Practical information Brazil

For a tourist stay of less than 90 days, French, Belgian, Swiss and Luxembourgish nationals do not need a visa. You will receive a stamp upon arrival, usually at Guarulhos airport (São Paulo), Galeão (Rio) or Brasilia. Your passport must remain valid for at least six months after your return date and have a blank page. Upon arrival, you may be asked to provide proof of an outbound ticket and accommodation. For Canadians, an e-visa came into effect in April 2025. If you extend your stay, an additional 90-day extension is possible through the Polícia Federal.

No vaccine is mandatory upon entry if you arrive directly from Europe. Yellow fever is however strongly recommended if your itinerary includes the Amazon, the Pantanal, Iguazu Falls, Minas Gerais or the Centre-West, covering virtually all major destinations. Also update your DTP, hepatitis A and B, and typhoid for longer stays. Dengue circulates during the warm and humid season in all tropical areas: mosquito protection is essential day and night. Malaria only affects remote Amazonian areas, and preventive treatment should be discussed on a case-by-case basis with an international vaccination centre before departure.

Excluding international flights, budget an average of 90 to 150 euros per day and per person for mid-range travel, including domestic flights. A night in a comfortable pousada ranges from 60 to 120 euros, dinner at a decent restaurant from 15 to 30 euros, lunch at a local pay-by-weight restaurant around 8 to 12 euros. Domestic flights Rio-Salvador or São Paulo-Manaus range from 80 to 200 euros depending on the season. Amazon and Pantanal lodges, all-inclusive with guide, run 200-350 euros per day. Excursions, park entries, and boat trips at Iguazu add 30 to 80 euros per activity.

Since the seasons are reversed, the southern winter (May to September) remains the most versatile period. It's the dry season in the Pantanal (July-October, ideal for wildlife and jaguars), in the Northeast (September-February) and in the Amazon (August-November for river beaches and forest trekking). Rio and the Southeast are best experienced from April to October, with temperatures ranging from 22 to 28°C. Avoid December-March in Iguazu and the Pantanal (heavy rainfall), and June-July in Salvador and Recife (the most humid season). For Lençóis Maranhenses, aim for June to September, when the lagoons are full.

Distances make flying essential whenever you combine two regions: Rio-Salvador in 2h30, São Paulo-Manaus in 4h, Brasilia-Foz do Iguaçu in 2h. LATAM, GOL and Azul airlines cover the entire country. For short trips, long-distance buses are comfortable, particularly in the Southeast. In cities, Uber and 99 work everywhere and remain cheaper than traditional taxis. In the Pantanal, the Amazon and the Nordeste coast, we work with English-speaking private drivers and boat pilots for river transfers. Car rental is mainly an option in the South and Chapada Diamantina.

Brazil can be traveled without difficulty when following a few urban rules. Precautions mainly concern large cities: no visible jewelry, watches or phones on the street, VTC rides rather than walking at night, and vigilance in certain areas of Rio (north, outskirts of unpeacified favelas), São Paulo (centro at night) and Salvador (Cidade Baixa). Classic tourist regions (Iguaçu, Paraty, Chapada, Pantanal, Lençóis, Nordeste pousadas) are safe. We provide you before departure with detailed notes on neighborhoods to avoid city by city, and our English-speaking drivers and guides know the safe routes. The Amazon and Pantanal mainly present risks linked to nature, supervised by the lodges.