application;
• Recent (3x4cm or 5x7cm) photo on white background;
• Children under 18 unaccompanied by parents or guardians must bear an authorization form signed by both parents.

For Spanish Citizens:

• valid passport;
• round trip ticket (the return date must be indicated on the ticket);
• proof of sufficient financial resources for subsistence for the length of their stay in Brazil. This amount should correspond to at least R$ 170.00/day and demonstrated, for example, by presentation of a major credit card with the latest statement of account for verification of the credit card limit;
• for those staying in a hotel: a document proving payment of hotel reservation; or
• for those staying in a private residence: invitation letter from an individual resident in the Brazilian city of destination informing the period of stay of the Spanish tourist, signed by the  declarant  and certified by a Brazilian notary public, and accompanied by proof of residence issued to the declarant. (Note: Since there is no specific form for the invitation letter, a statement by the interested party containing the information above shall suffice).

• Business travelers must present documentary evidence of the activities to be performed in said capacity during their stay in Brazil; otherwise they will receive the same treatment as tourists.

Citizens of the following countries don't require entry visa for stays of up to 90 days:

• Andorra,
• Argentina,
• Austria,
• Bahamas,
• Barbados,
• Belgium,
• Bolivia,
• Bulgaria,
• Chile,
• Colombia,
• Costa Rica,
• Croatia,
• Czech Republic,
• Denmark,
• Ecuador,
• El Salvador,
• Finland,
• France,
• Germany,
• Great Britain,
• Greece,
• Guatemala,
• Honduras,
• Hungary,
• Ireland,
• Iceland,
• Israel,
• Italy,
• Liechtenstein,
• Luxemburg,
•  Macau,
• Malaysia,
• Malta,
• Mexico,
• Morocco,
• Monaco,
• Namibia,
• Norway,
• New Zealand,
• Netherlands,
• Panama,
• Paraguay,
• Peru,
• Philippines,
• Poland,
• Portugal,
• Republic of Guyana,
• San Marino,
• South Africa,
• South Korea,
• Slovakia,
• Slovenia,
• Sweden,
• Switzerland,
• Suriname,
• Thailand,
• Trinidad and Tobago,
• Tunisia,
• Turkey,
• Uruguay,
• Venezuela
• Vatican.

Citizens of the following countries require an entry Visa:

• Afghanistan,
• Albania,
• Algeria,
• Angola,
• Antigua and Barbuda,
• Armenia,
• Australia,
• Azerbaijan,
• Bahrain,
• Bangladesh,
• Belarus,
• Belize,
• Benin,
• Bosnia,
• Botswana,
• Brunei,
• Burkina Faso,
• Burundi,
• Cambodia,
• Cameroon,
• Canada ,
• Cape Verde,
• Chad,
• China,
• Comoros,
• Congo,
• Cook Islands,
• Cuba,
• Cyprus,
• Democratic Republic of Congo,
• Djibouti,
• Dominica,
• Dominican Republic,
• East Timor,
• Egypt,
• Equatorial Guinea,
• Eritrea,
• Estonia,
• Ethiopia,
• Fiji,
• Gabon,
• Gambia,
• Georgia,
• Ghana,
• Grenada,
• Guinea Bissau,
• Guinea,
• Haiti,
• Hong Kong,
• India,
• Indonesia,
• Iran,
• Iraq,
• Ivory Coast,
• Jamaica,
• Japan,
• Jordan,
• Kazakhstan,
• Kenya,
• Kiribati Islands,
• Kuwait,
• Kyrgyzstan,
• Laos,
• Latvia,
• Lebanon,
• Lesotho,
• Liberia,
• Libya,
• Lithuania,
• Macedonia,
• Madagascar,
• Malawi,
• Maldives,
• Mali,
• Malta,
• Mariana Islands,
• Marshall Islands,
• Mauritania,
• Mauritius,
• Micronesia,
• Moldova,
• Mongolia,
• Mozambique,
• Myanmar,
• Nauru,
• Nepal,
• Nicaragua,
• Niger,
• Nigeria,
• North Korea,
• Oman,
• Pakistan,
• Palestine,
• Papua / New Guinea,
• Qatar,
• Romania,
• Russia,
• Rwanda,
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,
• Santa Lucia,
• Saudi Arabia,
• Senegal,
• Seychelles,
• Sierra Leone,
• Singapore,
• Solomon Islands,
• Somalia,
• Sri Lanka,
• St. Kitts and Principe,
• Sudan,
• Swaziland,
• Syria,
• Tajikistan,
• Tanzania,
• Togo,
• Tonga,
• Turkmenistan Islands,
• Tuvalu,
• Uganda ,
• Ukraine,
• United Arab Emirates,
• USA,
• Uzbekistan,
• Vanuatu,
• Vietnam,
• Western Samoa,
• Yemen,
• Yugoslavia / Serbia and Montenegro,
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe.

2. Driver's License.

Tourists with a foreign driver’s license are authorized to drive in Brazil when their stay is less than 180 days.

Drivers must bear a valid foreign driver’s license and identification document.

For longer stays, drivers must get a Brazilian driving permit corresponding to their foreign one.

Foreign tourists driving in Brazil must comply with Brazilian laws.

3. Currency and Exchange.

The currency of Brazil is the Real (R$).

Dollars and travelers checks can be exchanged at banks, travel agencies  and authorized hotels.

4. Vaccination.

Yellow fever is a disease transmitted by mosquitoes and it is  recommended to get vaccinated against it at least 10 days before  traveling to certain places.

Brazil requires an international certificate of vaccination against Yellow Fever for tourists from some countries: Angola, Benin, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guyana, Liberia, Nigeria, Peru, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Venezuela , Zaire.

It is important to remember that almost the entire Brazilian coast is considered disease-free. This area goes from Rio Grande do Sul to Piauí, with the exception of northern Espírito Santo and southern Bahia.

5. Emergency Numbers.

• Fire Department 193
• Civil Defense 199
• Police 197
• Military Police 190
• First Aid 192

6. Voltage and standard electrical outlet.

Voltage in Brazil varies between 110V and 220V 60Hz as follows:

• 110V:

Bahia, Minas Gerais, Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo

• 220V:

Acre, Alagoas, Amapá, Amazonas, Ceará, Distrito Federal, Espírito Santo,  Goiás, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Pará, Paraíba,  Pernambuco, Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Rondônia,  Roraima, Santa Catarina, Sergipe, Tocantins.

Wish you a good trip !