Admittance to Brazil, whatever your purpose, normally requires a visa. This should be applied for at a Brazilian embassy or consulate in your country of residence. You will need a valid passport. The type of visa you require depends on the length and purpose of your visit. Brazilian tourist visas are valid for 90 days. You can not legally undertake any kind of paid employment in Brazil if you’re in the country on a tourist visa. Permanent visas are more difficult to obtain.

Health insurance

Make sure you have adequate health insurance coverage for your stay. Unless you are a permanent resident of Brazil you are not eligible for coverage from the SUS (the Brazilian public health service). There are a number of private health insurance providers in Brazil, and you can also easily purchase expatriate health insurance in your home country (please refer to to the relevant section of this site for more information).

Photos

It is always useful to have passport-sized photos with you when you arrive. They will be needed for visas, your residency card (also for family members), your company or school ID, club membership, etc. Such photos are easy to get done in Brazil but having ten or so with you will save you some time and energy during the first hectic weeks.

Money

Be sure to bring enough money with you to cover your needs for at least 6-8 weeks. Even if you start work immediately you may need to purchase supplies for your new flat, over and above food etc. and you won’t get paid till the end of the work month. It’s also a good idea to have access to back-up funds (credit card, or access to an account in your home country through a cash card). Bring certified copies your diploma(s) and/or transcript(s) with you, whether you are coming to Brazil in search of a job or even if you already have one, since you may decide to change companies while you’re there.

Vaccination

To enter Brazil a yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from everyone that has spent more than nine months in an infected region.: Angola, Bolivia, Cameroon, Colombia, Congo (Dem Rep), Ecuador, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Peru, Sierra Leone and Sudan. Vaccination is strongly recommended for those intending to visit rural areas of Brazil such as in the states of Acre, Amap, Amazonas, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Roraima, Tocantins, and certain areas of Minas Gerais, Parana and Sao Paulo. If in any doubt, please contact the Brazilian Consulate General in your town.

A cholera vaccination certificate is no longer a condition of entry to Brazil. However, cases of cholera were reported in 1996 and precautions are essential. Seek specialist medical advice prior to your trip, in particular regarding malaria and dengue fever. Immunisation against typhoid is recommended.