This blog post is the fourth entry in a 10-part series on traveling to Rio de Janiero. Click here to view the previous article.

Before you even think about planning a trip to Brazil, you must first be aware of Brazil’s fairly strict Visa requirements, and make sure that you plan your trip far enough in advance to account for enough time to get your travel Visa.  For me, this was the most cumbersome part of traveling to Brazil, so i thought it would be helpful if I outlined the process and added a few tips on applying.

The process is actually quite simple, but it does take about two weeks from the time you first visit the consulate to request a Visa to the time it is ready for pick-up.  For me, I found that the most time-consuming part of the Visa process was actually filling out the application and getting all the necessary documents in place, so we’ll start there.

To begin the process, start by visiting this site and find the location of the Brazilian consulate nearest you (if you live in DC, don’t make the mistake of going to the Brazilian Embassy, like I did).  If you don’t live near a consulate, as they are only in select, major-city locations, you will have to look into hiring a company or agency to complete the process for you (they do not accept applications by mail).  Check out this FAQ page for more info.

Next, go here and check the Visa requirements.  If you’re going to Brazil for a quick vacation, you’ll most likely want to apply for the tourist Visa.  If you are not a US citizen, make sure you check your own country’s Visa requirements, as the information may be different.  You may not need a Visa at all – check this page to see if you do.  After you’ve briefly reviewed the requirements, you’ll need to go here to electronically fill out and submit the Visa request form.  (You can fill out a printed application, but it is much easier to just do it online, and it makes the process go quicker).  Also, make sure you’re applying for the correct Visa.  For example, if you select “Business Visa,” when you really want a “Tourist Visa,” they’ll most likely make you resubmit the form and come back a different day.  Print two copies of the finished and submitted form – one to bring to the consulate, and one for your records.  One thing to keep in mind is that Visas are only good for 90 days (or three months) from the date of issue, so you have to make sure you don’t get them too early.  I know someone who applied 6 months before her trip, and only after she had her Visa in hand did she learn that she had to complete the application process all over again.  On the contraire, it does take at least 2 weeks to process your Visa, so make sure you plan accordingly.  I’d give it a month, just to be safe.

Other items you’ll need include:

• Your passport. Make sure you don’t need it for two weeks, as you’ll have to drop it off and the consulate will keep it as your application is being processed.
• A copy of your printed Visa application form, filled out and submitted online in advance.
• A passport-sized photograph, taken within the past year (so, no, a photo-copy of the photo on your current passport that was taken when you were 12 will not work). To get a passport-sized photo, you can go to your bank, Costco, CVS, or a number of other places, but if you want to save the $10 or so bucks it costs, simply take a photo yourself, take it to CVS and print a copy, and ask to use their passport cutter to easily cut it down to passport size. (Note: The first photo I took, my face was too big, so I had to go retake the photo and come back later. To minimize this hassle, try taking a few photos with different zooms).
• A copy of your round trip or multi-destination travel itinerary. I printed out the confirmation for the plane ticket I purchased on Travelocity, which worked just fine.
• A copy of your birth certificate, IF you are a minor.
• A money order in the amount of $140 (if you have a US passport). Yes, it must be a money order – you can get one from your local bank – and they do not accept checks or cash. I know it kind of sucks to have to pay an entrance fee, but just remember, the fee is purely political. The fee is a reciprocity fee – since the US charges Brazilians to get into the US, what does Brazil do? They reciprocate the offer, of course.

When I was going through the process of gathering all these items together, I made a checklist and put everything together in a little folder, just to make sure I had it all in one place when it was actually time to go to the consulate.

Once you have all the necessary items, you need to go to your local Brazilian consulate (you can find a list of all the locations here).  Depending on the day and time you go, it’s usually a pretty quick process (especially compared to the bizarre stories I heard from my former roommate about visiting the Italian consulate.  Crazy Italians.)  I went on a Thursday morning on my way to class, and my appointment (including wait time) took a grand total of 5 minutes, plus or minus the 15 seconds it took me to get the heck outta there.  I have heard stories though of the appointment taking a long and grueling 20 minutes, so be prepared and plan accordingly.  And if you don’t live near a consulate, you can hire a Visa service or agency to complete the process for you (they do not accept applications by mail).  Check out this FAQ page for more info.

So now that you have your plane ticket and travel itinerary, you’re ready to travel to Rio!  Stay tuned for more posts in this series discussing what to do once you actually get there.