minifarmer Posted July 9, 2008 #1 Share Posted July 9, 2008 My husband and I enjoyed our cruise up the Amazon River in Jan/Feb 2007 on Princess so much that we signed on for HAL's voyage from Vancouver, BC to Tampa, FL via the Amazon. Of course we had our Brazilian visas (good for 5 years) and our Yellowfever shots (good for 10 years) so we thought we were all set. Then we remembered that our passports had to be renewed in Feb 2008. The Brazilian visa is glued to the old expired passport and has the old pass port number on it. If we take both the old passport with the visa and the new passport with us, do you think there will be any problem? We've asked everybody we could think of - even tried the Brazilian consolate but didn't get a return call. Has anyone else ever run into this problem? Thanks in advance for your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CA Posted July 9, 2008 #2 Share Posted July 9, 2008 I believe you can bring the old passport with the "current" Brazilian visa. I'm sure I read somewhere that was OK but I would still check it out to be certain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazy4cruisn Posted July 9, 2008 #3 Share Posted July 9, 2008 I think you can too but I would write the Brazilian embassy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arabrab Posted July 9, 2008 #4 Share Posted July 9, 2008 I agree that you should check with the embassy, but if the answer is that your old visa is still valid as long as you bring your old passport with you, I'd suggest that you also check with HAL and make sure that this is acceptable to them. It would be a nightmare to be refused boarding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruisin' Ron VA Posted July 9, 2008 #5 Share Posted July 9, 2008 How much is a new visa? How much trouble is it to get one? Is it standard to glue a visa to ones passport? Maybe you could remove that page and attach it to your new passport? You know just glue it. Just an idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Essiesmom Posted July 9, 2008 #6 Share Posted July 9, 2008 Back in 1996 a Brazilian Visa was $40. Not terribly expensive, IF you lived down the street from the consulate. My first visa I was short on time and had to use a visa service. It cost over $100. By the time I needed another, late 1996, they had a consulate in Atlanta so I decided to drive up and spend the night. You had to take the passport in and leave it, pick it up the next day. After I had it, I realized that with the cost of gas, meals, hotel...I had spent as much, if not more than using the visa service. At least this one was good for 5 years. I'm sure it costs more now. EM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
user8 Posted July 9, 2008 #7 Share Posted July 9, 2008 I had the exact, same problem a few years back with my Brazilian Visa being in an old passport. My TA contacted the Brazilian Consulate in Houston and was told that I should just carry both passports. I did and had no problems at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabteks Posted July 9, 2008 #8 Share Posted July 9, 2008 I agree with User8. I have my Brazilian visa in my old passport and have confirmation from the Brazilian consolate that I should travel with both passports. The alternative is to get another Visa - not! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crusing Bob Posted July 9, 2008 #9 Share Posted July 9, 2008 I'm not sure how anyone got their old passport back because the Passport Office typically does not return the old one, only the new passport. Again, I think you should talk to a Passport Office here before tearing out the Visa page. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHBob Posted July 9, 2008 #10 Share Posted July 9, 2008 I'm not sure how anyone got their old passport back because the Passport Office typically does not return the old one, only the new passport. Again, I think you should talk to a Passport Office here before tearing out the Visa page. Passport Office will always return the old passport - all you have to do is ask for it. I have mine going back to my first one in 1958, although I don't know why I've kept them this long - pack rat perhaps? Actually, having the old ones can be quite useful if you have to apply for or update a security clearance and list your foreign travel. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pms4104 Posted July 9, 2008 #11 Share Posted July 9, 2008 I'm not sure how anyone got their old passport back because the Passport Office typically does not return the old one, only the new passport. Again, I think you should talk to a Passport Office here before tearing out the Visa page. Passport Office will always return the old passport - all you have to do is ask for it. I have mine going back to my first one in 1958, although I don't know why I've kept them this long - pack rat perhaps? Actually, having the old ones can be quite useful if you have to apply for or update a security clearance and list your foreign travel. Bob I believe the old passports typically are returned, whether you request it or not, with a hole punched in it so it cannot be fiddled with/doctored for ill purposes. When we renewed in 2006, we did not ask for the old one back, and it was returned with a hole punched thru the entire book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sail7seas Posted July 9, 2008 #12 Share Posted July 9, 2008 We renewed our passports this year and our old ones were returned with a hold punched through them to show they are cancelled and no longer valid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shorex Posted July 9, 2008 #13 Share Posted July 9, 2008 Do NOT remove the visa page from your expiring passport. That action will invalidate the visa. You WILL receive your expired passport with your new passport. Here is what I posted a while back when this question came up on the another board: "In 2006 we cruised to our first port stop in Brazil. We had obtained a five year Brazilian visa. Just two months ago we had our second cruise originating in Brazil -- and in the interim we had to get new passports. We were advised to bring the expired passport (the one with the visa that was valid until 2011) AND our new passport. NO NEW VISA REQUIRED. Absolutely no problem -- the airline in the US inspected our visa in the old passport before allowing boarding. They were familiar with the rule allowing a valid visa in an expired passport. No problem with immigration upon landing in Rio, no problem with the ship accepting the valid visa in the expired passport. It is absolutely critical not the get the visa too early. It MUST be validated in Brazil no later than 90 days after obtaining it. We always use a professional service for visas. ZVSdotcom and traveldocsdotcom have both proven reliable -- it's worth it to us to have a professional service represent our interests to foreign embassies. There have been problems reported with some Brazilian embassies issuing visas that are valid for only a few months. Search the Oceania board for extensive discussions of obtaining Brazilian visas." