Health

Officialy Brazil does not require you to have any vaccinations to enter the country; however, our experience is that a certificate of Yellow Fever vaccination could be required while boarding on your intercontinental flight to Brazil.

Make sure you plan your vacionations in advance because the vaccine only becomes effective after some days/weeks. Consult with your local doctor whether or not you should take anti-malaria medicine. In general travelers who will visit only the coastal states from the horn to the Uruguay border and Iguazu Falls are not at risk.

Brazils city water supply is generally safe, especially in the Southern, more industrialized states. Nevertheless it is always advisable to drink bottled water.
As in all countries, hygiene or cleanliness of the foods in Brazil depends on the place you are consuming them. In general, serious problems with hygiene do not exist in the Southern states. In remote areas in the Northeast and North, precautions should be taken.

Visa and Passport regulations

When coming to Brazil, you must be sure that your passport is valid for at least six months after the date of entry. Check with your local Brazilian embassy or consulate whether or not you require a visa to enter the country, as regulations are subject to change at short notice.

Visa Not Required
Consular visas are not required for stays of up to 90 days by tourists from Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, San Marino, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, Uruguay, The Vatican and Venezuela.

Visas Required
US and Canadian citizens, Australians and New Zealanders and people of other nationalities not mentioned above require consular visas to enter Brazil.

Foreign tourists may stay a maximum of 180 days in any one year. 90-day renewals are easily obtainable from the local Polícia Federal. All visa related problems are under the jurisdiction of the Federal Police, which has an office in every major airport.
Holders of expired visas have to pay a penalty, a charge that is multiplied with the number of days that exceeded the stay.

Money

Local currency is the Real (1 USD = approximately 3,2 Real, July 2004; rate is subject to strong fluctuations). Changing other currencies than US dollars is rather easy in the main tourism centers as Rio, Salvador and Foz de Iguaçu, Fortaleza and Natal, however, in the rest of the country could be problematic. Dollars are easy to change all over the country. Money exchange houses are not as abundant as in most other Latin American countries. We advise to keep office hours in mind when one needs to change money. Dollar bills with rips or tears are generally not accepted, or they can be exchanged at a significantly lower rate.
Most banks and money exchange houses will change traveler's checks and foreign currency. It is wise to carry some cash in case you want to go out of the major cities and towns. Generally, MasterCard, Amex, Diners and Visa are accepted. Traveler's checks are accepted at hotels, banks and tourist agencies. (A number of banks including Banco do Brasil and Bradesco accept foreign cards in their ATM machines).

It is advisable to always carry smaller bills, as restaurants and shops rarely have change for large bills. Buying a drink or something small on the street is very hard with notes bigger than 5 Real.

Telephone

Direct international calls are made by first dialling 00, then the long distance operator code (different companies, the most common are 15, 21 or 23), then the country code without the zero, followed by the area code and the number you want to contact. Should the area code start with a zero, the zero must be dropped.
It is also possible to have your international call connected by an international operator (dial 000333). These operators speak English and also offer a translation service in French, Japanese, German, Italian and Spanish as well as collect call services on 0800 - 7032111.

The use of mobile phones is widely spread over Brazil. Unfortunately systems and frequency's vary according to the different states, moreover, systems tend to change rapidly. Consult your provider at home whether you will be able to receive and make calls with your mobile phone in Brazil.

Altough more and more Brazilians use mobile phones these days, public phones are widely spread. Even the most remote tiny little village offers a so called "Orealhão" (big ear; the typical shape of public phones), from where local or international calls can be made.

Internet

The internet is well developed in Brazil, most hotels will have access to the web and there are cyber-cafes in many of the main shopping centres. Despite for real remote locations, like in the Amazon jungle or Pantanal, it won't be any problem to get connected to the internet and keep your homefront up to date with your trip.

Post & mail

Postal services are quite good in Brazil. Post offices are named "Correios" and are normally open weekdays from 8:00 to 18:00 and Saturdays until noon. Mailboxes are small yellow boxes, that sit atop metal pedestals on street corners.
Sending mail from Brazil: An airmail to the United States and to most parts of Europe, cost from R$1.80. Airmail takes on average 5 weekdays to reach the foreign receiver. Brazil postal service has both national and international express mail services (SEDEX). There is also an Express Mail Service (EMS) for international mail and this is often as fast as a courier service and a lot cheaper.
Receiving mail in Brazil: Mail can be addressed "poste restante" and be sent to any major post office in Brazil and the system seems to function reasonably well. The address must include the address of that particular post office and they will hold the mail for 30 days.

