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Brazil Visa - DC consulate - painless


wdpmd
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Worried about the endless descriptions of problems and delays in obtaining visas I drove 3 hours and submitted my application in person rather than thru a visa service. The service had told me to plan on an 8 week delay.

 

The consulate doesn't make appointments - it's first come first served. I arrived about 1030. The guard at the door was courteous and showed me where to get a ticket. I was seen in less than a minute after picking up the ticket. Review of my documents took about 90 seconds per application. I was told I'd have my passports back with visas in less than a week. I was in and out in under 5 minutes.

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Went in person to apply for visa at the consulate in Chicago. I had no trouble. Some people before me were having trouble and I heard the clerk tell them that the information is on the website. If you follow the directions on the website to the letter, you will have no problem. Apply on line first, bring the required papers, the receipt from the application with photo and signature, copy of flight tickets, cruise ticket and itinerary, copy of driver's license and passport. Oh yea, the money order from the post office. :D I also brought a self addressed stamped express envelope from the post office to have the passports mailed back.

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I thought this was tough, and on reflection, would have gladly paid $70 each to have a service do this for us.

I found the website difficult to navigate. More than once it froze up and I had to start all over. There was also a LOT of conflicting information on the website (for example: "There are NO consular services in Washington DC. Go to the Consulate for your state" Mine is Washington, DC). There were more.

It took 2 hours to input four travelers. I thought I had it all right but did not understand that I needed to have confirmed airline flights. That was not clear to me. I did miss that I needed copies of everyone else's drivers' license (luckily I had them on my phone and found a great printshop nearby).

I'm not a rocket scientist, but I'm not stupid, either. I found this process difficult and time consuming.

 

I will say the gentleman who assisted me at the consulate was charming and very sweet.

 

I hope its worth it !!!! I can't wait to see Brazil !!!

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I thought this was tough, and on reflection, would have gladly paid $70 each to have a service do this for us.

I found the website difficult to navigate. More than once it froze up and I had to start all over. There was also a LOT of conflicting information on the website (for example: "There are NO consular services in Washington DC. Go to the Consulate for your state" Mine is Washington, DC). There were more.

It took 2 hours to input four travelers. I thought I had it all right but did not understand that I needed to have confirmed airline flights. That was not clear to me. I did miss that I needed copies of everyone else's drivers' license (luckily I had them on my phone and found a great printshop nearby).

I'm not a rocket scientist, but I'm not stupid, either. I found this process difficult and time consuming.

 

I will say the gentleman who assisted me at the consulate was charming and very sweet.

 

I hope its worth it !!!! I can't wait to see Brazil !!!

 

Just curious...

....what did you understand by "confirmed airline flights"?

The DC consulate's website states that you need a RT ticket OR a

"letter....with complete itinerary" (as quoted below). Most applicants understand this to mean that you can reserve a flight, get a printout to use to apply for a visa, and then, when you do not pay for the flight within the specified flight, the reservation is cancelled (and you can make a reservation that suits you better). NOTE: This information is on various travel forums such as this one.

 

"2. WHAT ARE THE TOURIST VISA REQUIREMENTS?"

Itinerary

Copy of purchased round-trip ticket or letter from a travel agent under applicant’s name with complete itinerary, flight number and arrival/departure dates and reservation code provided by the airline company. "

--------------

On what website/page did you see the phrasing "There are NO consular services in Washington DC. Go to the Consulate for your state" ?

 

The Brazilian Embassy in Washington DC does not provide consular services. The Brazilian Consulate there does. Some fail to make the distinction.

-----------

I'm surprised that you were asked to prove the residence of everyone in your party if they were all family. Did you make this clear? in most cases, it is sufficient proof if only the person applying for him/herself and the family presents proof of residence in the jurisdiction.

In fact, I have seen reports on travel forums of people who applied outside their own consular jurisdiction in the U.S. and recommended that strategy to all and sundry (if the other consulate is faster) .

What do you think would have happened if the others in your family party did not have drivers licenses (child, for example)?

