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All visitors require passports that are valid for at least the period of intended stay in Brazil. Sufficient funds to cover their stay in Brazil, as well as a return or onward ticket and documentation required for further travel, are necessary for all travelers.
Americans: A valid passport and a visa are required by US nationals; both single and multiple entry visas are available. Visas must be used within 90 days of issuance.
UK nationals: UK passport holders do not require a visa for either business or holiday travel for stays of up to 90 days from date of issue.
A valid passport is required.
Canadians: A valid passport and a visa are required by Canadian nationals; both single and multiple entry visas are available. Visas must be used within 90 days of issuance.
Australians: A valid passport and a visa are required by Australian nationals; both single and multiple entry visas are available. Visas must be used within 90 days of issuance.
South Africans: A valid passport is needed, but no visa is required by South African nationals if traveling on holiday or business for up to 90 days from date of issue.
Irish nationals: Irish nationals need a valid passport, but do not require a tourist or business visa for stays of up to 90 days from date of issue.
New Zealanders: New Zealanders need a valid passport, but no visa is required for a stay of up to 90 days from date of issue, for tourist or business purposes.
Health
A yellow fever vaccination is recommended for those traveling to rural areas and parts of Sao Paulo and Parana. Those traveling from infected areas require a yellow fever certificate. Typhoid and Hepatitis A immunization is also recommended. Mosquito-borne diseases like dengue fever and malaria are prevalent and insect protection is strongly advised. Malaria exists below 2,953ft (900m) in most rural areas, and outbreaks of dengue fever occur frequently, and seem to be on the increase. Chagas disease, caused by a parasite, is widespread in rural areas of Brazil. Until recently infection was believed to be from insect bites only, but an outbreak in March 2005 that has caused three deaths in Santa Catarina was traced to the ingestion of sugar cane juice contaminated with the faeces of vector insects, and further cases were linked to the ingestion of bacaba wine from roadside stalls; visitors are advised to seek medical advice urgently if any of the symptoms occur (fever, nausea, muscle aches and pains and/or swelling at the site of the insect bite). Tap water is heavily treated resulting in a strong chemical taste; bottled water is, however, freely available for drinking purposes. Milk in rural areas is not pasteurized. Travelers are advised to take along medication for travelers' diarrhoea. Hospitals in the major cities are fairly good, but medical costs are high and medical insurance is strongly recommended.
Safety
Brazil is politically stable with no natural enemies and no terrorist activities. In metropolitan areas, however, petty crime is a fact of life. Rio in particular is regarded as one of the most crime-ridden cities in the world and, although violent crime is generally limited to the slum areas, foreigners are advised to take precautions. Visitors should not attempt to visit slum areas unless on a guided tour. However violent crime is on the increase due to the establishment of drug and criminal gangs around Rio and Sao Paulo. Muggings, often involving firearms, are high and visitors should avoid wearing jewelry and expensive watches, dress down and conceal cameras. Valuables should be deposited in hotel safes. The threat of personal attack is lower outside the main urban centers, but incidents do occur, and women should be aware that sexual assaults have been reported in coastal holiday destinations. Beware of unofficial taxis and those with blacked-out windows and be particularly careful on public transport in Rio, Recife and Salvador. Armed criminals intercepted a taxi carrying foreigners at night from Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport to central Rio in May 2006; incidents like this occur at random along this road, particularly at night. Following the plane crash at Sao Paulo's Congonhas Airport in July 2007 in which 199 people were killed, plans to change the air transport system could cause delays for the time being; on 7 November 2007 BRA airline (Brasil Rodo Aereo) temporarily suspended all flights.
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