Eletricity

Electrical current is not standardized all over the Brazil, so it's a good idea to carry an adaptor. Most of the country uses 127 volts current, 60 HZ, however, Recife, Brasilia and various other cities have 220 volt service. Many of the larger hotels also offer 220 volts. If there is any doubt, check with the front desk of the hotel or the owner of the house or apartment. Transformers to boost the current from 110 volts to 220 volts are available in most good electrical supply stores. Speaking of plugs, the most common power points have two round sockets.

Time

Brazil has 4 time zones, varying from 5 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (-5 GMT) in the far western states in the Amazon basin to 2 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (-2 GMT) in the Fernando the Noronha Archipelago in the Atlantic ocean. Main cities as Rio, Sao Paulo, Salvador and Brasilia are 3 hours behind Greenwich Meantime.

Tipping

Most restaurants and bars include a 10% service charge on the bill. It is customary to leave a bit extra for extra good service. When not included on the bill, 10% is the general rule. There are many places where tipping is not customary but a welcome gesture. The local juice stands, bars, coffee corners, street and beach vendors are all tipped on occasion.
Because of the massive amount of unemployment in Brazil, some services that may seem superfluous are customarily tipped anyway. Parking assistants are the most notable, as they receive no wages and are dependent on tips, usually the equivalent of 25c to 50c. Petrol-station attendants, shoe shiners and barbers are frequently tipped as well. Taxi drivers are not usually tipped. Most people round the price up, but tipping is not expected. In deluxe hotels, tip porters R$1.00 per bag, chambermaids R$1.00 per day, R$1.00 for room and valet service. For moderate and inexpensive hotels, tips tend to be minimal. At this level salaries are so low that virtually anything is well received.

Dangers & Safety

Brazil has a huge crime reputation, partly based on real statistics, however partly exaggerated. Many large cities have significant criminal problems, but most of the violent crimes occur in low-income suburbs; however, no area is immune from crime and violence. In general the countryside is rather safe, whereas in the big cities some precautions based on common sense are at place. As a general rule, favelas (slums) are to be avoided, as is walking on city beaches or parks at night

To reduce risks, please take note of the following precautions:

• Do not flaunt valuables, cameras, jewelry, etc.
  
• Leave larger amounts of cash, travelers' cheques, credit cards, airline tickets, passport, etc. in your hotel safe. When traveling keep valuables around your waist or on your chest in a special money belt/pouch.
  
• Be prepared for the worst - make copies of your important records: a photocopy of your passport (page with passport number, name, photograph, location where issued and expiration date, and all visas), tourist card (entry/exit card, issued on entry to Brazil), travellers check numbers, credit-card numbers and its phone number for cancellation, airline tickets and essential contact addresses. Keep one copy on you, one copy with your belongings and exchange one with a travel companion
  
• By law you must carry a passport with you at all times, but many travellers opt to carry a photocopy (preferable certified) while they amble about town, and leave the passport locked up somewhere safe. A passport is worth several thousand dollars to some people, so keep a close eye on it. If you do loose it, a photocopy of the lost passport and a copy of you birth certificate can usually speed up the issuing of a new passport at embassies and consulates.
  
• Credit cards are useful in emergencies, for cash advances and for regular purchases. Make sure you know the number to call if you lose your credit card and be quick to cancel it if lost or stolen.
  
• Always keep your eyes on your bags and luggage, clutch purses and daypacks in front of your body.
  
• Do not allow anyone to distract you (a popular ruse) in a crowd, e.g., when getting on and off the on public transport.
  
• In cafés and restaurants, never hang your bag over the back of your chair, and never leave them unattended.
  
• Never wander around with your camera dangling over your shoulder or around you neck - keep it out of sight as much as possible. It's also unwise to keep it in a swanky camera bag, which is an obvious target. One advice could be to carry the camera in a sturdy plastic bag from a local supermarket.
  
• Get used to keep small change and a few banknotes in a shirt pocket so that you can pay small expenses without extracting large amounts of money which could quickly attract attention. This easily accessible money is also useful to rapidly please a mugger. If you carry a wallet, keep it in you front pocket, and don't use it on public transport or in crowded places where is might attract unwelcome attention.