Red tape and visas
Citizens of most Western European nations, including the UK and
Ireland, only need a valid passport and either a return or onward
ticket, or evidence of funds to pay for one, to enter Brazil. You
fill in an entry card on arrival and get a tourist visa allowing
you to stay for ninety days. Australian, New Zealand, US and
Canadian citizens need visas in advance, available from Brazilian
consulates abroad; a return or onward ticket is usually a
requirement.
Do not lose the carbon copy of the entry card the police
staple into your passport on arrival, as you may be fined when you
leave if you don't present it. A sensible precaution is to
photocopy it and also keep a record of your passport number in case
it is lost or stolen. If you do lose your passport, report to the
Polícia Federal and then obtain a replacement travel document from
your nearest consulate. You'll then have to return to the Polícia
Federal who will put an endorsement in your passport giving you 72
hours either to return to your original point of entry into Brazil
for a replacement entry card or to leave the country altogether.
So, for example, if you lose your documents in Rio and entered
Brazil here, the formalities don't present too much of a problem.
However, you may be hundreds of kilometres from your point of entry
and far from a land border, in which case you'll have to decide
whether to remain in Brazil illegally or leave the country earlier
than planned.
A tourist visa can be extended for another ninety
days if you apply at least fifteen days before it expires, but it
will only be extended once; if you want to stay longer you'll have
to leave the country and re-enter. There's nothing in the rule book
to stop you re-entering immediately, but it's advisable to wait at
least a day. For anything to do with visas you deal with the
federal police, the Polícia Federal . Every state capital
has a federal police station with a visa section: ask for the
delegacia federal. A $10 charge, payable in local currency,
is made on tourist visa extensions.
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