Best travel period
Brazil can be visited at any time of the year, but there are large regional differences in climate. In the vicinity of the equator, the climate is the most constant (tropical).
High season
The main tourist season for domestic and foreign tourists is between December and early March, the Brazilian summer months. The temperature in Rio de Janeiro then rises to more than 40 degrees. From March to November, the climate is more comfortable, but still warm with average temperatures of about 30 degrees per day and about 20 degrees at night. In addition, July is the main travel period.
Low season
In the low season (spring and autumn), most resorts are quieter and cheaper. In the northeast of the country, the climate is also tropical. In the south and south-east, it is cooler and drier. During the Brazilian summer, it is warmer throughout the country; in the northeast and Amazon region, rainy season, it is stuffy and raining more. During the Brazilian winter, from June to September, the weather is pleasant in the northeast, while it can be very cold to the south and southeast. (Low temperatures of 10-15 degrees are possible.)
Entry requirements
Visa regulations
Business travelers and tourists from EU countries or Switzerland do not need a visa for their trip to Brazil. Entry can be made with a passport that is valid for at least 6 months. For all other countries, the respective visa regulations must be observed. Contact the Brazilian Consulate General or Embassy in your country for Visa information.
Travel documents required to enter Brazil
• Passport (valid for at least 6 months)
• For children: children’s passport
• Ticket for return or onward journey
• The traveler receives the usual entry form for foreigners either on the plane, at the arrival airport or can be downloaded from the following site: “Entry and Exit Card”
• Sufficient funds for the stay
• After entering the country, the authorized length of stay is a maximum of 90 days. A longer stay must be requested from the Brazilian Police (Polícia Federal). However, it is not possible to stay longer than 90 days. A 90-day stay is only possible once every 6 months. Important! It can happen that the length of stay is limited to 30 days at the discretion of the official. This is visible on the entry stamp.
Immunizations/Vaccines
No vaccinations are required for entry into Brazil. Depending on the travel destination within the country (e.g. the Amazon region), it is advisable to contact the local institute for travel medicine or your family doctor.
Covid-19
Entry regulations change frequently with the pandemic situation. Please also obtain information from the official offices in Brazil.
• Travelers are obliged to present proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test (antigen/RT-PCR test, no older than one day before departure) to the airline upon check-in. Children under the age of 12 are not required to provide proof of vaccination or testing. Vaccines from the Brazilian Health Authority or the World Health Organization are accepted. The last vaccination/individual vaccination must have been given at least 14 days before departure. The vaccination certificate must be submitted in paper form or digitally, in English, Portuguese or Spanish.
Vaccination certificates that only consist of a QR code will not be accepted. The vaccination certificate must show: Full name of the vaccinated person, name of the vaccine used, batch number, vaccination dates. Proof of recovery is generally not accepted.
Arrivals by land are subject to the air travel rules above. The corresponding proof must be presented at the border crossing point or the relevant transport company. The Brazilian health authority provides further information.
• Health insurance: For all travelers, health insurance is required for the entire duration of the trip, which must have a minimum coverage of R$ 30’000. Proof of insurance must be in Portuguese or English.
Time zones
Brazil has three different time zones. The time difference is therefore very dependent on your country of origin and the areas to be visited
Money and credit cards
The Brazilian currency is called Real (Plural: Reais, R$), 1 Real equals 100 Centavos. In order to get money at the ATM, a bank card with the Maestro / Cirrus symbol is usually sufficient. Otherwise, you can even pay the smallest amounts with a credit card. The most common are Visa and Mastercard. In remote areas with no Internet connection, eg. on Amazon, you sometimes have to pay in cash. For pocket money, especially immediately after arrival, it may be good to take small notes in US dollars.
Smartphone and internet
In cities and tourist places, there is almost everywhere a Wi-Fi reception. The best way to do this is to use Skype or WhatsApp. Roaming costs can be very high. At Claro, Oi, TIM or Vivo, you can buy prepaid cards for your mobile phone, but be careful: networks are regulated in a federal state so you can pay high roaming costs once you change state!
Power
The voltage in Brazil is sometimes 110 volts, sometimes 220 volts. There are often sockets for both voltages, but if you want to be safe, you only have to bring devices (razor, hairdryer, etc.) switching buttons for both voltages, Brazil uses N-type plugs. An adapter is required.
Tips
In restaurants, the bill usually shows 10% for service. If not, the bill indicates: “serviço não incluída”. Extra tipping, in this case, is not expected, but you should round up the total amount. If the service is not included, you should give 10-15%. Reasonable for room staff and luggage carriers: about R$ 15-25.
Potable water
Tap water is not drinkable. But you can use it without hesitation to brush your teeth. You should only drink bottled drinks, filtered or boiled water.
Important contact – your local representation
Brazil Insider Incentives & Tourism
Avenida Pasteur 110 – 7th floor – Botafogo
CEP 22290-240 Rio de Janeiro – Brazil
info@brazil-insider.com
+55 21 99555 1134
+55 22 99755 1134