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Brazil Practical Travel Info

Visa rules by nationality (this changed in 2025 — check before you assume), money, safety, and getting connected.

The single biggest thing to check before booking: Brazil reinstated visa requirements for US, Canadian, and Australian citizens in April 2025, after six years of visa-free entry — all three now need an e-visa (about $80.90) before flying. UK, EU/Schengen, and several other nationalities remain visa-free for up to 90 days. Currency is the Brazilian real; Pix (Brazil's instant-payment system) is everywhere. Safety is genuinely fine in the well-touristed zones with normal big-city precautions.

This is the section that actually changes whether your trip happens on time: whether you need a visa (the rule for US, Canadian, and Australian passports flipped in 2025, and a lot of travel advice online is still out of date), how Pix quietly makes carrying cash almost optional in cities, and an honest, non-alarmist read on safety.

Brazil Visa and Entry Requirements (2026)
Practical Info

Brazil Visa and Entry Requirements (2026)

The real answer, broken down by passport — and a rule that changed in 2025.

Money, Safety and eSIM in Brazil
Practical Info

Money, Safety and eSIM in Brazil

Cash, Pix, a genuinely balanced safety picture, and staying connected.

Questions people actually ask

Do I need a visa for Brazil?
It depends on your passport — see the visa table on our visa and entry page. The most important 2026 update: US, Canadian, and Australian citizens now need an e-visa, reinstated in April 2025 after years of visa-free entry. UK, EU/Schengen, and several other nationalities remain visa-free for up to 90 days.
Is Brazil safe to visit?
The well-touristed zones — Rio's Zona Sul (Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon), central São Paulo's main visitor neighborhoods, Iguazu, and organized Amazon lodges — are visited by millions of tourists a year with normal big-city precautions. Petty theft and occasional robbery are real risks in specific areas, so don't flash valuables, use Uber rather than hailing on the street at night, and only visit favelas with a reputable guided tour, never solo.
What currency does Brazil use?
The Brazilian real (BRL, R$). Check a live exchange rate before you go since it moves — as a rough planning anchor, $1 has recently traded around R$5.40–5.60. Pix, Brazil's free instant-payment system, is used constantly by locals and increasingly accepted from visitors with a Brazilian bank account or digital wallet; cards work everywhere in cities, cash still matters in the Amazon and small towns.