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarasMommy Posted July 9, 2008 #14 Share Posted July 9, 2008 I believe the old passports typically are returned, whether you request it or not, with a hole punched in it so it cannot be fiddled with/doctored for ill purposes. When we renewed in 2006, we did not ask for the old one back, and it was returned with a hole punched thru the entire book. We live in Canada. We renewed our passports in person, and when we showed them our old ones at the counter they asked if there were any valid visas still in them. We said yes, so she punched every page except that one. We are in the Toronto area though; I realize it's not as easy for people who don't live anywhere near a passport office and have to mail theirs instead. Whatever you do though, do not rip the page out of the book. It is stuck in there for a reason.;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minifarmer Posted July 10, 2008 Author #15 Share Posted July 10, 2008 Many thanks to you all for taking the time to reply to my concerns. The Cruise Critic folks are the best! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CA Posted July 10, 2008 #16 Share Posted July 10, 2008 How much is a new visa? -- about $110/visa plus the expense and hassle of going to the Brazilian Embassy twice or paying to use a visa service. How much trouble is it to get one? -- a royal PITA Is it standard to glue a visa to ones passport? -- Yes. I have two Brazilian and one Chinese visa glued into my old passport Maybe you could remove that page and attach it to your new passport? You know just glue it. -- absolutely not. This invalidates the visa. I'm not sure how anyone got their old passport back because the Passport Office typically does not return the old one' date=' only the new passport. Again, I think you should talk to a Passport Office here before tearing out the Visa page.[/quote'] We renewed our passports this year and our old ones were returned with a hold punched through them to show they are cancelled and no longer valid.I too renewed my passport this year. I first received my new passport and then about a week later, my old one arrived. I had not asked or requested it be returned but I was happy it was since I have tons of stamps and my Brazilian visa that's good for another couple of years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serendipity1499 Posted July 10, 2008 #17 Share Posted July 10, 2008 My husband and I enjoyed our cruise up the Amazon River in Jan/Feb 2007 on Princess so much that we signed on for HAL's voyage from Vancouver, BC to Tampa, FL via the Amazon. Of course we had our Brazilian visas (good for 5 years) and our Yellowfever shots (good for 10 years) so we thought we were all set. Then we remembered that our passports had to be renewed in Feb 2008. The Brazilian visa is glued to the old expired passport and has the old pass port number on it. If we take both the old passport with the visa and the new passport with us, do you think there will be any problem? We've asked everybody we could think of - even tried the Brazilian Consolata but didn't get a return call. Has anyone else ever run into this problem? Thanks in advance for your help. Yes, we've used our Brazilian Visa twice more with our old passport attached to the new ones..We also did the Amazon twice..We e-mailed our Consulate (Miami) & they answered us by e-mail advising us to attach our old passport to our new passport...Don't remove the the Visa Page from your old passports.. To make it official suggest you e-mail the Consulate in San Francisco which handles the State of Washington..Don't call them as you want proof... Also don't contact the Embassy as they will only refer you to the Consular General's office of San Francisco... e-mail address of the Brazilian Consulate in San Fransisco.. brazilsf@brazilsf.org Give them all the info. about where & when your 5 year visa was issued with the Visa Number's ..They should e-mail you back with instructions...Keep the e-mail with you, just for proof in case the Check in Agent at HAL doesn't know the correct procedure..;) We stapled our old Passports to our new ones...On the first Visa page of our new passports we put a post it note giving the page number of the Visa in our old passports.. Have a great cruise.. :) Betty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serendipity1499 Posted July 10, 2008 #18 Share Posted July 10, 2008 I think you can too but I would write the Brazilian embassy. I agree that you should check with the embassy, but if the answer is that your old visa is still valid as long as you bring your old passport with you, I'd suggest that you also check with HAL and make sure that this is acceptable to them. It would be a nightmare to be refused boarding. Normally the Embassy will bounce all correspondence such as this to the Consulate General in charge of each area...It takes much longer that way.. How much is a new visa? How much trouble is it to get one? Is it standard to glue a visa to ones passport? Maybe you could remove that page and attach it to your new passport? You know just glue it....Just an idea. Brazilian Visa's are good for 5 years & ours cost $100 each..We used a Visa Service 5 years ago & the total cost was $280 for two visa's.. I've never seen a Visa glued to a passport, however I have heard of Visa's issued which were not in the passport...Years ago it used to be if one needed a Visa for both Israel & some Arab Countries they were issued on seperate pieces of paper..Our Brazillian Visa's were Stamped into our Passports not glued.... NEVER remove a Visa from an old Passport..It would then become invalid..:eek: Many people confuse Embassy's & Consulates..:confused: Embassy's are based in Washington D.C. & is the residence of the Ambassador of the Country it represents...They normally do not deal with the General Public...The Ambassador is the diplomatic representative of his/her country to the United States Government.. Consular General offices take care of the daily paperwork, such as Visa's, Customs, Adoptions etc. There are 9 Brazilian Consulates in the United States & each one has jurisdiction over several states... The Consulate in DC which is completely separate from the Embassy, only has jurisdiction over a few areas on the east coast & some military bases...Each Consulate has jurisdiction over an assigned area..The OP must contact the Consular office which handles the State of Washington..That office is in San Francisco.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarasMommy Posted July 10, 2008 #19 Share Posted July 10, 2008 I too renewed my passport this year. I first received my new passport and then about a week later, my old one arrived. I had not asked or requested it be returned but I was happy it was since I have tons of stamps and my Brazilian visa that's good for another couple of years. That's why I prefer to renew mine in person - great souvenir of the places I have been! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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