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Ref the airfare - you must have purchased, confirmed flights. Not intended itineraries, confirmed flights -

Yes, - all of the people going are in my immediate family, and I cannot answer about children because there aren't any for us - sorry!

 

This was my first experience with this sort of thing, and I guess I just found it much more involved than I expected it to be. I did not like giving up my passport. For example, it was way more time consuming and difficult than getting my passport. I found the detailed minutiae complex for something as simple as a tourist visa on a 3 day visit as part of a cruise. I feel that something like that should have a lesser detailed procedure than applying for a visa that is now valid for 10 years. In any event, its done, and I got them ! We got our passports back Friday 1/20.

 

And yes, I understand the difference between consular services and the embassy and would never have gone to the embassy. It can be confusing however, if you don't know the difference. I just did not find it to be an easy task, and I think to be safe people should try and do this early, rather than later. Maybe my experience was not the norm.

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Ref the airfare - you must have purchased, confirmed flights. Not intended itineraries, confirmed flights -

 

Incorrect.

Again, for any future readers, the official Brazilian Consulate site (for DC and others) states:

"...letter from a travel agent under applicant’s name with complete itinerary, flight number and arrival/departure dates and reservation code provided by the airline company. "

As explained previously, this is a reservation for RT flights. (Payment is usually due within 14 days or reservation is cancelled.) This printed itinerary is sufficient for the visa process. No purchase, no money need change hands, at the time the letter is printed.

And I know this from personal experience, so please don't bother with contradicting "you must have".

If any consular staff tried to bs me about this, I would simply and politely point him/her to the statement above on his/her own government's site and ask to speak to a supervisor.

Edited by VidaNaPraia
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Went in person to apply for visa at the consulate in Chicago. I had no trouble. Some people before me were having trouble and I heard the clerk tell them that the information is on the website. If you follow the directions on the website to the letter, you will have no problem. Apply on line first, bring the required papers, the receipt from the application with photo and signature, copy of flight tickets, cruise ticket and itinerary, copy of driver's license and passport. Oh yea, the money order from the post office. :D I also brought a self addressed stamped express envelope from the post office to have the passports mailed back.

 

Passports came it in less that 2 weeks after I brought in the needed paperwork and pictures !!

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  • 1 month later...

Does the cruise need to be paid off in full before applying for the Brazilian visa? Can I just present my partially-paid receipt from my travel agent?

 

What if the cruise starts and ends in Fort Lauderdale (circumnavigation of South America) do I still need proof of any airline arrangements?

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Does the cruise need to be paid off in full before applying for the Brazilian visa? Can I just present my partially-paid receipt from my travel agent?

 

What if the cruise starts and ends in Fort Lauderdale (circumnavigation of South America) do I still need proof of any airline arrangements?

 

The Brazilian Consulate needs to see how you are entering and leaving the country of Brazil, particularly, leaving. In this case, it would be the cruise documentation, since you are not flying in or out of Brazil.

 

If you read (as you should do with great care and detail, all relevant visa pages) the site of the Brazilian Consulate with jurisdiction over your residence, you may notice that the wording for visa requirements talks about an "itinerary" on the travel agency stationary as one option.

In the case of a flight itinerary, this means one can choose and reserve flights and have the travel agent print out the itinerary. You can use this for the visa application. Usually there is a 7 or 14 day window to pay for the flights; if not, the reservation is cancelled. The Brazilian Consulate does not check up on your arrangements, other than giving the print-out a brief look.

Do whatever is the equivalent for cruise paperwork and you should be fine.

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Incorrect.

Again, for any future readers, the official Brazilian Consulate site (for DC and others) states:

"...letter from a travel agent under applicant’s name with complete itinerary, flight number and arrival/departure dates and reservation code provided by the airline company. "

As explained previously, this is a reservation for RT flights. (Payment is usually due within 14 days or reservation is cancelled.) This printed itinerary is sufficient for the visa process. No purchase, no money need change hands, at the time the letter is printed.

