So, you want to visit Brazil?

Brazil is a wonderful and diverse country, famous for many, many things, including- beautiful beaches, beautiful women, the Amazon jungle, football (soccer), and of course, Carnival.  But there is so much more to this wondrous and captivating land.

If you are planning on visiting the largest country in South America (and you should!) I will be filling this page with lots of practical information and advice to help you prepare, arrive, and survive in the land of "Order and Progress."

I will try to focus on the things you won't find in guidebooks or on typical internet guides, but rather on things that I've learned along the way through trial and error-- things I wish I had known, or wish someone had told me before my first trip to Brazil.

If you have any specific questions you'd like answered, leave them in the "Comments" section below and I will do my best to answer them honestly and thoroughly, from my own experience.

Abraços!
-Mojo

*Disclaimer: I am Canadian.  My experiences are from the point of view of a Canadian.  If you are from another country, make sure you do your own proper and thorough research before travelling abroad.  If you are Canadian, make sure you do your own proper and thorough research before travelling abroad.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

VISAS

I needed a visa to enter Brazil.  A tourist visa for Brazil is remarkably easy to get for a Canadian.

I applied for my visa on the website for the Consulate General of Brazil in Vancouver.  Simply follow the links through the process.

It's pretty easy to do.  You have to fill out the online form, then print out the result and sign it.  Collect a few additional documents, and then take your application package to your nearest Brazilian consulate.

The supporting documents I included were:

• My original passport (must be valid for at least 6 months)
• (1) recent 5cm x 5cm passport-style photo (the website states that only professionally-taken photos will be accepted.  However, I took the photo myself against a white wall in my house, edited it to the acceptable dimensions using Photoshop, and then printed it at a London Drugs PhotoLab for $0.39.  It was accepted.  Save money wherever you can!)
• A personal letter, explaining my itinerary and the purpose of my trip.  Easy.
• A letter from my employer, confirming my employment. (There are alternatives if you are not traditionally employed.)
• A copy of a recent bank statement (I printed mine off of my online banking).  
• An invitation letter from someone I would be visiting in Brazil. (This is optional.  If you don't know anyone in Brazil and simply plan on travelling around the country, that is fine.)

You must also bring your fee payment with you to the consulate.  For Canadians it's $81.25.  The consulate ONLY accepts certified cheque or money order.  I went to Canada Post to obtain a money order.  Make sure you clearly write your full name on the reference line, just in case.

At the consulate, the English-speaking agent that served me checked my package to make sure I had all of the necessary documents.  Once everything checked out, she gave me a receipt for the payment I was on my way.  Then, all you have to do is periodically check the status of your visa here: https://scedv.serpro.gov.br/frscedv/index.jsp.  My visa was ready to be picked up only 4 business days later!

The whole process was fast, efficient, and $81.25 ain't too shabby for a three-month stay in Brazil.

If you have any questions, let me know in the "Comments" section below!