Welcome back! And apologies for the long break, from now on
I'll be running a tighter ship with this blog.
So, for this article, I will be
walking you through three different types of visas for getting into Brazil;
Vitem V (Business Visa), Student visa, and a tourist visa. I can confirm
that as of writing that the process for the Vitem V is still valid. As
for the student and tourist visas, I have done my best to confirm the
information, but be sure to check your local consulate for any possible
changes. After that. I will also discuss a short trip to Rio that I took
a few weeks ago.
So, without further ado, let's
get into it. I will provide useful links at the end of each consulate I
discuss.
Side note: Brazil employs
something called a "reciprocity system” this means that whatever the
United States government requires for Brazilian citizens to enter the U.S, that
is what they require of us to go there.
VITEM V (Work Visas)
WASHINGTON D.C
Chances are, many of you won't
need to get this type of visa, but since it is the one I am using to be in
Brazil, it is the process I am the most familiar with. When you are
talking about applying for a visa in Brazil, the first step is to figure out
which consulate that you need to visit. Each consulate has its own
jurisdiction and rules/processes that you need to follow. For me, since I
still maintain Virginia residency, that means I had to use the Washington, D.C
consulate general.
Since this visa was for my work
with GKN, they helped a lot with the process. They put me in contact with
a lawyer here in Porto Alegre. After sending the lawyer some basic
information, including an up to date copy of my resume, I had to wait for my
name to be published in something called the "Diário Oficial
da União". This is a document published by the government that
basically gives you permission to apply for a visa.
Once you have that
confirmation, the next step is to fill out the actual application. The
application itself is fairly straight forward, the main thing they want is more
basic information along with information about your arrival date and departure
date. Once you fill out the application, you need to print the receipt
and attach a 2X2 passport style photo to the receipt.
When the application is done,
the next step (or you can do this before, it comes down to your preference) is
to complete the background check. For D. C’s process, they only accept
FBI background checks. This is the only consulate to require this.
Now there are two ways to go about doing this step. You can go through
the FBI themselves, which can take anywhere from 12-15 weeks according to the
FBI website. If you're like e and don't have that much time, then you can
go through what is called a "channeler". These are people who
are authorized to collect finger prints for the FBI and distribute the
background check electronically. The FBI has a list of sanctioned
companies, and the process is simple. I made an appointment with a local
channeler in North Carolina when I was working there, and maybe five minutes
after leaving the office, I had the background check. The cost for using
a channeler is usually 50 USD.
This next step can be skipped
if you opted to go through the FBI directly. Once you have an electronic
copy of your FBI background check, you need to get something called an
apostille. This is a document that essentially certifies that your
background check is official. This cost around 190 USD and took five
business days to receive.
The final step before you can
go to the consulate is to get another 2X2 passport photo, a USPS money order
for the consulate fees (290 USD) addressed to the consulate general and the
last thing you need is a self-addressed envelope so that the consulate can mail
your passport back to you.
To review, these are the things
you will need to have in hand when you go to the consulate:
- Original Passport
- Visa Application Receipt
- 2X2 Passport Photo
- FBI Background Check
- Apostille for the Background
Check
- USPS Money Order for 290 USD
- Self Addressed Envelope
- Page from the Diario with
Your Name Published in It (You may not need this, but better safe than
sorry)
The final step in the process
that you need to do is go in person to the consulate general. The
consulate general only accepts walk-ins, with time slots for visas starting at
9 AM and continuing until 1 PM (the last ticket will be issued at noon
however). I went on a Thursday right when they opened and had no problems
getting through. I was done in about 30 minutes. The consulate
should give a receipt confirming they accepted your documents and the date you
can expect to receive your passport back. For Washington, D.C it will
take around five business days, and you have to have it mailed back (thus why
you need the envelope).
Useful Links for Washington,
D.C:
- VITEM V Requirements: http://cgwashington.itamaraty.gov.br/en-us/vitem_v_(work_visa).xml#WHAT
ARE THE WORK VISA REQUIREMENTS?