We will be taking a cruise that leaves from Buenos Aires around Cape Horn thru Panama Canal to Fort Lauderdale. So no ports in Brazil. We have reservations for the Sheraton at Iguazu before we board our ship. (Arrangements made by us, so no Travel Agency involved). After reading this forum I am now thinking about getting a visa for Brazil so that we can see the falls from Brazil as well. Flights will be from round trip from BA to Iguzu. With no flight in & out of Brazil and no travel agency involved, what will I need to document our plan for a day trip into Brazil? Any help would be appreciated.

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Most all the iconic photos that attracted you to the falls in the first place were taken from the Brazilian side. So good decision to get the visa to see that side. Plan about 3 hours to walk the path and another 2-3 to visit the Bird Park near the park entrance.

 

" Flights will be from round trip from BA to Iguzu. With no flight in & out of Brazil and no travel agency involved..."

 

I believe the RT flight to/from the IGR airport (Puerto Iguazu is the town) on the Argentine side of the falls area should do.

How are you booking your flight? Can you print out the flight details (flight number and arrival/departure dates and reservation code)? Maybe include the booking confirmation from the Sheraton as well.

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"I believe the RT flight to/from the IGR airport (Puerto Iguazu is the town) on the Argentine side of the falls area should do.

How are you booking your flight? Can you print out the flight details (flight number and arrival/departure dates and reservation code)? Maybe include the booking confirmation from the Sheraton as well. "

 

Thanks for the great information. We booked the hotel through an online travel site and will probably use the same site for the flights. ( The trip is planned for next Feb). I can definitely print the confirmations when we finalize the flight (probably in the next month or so. ) You have helped a lot since I have been trying to decide whether to get the visa for Brazil.

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  • 2 weeks later...
...This was my first experience with this sort of thing, and I guess I just found it much more involved than I expected it to be. I did not like giving up my passport. For example, it was way more time consuming and difficult than getting my passport. I found the detailed minutiae complex for something as simple as a tourist visa on a 3 day visit as part of a cruise. I feel that something like that should have a lesser detailed procedure than applying for a visa that is now valid for 10 years. ...

 

In the realm of international relations, this is what is known as reciprocity. We stick it to them, they reciprocate. It used to be easy to fly in to South America, get a stamp at the border, and proceed. Then we started imposing more limits on visas for entry to the States, they reciprocated. We often require a personal interview for anyone to get a visa, fortunately most of the Brazilian consulates do not impose that on us. I expect it to get much worse for tourists travelers in the coming years.

 

I found the Brazilian process quite straightforward. Downloaded the forms, read the rules, did the application, mailed the required items to Chicago, received the package back exactly on the date promised. Along the way I had a question - I had no flights in/out of Brazil as I was driving across from Puerto Iguazu Argentina for a day trip. No biggie, they told me what to include. And the day trip was well worth it! And I have a 10-year visa which I will be using again next year...

 

Stan

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  • 1 month later...

OK. I have questions as we just booked a Feb 2, 2019 cruise that will stop in Brazil.

 

1. It says I need "cruise tickets". Does a confirmed booking agreement count? Otherwise how does one get cruise tickets?

 

2. My passport photo was taken before the requirement of "no smiling". Will it work for the Visa or will I have problems as I was smiling in the photo that is on my passport? Do I need to get a new photo for the Visa? I certainly don't want to have to replace my passport as it has many years left on it.

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OK. I have questions as we just booked a Feb 2, 2019 cruise that will stop in Brazil.

 

1. It says I need "cruise tickets". Does a confirmed booking agreement count? Otherwise how does one get cruise tickets?

 

2. My passport photo was taken before the requirement of "no smiling". Will it work for the Visa or will I have problems as I was smiling in the photo that is on my passport? Do I need to get a new photo for the Visa? I certainly don't want to have to replace my passport as it has many years left on it.

We got new Brazilian visas last September from the Miami Consulate. In our experience:

 

 

  1. We submitted a copy of our official itinerary and the receipt from our TA (along with lots of other required paperwork - read the instructions applicable to your consulate carefully!).
  2. As long as your passport is valid, they won't question your passport photo but you do need to get a Visa photo that meets the Brazilian requirements. We went to AAA for our photos. They first ask 'which country?' and then consult a database that tells them exactly that country's visa photo requirements. We had no problem submitting the new visa photos for our 'old' passports.

