ENTRY REQUIRMENTS:

US Citizens - Passport & Visa Requirements:

• Brazil requires U.S. citizens to carry a valid U.S. passport and visa when traveling to Brazil for any purpose.
• You must obtain your Brazilian visa in advance from the Brazilian Embassy, Consulate or through a licensed provider (see below) nearest to your place of residence in the United States. There are no "airport visas" and immigration authorities will refuse entry into Brazil to anyone not possessing a valid visa. The U.S. government cannot assist you if you arrive in Brazil without proper documentation. 
• The type of visa and its terms of validity are decided by the Consulate, at its own and sole discretion.  As a basic rule, both the type and the duration of a visa are results of an analysis made by the Consulate of the documentation presented by the applicant in support of his/her declared activities in Brazil.  
• The Brazilian Consulate in San Francsico requires that ALL applications are submitted in person, by the applicant, or by a duly authorized third party (for example: a family member, friend, co-worker, travel agency, visa service). Please note that the San Francisco Consulate does NOT accept visa applications sent by mail. Specific instructions apply to each type of visa.
• Notwithstanding the previous instruction, the applicant's passport may be returned by mail if the applicant or his/her representative leaves a self-addressed pre-paid envelope from the U.S. Postal Service (Express Mail only) at the moment the application is delivered at the Consulate (we can return a maximum of four passports in one single envelope).
• The Consulate does not receive and it will not send envelopes transported by FedEx, UPS, DHL and other private carriers.  The nearest post office (Sutter Street Postal Store) is located three and a half blocks away from the Consulate, at 150 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA 94104.   We are not responsible for documents lost in the mail.
•  After all documentation is received by the Consulate, visa applications take at least 5 (five) working days to be processed (excluding the day when an application is received).
• Travelers under 18 years of age and their parents should carefully review the visa application requirements. The adjudicating official at the Brazilian Embassy or Consulate may require a birth certificate and notarized travel authorization to issue a visa to a minor.
• Visit the web site of the Brazilian Embassy in Washington, D.C. for the most current visa information.
• The cost to obtain a Passport and/or Visa are at your expense.

Visa Service Agencies:

• CIBT - Center for International Business and Travel
• Travisa
• All visa agencies must also make an appointment to deliver your passport and visa application

Arrival into Brazil:

U.S. citizens and other foreign travelers must fill out a small immigration form on arrival that will be stamped and handed back by immigration officials at the airport. It is important to retain this form to hand back to immigration officials upon exit from the country. According to the Brazilian Embassy's website, visitors who lose this form will have to get clearance from the Brazilian Federal Police to leave the country and may have to pay a fine.

Remember that while in Brazil, you are subject to local law. Showing contempt to a Brazilian government official at the port of entry, or elsewhere, is a serious offense.

Health Information:

Additionally, if you have recently visited certain countries, including most other Latin American countries, you may be required to present an inoculation card indicating you had a yellow fever inoculation or you may not be allowed to board the plane or enter the country. Check with the Brazilian Embassy for more information. 

The U.S. Department of State is unaware of any HIV/AIDS entry restrictions for visitors to or foreign residents of Brazil.

Dual Nationals - Special Entry & Exit Requirements:

U.S. citizens who also have Brazilian nationality cannot be issued Brazilian visas and must obtain a Brazilian passport from the Brazilian Embassy or Consulate nearest to their place of residence to enter and depart Brazil. In addition to being subject to all Brazilian laws affecting U.S. citizens, dual nationals may also be subject to other laws that impose special obligations on Brazilian citizens. Information about dual nationality can be found on our website. 

Minors:

Brazilian minors age 17 years and under, including minors who have both Brazilian and U.S. citizenship, are subject to strict exit requirements. Brazilian minors departing Brazil, if not accompanied by both parents, must prove that both parents authorized the departure. If accompanied by only one parent, the minor must have a notarized letter from the other parent indicating permission to depart the country, a court order proving that the accompanying parent has sole custody, or a Brazilian court order authorizing the child's departure. If accompanied by neither parent, the minor must have a notarized letter from both parents authorizing departure, or a Brazilian court order authorizing the same. There are no exceptions, even if the child remained in Brazil only a short time. The authorization must be notarized by a Brazilian notary to be considered valid by the Brazilian authorities. If prepared in the United States, the authorization must be in Portuguese or accompanied by an official translation into Portuguese, and must be notarized by either the Brazilian Embassy or a Brazilian Consulate, or notarized by a U.S. notary public and then authenticated at the Brazilian Embassy or Consulate. Prior to departing the United States, parents traveling to Brazil with children who are Brazilian nationals may wish to obtain an authorization for each parent to return with the children to the United States without the other parent, just in case. Note that children adopted from Brazil are still considered Brazilian citizens and must be documented as such should they return to Brazil.

Minors age 17 years and under who are not Brazilian nationals are not technically subject to the same strict travel requirements as Brazilian minors. However, there have been cases where the travel of non-Brazilian minors has been delayed or prevented when accompanied by only one parent or a third party. To avoid potential difficulties, parents of non-Brazilian minors may want to follow the procedures above if their children will be traveling to Brazil accompanied by only one parent or by a third party.

Parents contemplating separation or divorce should resolve custody matters before leaving the country. Pursuant to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, to which both Brazil and the United States are party, custody will ultimately be decided by a court in the country where the child is a habitual resident. Information about the prevention of international child abduction can be found on State Department website. The State Department hotline for Child Abduction Prevention during regular business hours is: (202) 663-3330 and after hours: (888) 407-4747. 

Non-US Citizen Entry:

Citizens of countries that do not demand visas from Brazilian nationals usually do not need visas to enter Brazil (most European and South American countries fall in this category). If you intend to enter Brazil with a non-U.S. passport, check here to verify if you need a tourist or business visa

Applying for a US Passport (First Time):

Click Here to access the US State Department passport information website

You Must Apply in Person If:
You are applying for your first U.S. passport

• You are under age 16
• Your previous U.S. passport was issued when you were under age 16
• Your previous U.S. passport was lost, stolen, or damaged
• Your previous U.S. passport was issued more than 15 years ago
• Your name has changed since your U.S. passport was issued and you are unable to legally document your name change

Renewing a Passport:

Renew by Mail if All of the Following are True:

Your Most Recent U.S. Passport:

• Is undamaged and can be submitted with your application
• Was issued when you were age 16 or older
• Was issued within the last 15 years
• Was issued in your current name or you can legally document your name change

If any of the above statements do not apply to you, you must Apply in Person

Important Notes:

• If your most recent U.S. passport has been mutilated, altered or damaged, you cannot apply by mail - you must Apply in Person.
• We strongly encourage you to mail your passport application and any personal documents using a traceable delivery method.
• In order to protect the contents of your mailing from the elements throughout the delivery process, we strongly encourage you to mail your passport application and any personal documents using a secure means of packaging, such as a Tyvek envelope.
• Passports renewed by mail in the United States may only be mailed to United States and Canadian addresses.
• If you are behind in child support payments, you may not be able to get a passport (See Child Support).