Obtaining a Brazilian Visa
Buenos Aires, Argentina

to be fair, I heard that Brazil didn't start with the requirement of visas for US citizens until the US government made the requirement for Brazilian citizens.

Yes, but a visa to the U.S. can be granted for up to 10 years of entry…

Ok, I can see how annoying it is to get a visa to Brazil… Could you imagine how it was for me, a brazilian citizen, to get one to visit your country? We have to prove we have no intention of staying there illegaly, as if everybody was crazy to live in USA. It´s humiliating. I had to collect all kinds of financial informations about my life to show I could stay there with my own money and had to prove I had strong reasons to come back home (such as a job or a house in my name). I´m sorry about your problems with brazilian visa, but USA seems to be the country that choses who is interesting to have there as a tourist.

You can get a ten year version for Brazil as well, but have to have a reason. If you can find a Brazilian to go with you, it helps a lot. I went to the embassy in Asunción, Paraguay and had no trouble…. But it all changes regularly!

That's interesting — the first I've heard of such a thing

Typical American, compaining about having to fill out a little form to enter the country.
I'm American as well, and I have to go through the same thing to go to Brazil. Let me tell you, its nothing. For the last 2 months I've been filling out various government forms, investigation different programs and exploring different ideas just so a Brazilian friend of mine can visit for 3 months Its cost me nearly $300 and even more in headaches. And its not even certain if he is accepted. If I were to write a similar article about a foreigner's experience trying to come to America, it would fill 5 pages.
You have no idea how lucky you are to be American, we have it so good and we can go anywhere in the world we want. In fact, I have hand it to the Brazilians for their little act of reciprocity, at least theres one country thats not afraid to give us a small taste of what we hand out to the rest of the world.
Have some gratitude and try to see things from the other side, thats the best travel advice you can give.

I know where you can get these visas done quick and done right. And there not hard to get. Try one of those visa services. They turn it around very quickly. Worth every penny!!!!

Cut Craig some slack. Just because he (very rightly) points out that it is really annoying to get a visa to visit Brazil, he's not implying that to get a visa to the United States is any less annoying. The two things aren't mutually exclusive, people. And seriously, the hoops one has to jump through here in Buenos Aires are usually as mystifying and nonsensical as they are a complete waste of my time. Thanks for the visa info, btw.

My pleasure, Smed.

Now, almost a year later, if I was to do anything different before getting a visa for Brazil in Buenos Aires, it would have been to actually purchase an "air pass" for Brazil. Overland travel is so expensive in Brazil, it's actually cheaper to fly (and it's not because the flights are cheap, it's just the cost of a bus ticket is upwards of US$4/5 per hour of the journey). Brazil is a big country, and traveling 25 hours on a bus is expensive inside it.

My suggestions: Fly from Foz do Iguazu to Rio to Salvador, to Belem, then float up the Amazon, and bus into Venezuela (or fly out of the country) from Manaus.

The great problem is : We brazilians have a lot of idiots in your country. So your embassy/consulate have to deny a lot of applications to us. If they deny to the "right" persons it's ok.. But they deny with weak reasons.. Deny to "wrong" and allow the fucking ones to entry. Europe doesn't require a visa to brazilians, we do not require to Europeans, they can do the visa at the airport. Wanna go to Brazil, go by car, throught Argentina, Paraguay. Easy Easy.
I apologize about my governament "act", they started doing that after a Minas Gerais Judge had to get his fingerprint at one airport on USA. Here policits speaks more loud than the intelligence. I am really sorry.

I just ask you to think about the hundreds if thousands (maybe even millions) of people who have to get through much worse procedures when requesting a visa to enter the US. And also don't forget that the people who need visas to enter the US are from poor countries. Some make less than the processing fee.

My congratulations to the Brazilian Government for standing up to the US. I wish all countries would apply the reciprocity principle. Maybe then US voters would press for a change in policy. Though this would potentially affect not more than one fifth of the population (who hold passports), and probably even less (those who venture to travel to "third world countries")

Getting a visa to Brazil has been the easiest visa I have ever had to obtain. A picture, proof of travel, the fee, and a week later I had my visa. Try getting a visa to China or Russia!! I had to have a "letter of invite" from an agency (another fee, another week or two to get this) and it was a much more complicated process. Also, the process for a Brazilian visa is very easy if you get your visa before you leave the U.S., (as should be done). ALSO, the tourist visa is valid for five years and multiple entries. pretty convenient, and much more convenient than the single entry visas of other countries that require it.