- VITEM V Fees: http://cgwashington.itamaraty.gov.br/en-us/visa_fees.xml
- FBI Channelers: https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/identity-history-summary-checks/list-of-fbi-approved-channelers-for-departmental-order-submissions
-Apostille Service: http://www.internationalapostille.com
VITEM V: Chicago
I reached out to my coworker
Kevin to find out about the way that the Chicago consulate handles the
process. I sent him a list of questions and here are his responses:
Question 1. Which consulate did you use?
Answer:
-Chicago
Question 2. What steps did you have to follow to
complete the visa process?
Answer: - Valid
passport
- Visa request form/print
& signed delivery receipt
- You have
to electronically submit everything and mail it
- Request
‘Work Visa- Vitem V- RN87/10’
- Visa photo
- Money Order
- $290 to ‘Consulate General of
Brazil in Chicago’
- Please
verify the amount, it may have changed or been updated
- Background check from
county sheriff/jail
- Takes 10 minutes of hard time in
the jail, $5
- Invitation
letter
- This letter doubled as my
invitation letter and replacement for round trip ticket
- You are supposed
to prove that you will leave Brazil with a round trip ticket but the
invitation letter should suffice.
- Proof of
residency in the consulate’s ‘coverage area’
- Any of the following copies will
suffice
- Driver’s license
- Utility bill
- Housing contract
- A photo of you eating
Chicago deep dish pizza
- Cover
letter
-
I just wrote a short letter explaining what was enclosed, that the
invitation letter has a
dual purpose, and that my housing contract was my ‘proof of
Michigan residency’.
- I also
included a copy of the Diario Oficial da União and highlighted my name
- I don’t believe this step is
necessary. They should be able to find your name in the
Diario when it is posted.
Question 3. If you needed to get in touch with the
consulate, how easy/difficult was it
Answer: - They only
respond by email. It took them one day to respond. I asked about the
housing
contract
residency quandary.
- Were they able to communicate effectively
in English?
- Their English was okay.
Question
5. Overall, how long did the process take
Answer:
- 5 weeks
- 2 weeks to wait for the Diario
Posting
- 3 weeks
from when I mailed my passport to when I received back in the mail
- I used overnight express
mail
- You have to send using
USPS, they do not accept FedEx
- If you drive back and forth from
the consulate (Chicago), it will take 2 weeks instead of 3
Question 6. How much did it cost?
Answer:
- Money
order costs above
- Background
check $5
Useful Links:
VITEM IV (Student Visa)
For
this type of visa, I reached out to my friend Jim, who spent some time as a
student in Sao Paulo. I asked him the following questions and here are
his answers:
1. Where did you
apply?
- New York City
2. How much did it
cost?
- It cost I think $100 for the visa
3. How long did it
take?
- It only took a couple weeks. I fortunately was
able to apply through my mother going to the consulate for me because I was
studying at university
4. Walk me through
the steps of applying and getting the visa in hand (as best as you can remember)
- I had to fill out a form, have a specific picture
size, my US passport.
Since it has been a few
years since Jim applied for this, I went to the consulate website for NYC and
found a list of their current requirements. There are a few things that you
need other than what Jim listed, so be sure to check this link IF you are using
NYC: http://novayork.itamaraty.gov.br/en-us/temporary_-_students_(vitem_iv).xml
Visitor
Visa (Tourist)
I
reached out to my friend Duncan to provide some information regarding the
process for getting a tourist visa to Brazil. I asked him the same
questions I asked Jim:
1. Where did you
apply/When did you apply?
- Brazilian Consulate in New York City, May 2016
2. How much did it cost?
- $190
3. How long did it
take?
- Five hours
4. What documents did you need?
- Passport, Proof of Residency (Driver’s license),
Proof of Travel arrangements, 2X2 photo of yourself
5. Walk me through the
steps of applying and getting the visa in hand (as best as you can remember) - I physically went to the Consulate in New York
City and got the visa through one of their clerks
For more information about tourist visas from the NYC consulate,
use this link: http://novayork.itamaraty.gov.br/en-us/visitor_visa_(vivis).xml
Now that we have that out of
the way, it's time to talk about one of the crown jewels of Brazil, Rio de
Janeiro. Fun fact, the local people are referred to as
"Cariocas".
