Passports and Brazilian Visas

Once upon a time back in February of 2007, three young men arrived in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil for the first time anxiously waiting to start their fantasy vacation.  After getting off the plane, they continued through the hallways to the Immigration area where everyones citizenship is verified.  The line is long, but fortunately it is moving fast.  These young men no doubt excited about the fun times they will have while on vacation, probably told all their friends and family about how the women the walk around on the beach topless, the fun nightlife, and the greatest show on earth Rio Carnaval.  Before they knew it, these men where called up to the Immigration officer.  The officer asked the three gentlemen for their passports.  They obliged and gave them their passports for them to review.  The immigration began flipping through pages over and over in an attempt to find something.  The young men look confused as to what is the hold up and what is he looking for.  Then the immigration officer asked, "WHERE IS YOUR BRAZILIAN VISA?"  Looking confused, the officer asked again, "WHERE IS YOUR BRAZILIAN VISA?"  "We have our passports" one young man said.  The officer then informed them that, "YOU NEED A BRAZILIAN VISA TO ENTER BRAZIL".  The young men looking confused, upset, frustrated, and down right stupid, was not allowed into the country and was forced to return home!

Money spent on airfare down the drain.  Money spent on hotel or apartment accomodations down the drain.  Long lasting once of a lifetime memories down the drain.  Embarrassment was high however.  This is a vacation disaster if I ever heard one and this is a true story.  I am not telling you this true story to scare you from taking exciting exotic trips such as Brazil.  I am telling you this story to get the point home that when you travel to another country, make sure you know all the entry rules well ahead of time and also some basic safety tips.  It also helps to study the culture and maybe some basic laws.  The is not hard work and can be done a matter of minutes.  If you are reading this, I am assuming you are connected to the internet so you can do your due diligence there.

Also, stay in contact with individuals who has been to the country you would like to go, especially if they have been their several times.  Also, SIGN UP FOR THIS EMAIL NEWSLETTER to stay informed about what is going on in mainly Brazil, but also other exotic countries.  

To get a passport, you will need to fill out a passport application which you can obtain at your local post office, or you can apply for a passport through a third party company which I list below.  You will also need two passport photos which you can get from your local photograher who takes passport photos, or a CVS store or local WalGreens.  The size specifications are very strict so make sure whoever you have take your photos are experienced.  You also need your Driver's license (copy) or State ID card and an original copy of your birth certificate.  You then take these items to your local post office or passport agency near you.  Go to the following link to find out which passport agency is near you.  http://iafdb.travel.state.gov/
I personally recommend you chose a third party company to expedite your passport because you can have it back in as little as 24 to 48 hours.  Expedited service does cost more, but it's worth the money to have it fast in my opinion.  The post office method can and often times takes up to 6-8 weeks.  I know of someone who had planned to come to Brazil Carnaval on short notice, but chose the post office method.  It took so long to get his passport back that he was unable to go.  Again I list some third party companies you can chose from. Now, lets talk about Brazilian Visas.

If you want to travel to Brazil, you must have a valid passport as mentioned earlier, and a Brazilian Visa.  Brazilian Visas are not credit cards.  A Brazilian Visa is a document which is placed inside of your passport, approved by the Brazilian Consulate authorizing you to enter their country.  You can apply for a single entry visa or a multiple entry visa.  I personally recommend you request a multiple entry visa because it is good for 5 years.   If you are traveling to Brazil for the first time, DO NOT GET YOUR VISA TOO EARLY!  What does that mean?  When you apply for your Brazilian visa, you must enter the country within 90 days in order for the visa to be validated.  YOU MUST PURCHASE YOUR AIRLINE TICKET FIRST.  You must show the Brazilian government that you have a strong intent to visiting their country and purchasing your ticket does this.  They will also want to know if you are traveling there for business or as a tourist.  Under normal circumstances you will pick tourist visa unless your circumstances are different than most.

The processing time for both a passport and visa is usually quoted to you 4 to 8 weeks.  Although it may actually take this long, it is my experience that 2 weeks is about the average time.  However, if you are short on time, I would recommend you use a third party company to "hand carry" your passport and visa application to the necessary passport agencies to expedite it.  You will pay an extra $100.00 to $150.00 depending on how fast you want it.  The companies I recommend are listed below.  If you any questions, feel free to leave comments.

http://www.travelpassportvisacenter.com/
www.Expresspassport.com

RushMyTravelVisa.com

RushMyPassport.com