Getting the visa is time-consuming and expensive but well worth it. We had a great time in Brazil. We spent 2 days in Rio and then 2 days in Iguassu Falls. If you have the time and budget, Iguassu Falls was one of the most spectacular places we have seen anywhere in the world!

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... Do I need to get a new photo for the Visa? I certainly don't want to have to replace my passport as it has many years left on it.

Yes. I went to our local photo store. Granted, these are becoming quite rare. Do a web search on Passport Photos in your area. AAA for example should be able to help as they press requests for international driver's licenses which have a "passport photo" requirement.

 

Stan

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have a question about the visa. We plan on flying from Buenos Aires to Iguarzu Falls on the Argentina side. We have a reservation there. The next day we intend to take a cab/bus/private driver to the Brazilian side and fly out from the Brazilian airport. I therefore have no incoming flight to Brazil but rather the thought of land travel to Brazil. Wondering if that will be sufficient with a copy of my hotel reservation? Any thoughts. Thank you for your help.

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Yes. I went to our local photo store. Granted, these are becoming quite rare. Do a web search on Passport Photos in your area. AAA for example should be able to help as they press requests for international driver's licenses which have a "passport photo" requirement.

 

Stan

 

One can usually get a passport photo at a post office or at Costco.

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I have a question about the visa. We plan on flying from Buenos Aires to Iguarzu Falls on the Argentina side. We have a reservation there. The next day we intend to take a cab/bus/private driver to the Brazilian side and fly out from the Brazilian airport. I therefore have no incoming flight to Brazil but rather the thought of land travel to Brazil. Wondering if that will be sufficient with a copy of my hotel reservation? Any thoughts. Thank you for your help.

 

Prepare your itinerary. Day 1 [such-and-such date] ArriveBA, Date X BA to Puerto Iguazu via Aerolinas Vuelo #xxxx, Hotel stay at abcXyz, Date X+y ground transport to Brazil, Date X+Y+1 Vuelo #xxxx from abc to xyzzy. Attach this itinerary and copies of your hotel booking receipts, your air confirmations. Send this in with your Visa application. You will be fine. They do not require you to arrive and depart via air or to arrive/depart via cruise. That probably is just the way most people travel to/from Brazil and thus is the assumption made when putting the form together. They don't care how you get there, how you leave. They just want to know your itinerary.

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Prepare your itinerary. Day 1 [such-and-such date] ArriveBA, Date X BA to Puerto Iguazu via Aerolinas Vuelo #xxxx, Hotel stay at abcXyz, Date X+y ground transport to Brazil, Date X+Y+1 Vuelo #xxxx from abc to xyzzy. Attach this itinerary and copies of your hotel booking receipts, your air confirmations. Send this in with your Visa application. You will be fine. They do not require you to arrive and depart via air or to arrive/depart via cruise. That probably is just the way most people travel to/from Brazil and thus is the assumption made when putting the form together. They don't care how you get there, how you leave. They just want to know your itinerary.

 

Thanks. That is what I was going to do and wanted to make sure I was doing it correctly.

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I read an article in the local paper the other day about tourism issues in Brazil. It said they were possibly going to make it easier for tourists to visit the country. I would love it if they did away with the visa requirement for US citizens. There is a fairly long list of countries who's citizens don't need a visa for Brazil

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I read an article in the local paper the other day about tourism issues in Brazil. It said they were possibly going to make it easier for tourists to visit the country. I would love it if they did away with the visa requirement for US citizens. There is a fairly long list of countries who's citizens don't need a visa for Brazil

 

The US requires a visa for the Brazilian citizens for $160 like they require of us. It is a case of tit for tat.

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I'm on the Island Princess with several stops in Brazil. The cruise starts and ends in Fort Lauderdale. What do I put for my contact info in Brazil? Can I just put "Island Princess"? What about the blanks for local address and phone number?

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