On the other hand, Brazilians trying to come to the U.S. have to go for in-person interviews in Sao Paolo, and are often denied. So really, stop complaining.

It's actually gotten even worse. If you are going through the Atlanta consulate, BEWARE! I followed the instructions for the VITUR visa as listed on the Brazilian Embassy site and did everything on the checklist. My documents were returned to me and they asked for more cash and directed me to a secret website that you could not possibly know about otherwise where you have to fill out a secret Atlanta cnsulate form and go through a weird ceritification process. You also have to prove residence in your state for more than one year. Very bizarre. And this to visit Brazil for 11 days? Never again. What a nightmare. The secret application site for ATlanta is at http://www.abe.mre.gov.br/mund.....icos/visa/

Good luck!

Da Silva is a child. The whole an eye for an eye argument is completely lost on me. Where does that end?

The US government is not solely targeting Brazilians. The US is the most diverse and arguably the most desirable country to live in and or have citizenship of in the entire world. I live in NYC and assure you there are loads of illegals living and working here which is cool with me. They are attempting to achieve the American dream. Though, I highly doubt Brazil is dealing with US citizens overstaying their visas working locally and sending Reals back to the US. It's simply childish to single out US citizens.

I've just had to cancel my trip to Brazil b/c of the bureaucratic nightmare associated with getting a visa. Bravo, De Silva, you just lost your country roughly $3k. Up side: it will now go to your neighbors.

I have to agree with Austin from California… I'm an American, and it's a little annoying to have to get a visa to go to Brazil, but look at how lucky we are! Most places in the world we don't need one. My husband is Colombian and he can't go anywhere without a visa, and they all cost more than $100. It SUCKS. Even though he's married to a US citizen, he's been denied a visa. THAT is something to complain about. So get over it, pay your $100, and enjoy Brazil!

We have been waiting for a Brazilian Visa since Oct. 6 when we submitted the high fees, paperwork, photos, etc. and had planned to leave for Brazil on Nov. 22, in two days. We used an agency called "Pinnacle" which had been recommended by the Cruise Line we are using. If we don't get the Visa tomorrow, we can't go. We have had to get visas for Russia, China, and Cuba and have never been treated this way. Last time we try to go to this country!!

HI,

Has anyone had any trouble extending their tourist visas in Brazil? I'm a US citizen in Buenos Aires, AR. I'm told I'm only granted a 30 day visa since I am applying from Buenos Aires, as opposed to the 90 day if I was in NY. I'm trying to commit to 90 days in Brazil, but I'm curious about the extension process. I would assume it wouldn't be an issue as Americans are usually granted 90 day visas.

thanks all!

i just went to brasilean consulate in buenos aires… and here is the easy loop hole:

they do not keep a copy of your banking, airline, or hotel. .they just want to see you booked it, and then they accept the application with picture. end of story

when you present your hotel and round trip airfare it is okay to just print out a reservation, and you dont have to show you have paid for it. my friend provided a print out and removed the part of payment required just in case.. and they accepted it also. for both a round trip on Gol and 1 night at a hotel in brasil. So it seems like they really dont care about this issue outside of usa.. and its just a formality.. since in truth it is a waste of time for most american, canadian and aussies that are not trying to remain in the country and work.. which is quite common for many south americans in usa and other countries where they earn a higher salary.

yet i agree that its apples and oranges to try to compare these countries to these other ones due to simple economics but cest la vie.

anyways, hope this helps since many round the world travellers like myself are doing it by land and spontaneous..and these restrictions are a royal pain. at least argentina does not ask for such.. and only solution to avoiding 131 fee upon flying in to buenos aires is to fly to montevideo and take the boat across..and avoid airport .. there is no such fee by land or boat.

I´m a brazilian woman who had a visa denied yesterday.
My sister has been living in the US for almost 10 years and it makes it impossible for me to get a visa. USA authorities think the rest of the world is dying to live "the american dream". They probably think that because my sister lives there I want to do the same which is completely nonsense because I loooooove my country. I have a good job, have an apartment, my children study here and my whole family live here, but it was not enough to prove them that I have strong bonds to Brazil.
The american consul who talked to me was very rude and treated me with disrespect looking down on me and my son. I hated it. You should know how brazilians are treated in your consulate before complaining about our embassy in your country. For what you have told here, it´s a lot easier to get a visa to Brasil than it is for us to get a visa to your country.
Not to mention the fact that I got there at 8:30 am and left at 1:00 pm!!!! A complete disrespect and disorganization.
It was the second and last time I tried it.