Brazil Useful Information

Important things to Know Before and During Travelling

Entry Requirements

• For most European countries, no visa is required for stays up to 90 days (check before traveling to confirm).

• For travellers from the United States, Canada, and Australia, a visa is mandatory starting in 2025.

  • Cost: $80 USD

  • Validity: 10 years

  • Processing time: 1–2 weeks

  • IMPORTANT: Make sure to print the visa in colour! 

   

Required Vaccinations

While Brazil doesn’t always require vaccinations for entry, Yellow Fever is highly recommended, especially if you’re heading to places like the Pantanal, the Amazon, or Chapada dos Guimarães. You don’t want to risk it.

There’s no malaria risk in most of Brazil’s tourist spots, but mosquito repellent is a must, especially in forested and wetland areas. Long sleeves in the evenings help too.

Internet & SIM Cards

Brazilian SIM cards are easy to get if you bring your passport. Major carriers include Claro, Vivo, and TIM. Claro worked best for us. In bigger cities, 4G is pretty reliable. Once you’re deep into nature (e.g. Transpantaneira or national parks), don’t expect any signal.

Tip: download offline Google Maps and Google Translate with Portuguese in advance. It’ll save you when signs or menus don’t make sense and there’s no one around who speaks English.

Safety in Brazil

Brazil doesn’t exactly have the best reputation when it comes to safety, and to be fair, some of it is justified. My first trip to Brazil when I was 14 ended with me and my dad being robbed on the beach in broad daylight by a group of street kids in Rio. It was our last day, and we spent it in a police station. That definitely left a mark and made me hesitant to come back, which is also why we decided to skip Rio this time around.

That said, I’m really glad we gave Brazil another chance.

We traveled for over a month across both rural and urban areas, and the experience was overwhelmingly positive. We never felt unsafe, even in the evenings. We obviously stayed aware, especially in bigger cities, and were more careful about when and where we walked, but honestly, it didn’t feel more unsafe than most European cities. If anything, some areas in the U.S. felt more sketchy.

Cuiabá was probably the only place where we felt a bit less at ease. It’s a city that’s reportedly seen a rise in violence lately, and while nothing happened, the vibe wasn’t great, especially at night. Still, we didn’t have any actual issues there.

In smaller towns like Miranda, Poconé, and Paraty, we felt completely fine. People were friendly, helpful, and curious, and there wasn’t a moment we felt threatened. Like anywhere, reading the room and being sensible goes a long way, if no locals have their phones out, maybe you shouldn’t either.

All in all, don’t let safety concerns stop you from visiting Brazil. Just stay aware, keep your valuables close, don't leave anything in the car (or hide it) and you’ll most likely be fine, like we were.

Money and Payment

• Almost everywhere accepts card payments, even in rural areas.

• ATMs charge a $3 fee per withdrawal (at least during our trip).

• Pro tip: Credit cards work better than debit. My debit card often didn’t work, but my credit card did just fine (except my WISE had issues sometimes).

• Always carry some cash for really small places or unexpected situations, but overall, Brazil is pretty card-friendly.

Transportation

Buses:

• Bus travel is more expensive than in other South American countries but still reliable and comfortable.

• You can book tickets online (e.g., Busbud), but in many cases, you’ll still need to exchange the voucher for a physical ticket at the counter. Always print the voucher or ticket!

• The country is huge, so bus rides can be long (10–16+ hours) for cross-state trips.

Do You Need a Car?

• For most big cities and popular tourist routes, buses work fine.
• Within cities, Uber is the safest option to get around.

• For national parks like the South Pantanal, North Pantanal, Emas, and Chapada dos Veadeiros, a car is pretty much essential.

• Renting a car gives you the freedom to explore wildlife routes, small towns, and remote spots that buses don’t reach.

• Car rentals are reasonably priced, especially when shared, but most agencies don’t speak English, use Google Translate at the counter.

Brazilian drivers are… intense. Expect some wild overtakes, impatient people, and chaotic roundabouts. Stay alert and drive defensively.

When to Go

Brazil is massive, and the best time to visit really depends on the region and what you want to see. Here’s a quick breakdown:

South Pantanal and Emas National Park

• Best time: June to October (dry season): animals gather around the remaining water sources, making them easier to spot. Roads are dry and accessible.

• Wet season: December to March : many roads become muddy or completely flooded. Wildlife is harder to spot but the landscape is lush and green.

• We visited mid-May to mid-June, which was a great shoulder season. Roads were already drivable, and we still had plenty of wildlife sightings without the peak season crowds.

North Pantanal (Porto Jofre area)

• Same pattern as the South Pantanal, but July–October is peak jaguar season along the rivers.

Amazon

• July to December: Best for hiking, as water levels are lower and trails are accessible.

• January to June: High water season, great for boat tours and exploring flooded forests.

Bonito (freshwater snorkeling and Buraco das Araras)

• Best from May to September. Water visibility is better in the dry season for snorkelling, and it’s also when you’ll see the most macaws at Buraco das Araras (especially July–August).

Coastal regions (Rio, Paraty, Bahia)

• All year round, but the dry season (May–October) has cooler, pleasant weather with less rain.

Other Tips

• Learn some Portuguese! It makes life so much easier. Most people don’t speak English, especially in small towns. Brazilians are super friendly and genuinely appreciate it when you try to speak Portuguese… but beware, they’ll probably reply with a full-speed sentence that you won’t understand (they think it’s funny and endearing). Google Translate will be your best friend.

  My partner had only two weeks of Portuguese practice before we arrived (with some Spanish knowledge to help), and he still managed pretty well. That said, we did have one awkward moment where a woman told us off and said we should “learn the language before coming to Brazil.” A bit harsh.

• Big supermarkets are everywhere in towns, so stock up on snacks and essentials easily. Lunch spots are less common than dinner places, especially in smaller towns. Many restaurants close between lunch and dinner, so don’t assume you can always find food mid-afternoon. Always have snacks, bread, or fruit in the car just in case.

• Most Brazilians really friendly. In many places, especially outside tourist hotspots, locals are super curious about visitors. Expect smiles and lots of questions. People are proud of their region and happy to see travellers interested in it.