Rio de Janeiro: History
The city started out as a small
Portuguese settlement around 1568 following conflicts with the French colonists
who were occupying nearby areas along the coast. By 1763, Rio had usurped
Bahia as the colonial capital in Brazil, though the population was just a
meager 25,000.
Rio enjoyed some importance and
affluence in the mid-18th century, but it wasn't until 1808 when the Portuguese
royal family moved to the city that it became truly prominent in Brazil.
Because of the royal family's arrival, this led to a huge amount of investment
in Rio. The city was restructured, public infrastructure was improved and
once the Republic of Brazil was declared in the 1880's, Rio became the capital
of the country.
The 20th century was a period
of massive growth in the city. Due to the huge influx of people, large
residential towers were built around the city. In 1960, the capital moved
from Rio to Brasilia, although by this point Rio was already one of the two
most important cities in Brazil (the other being Sao Paulo).
Today Rio is a city of contrasts.
It is a city where you can see the opulence of the modern elite that call the
city home, and the poverty of the people living in the favelas. Where you
can find old, colonial buildings dotting the hills alongside new hotels and
neighborhoods. This leads to the city having a diverse range of offerings
for tourists. However, the main sites to find tourists are along the
Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon beaches, Christ the Redeemer and the iconic
Sugar Loaf Mountain.
Rio de Janeiro:
Since this was a shorter trip
compared to others I have taken, there won't be as much to cover.
From Porto Alegre it is very
easy to get to Rio. You can find direct flights to the Santos Dumont or
Gelao airports. You'll also find a wide range of companies flying between
the two cities, so tickets can be very affordable.
After landing in Rio, I took a
taxi to my hostel in Leblon, which is a newer residential area next to
Ipanema. Leblon is one of the safest parts of the city to stay in, but
when in Rio, you should still follow similar precautions that I said for Porto
Alegre and Peru.
During the first day of the
trip, I mostly spent time at the beach relaxing. I also got to try a
Brazilian dish called tapioca. While the name is similar to the pudding
that we have in the US, it’s more like a weird Brazilian taco/crepe
hybrid. These usually come filled with either sweet or savory ingredients
and they tend to be fairly affordable.
The second day, I participated
in a city tour to go and experience the highlights of the city. The tour
started by heading to the Christ the Redeemer statue. This is the iconic
statue that you will find used in almost any photo of Rio. The statue
itself was erected in 1931 and inspired the construction of a similar monument
called Cristo Rei in Lisbon, Portugal. After taking in the panoramas of
the Redeemer, the tour took us for a drive through the Santa Teresa and Central
districts of the city.
Santa Teresa is where most of
the more historic/colonial buildings will be found. Whereas the central
district is where you will find most of the historic buildings from
the imperial period of Brazil. Other than the building themselves, you can find a staircase called Escadaria
Selarón. This is a project taken on by an eccentric artist to cover the
entire alleyway in tiles from around the world. Santa Teresa and the
Central districts are typically safe during the daytime, but at night follow
those same safety rules I've mentioned.
After visiting the stairs, the
tour then moved onto the final stop, Sugar Loaf Mountain. The mountain is
named because of the shape of the mountains resembled a type of bread that the
colonists used to make. To get up to the mountain top, you have to take 2
trams and once you get up there, you get an amazing view of the city.
The final day of the trip was
spent flying back to Porto Alegre, and that was the end of the trip.
Rio de Janeiro: Costs
-Flight: 250 USD
-Hostel: 70 USD
-Food: 75 USD
-Transportation: 50 USD
-Spending Money: 0 USD
Total Spent: about 450 USD
That covers
everything for this post. Thank you for reading and following along with
the blog. The next post, which will come out later this week will cover
my trip in Santiago, Chile and Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Be sure to
follow along with my friend's blog as she explores Mexico! https://sierrammoon.wordpress.com
Obrigado!
