What First Time Travelers Should Expect
Arriving in a strange place for the first time can be a stressful experience. We hope to make it less stressful by walking you through the process when you arrive in Brazil.

Almost all travelers will enter Brazil for the first time through the main international gateway airports in Rio and São Paulo. The information here will apply to virtually all of the other Brazilian airports, too. Most of the gateway airports in Brazil now have jetways, so you won't have to walk down to a bus to be taken to the terminal.

On your flight to Brazil, you should be given Brazilian immigration and customs forms to fill out. You can save time by completing them during the flight. If there aren't any forms, or you can't figure out how to fill them out, there are usually airport staff in the immigration area to assist travellers. They can explain how to complete the forms.

Your first line-up will be for immigration. The Polícia Federal inspector will examine your passport and stamp your entry both in your passport and on the white entry form you got on the plane (or in line). The second part of the entry form will be returned to you. Keep it with your passport and DO NOT LOSE IT. You're required to surrender that form when you leave Brazil and there can be fines and bureaucratic unpleasantness if you've lost it. A good way to keep it secure is to paper clip it into your passport.

The inspector may ask how long you plan to stay. Be prepared for this and give a number of days or months considerably longer than your actual stay (unless you plan to stay up to the 90-day entry limit). Some inspectors have been writing in shorter stays in visitor's passports and if you're not careful the stay you're granted may be shorter than you planned for. If this happens you will have to spend a couple of days and some internet time getting an extension of your stay from the main Polícia Federal office in the city you're in. If you overstay, you could also be subject to fines and possible restrictions being stamped into your passport preventing you from returning to Brazil for at least 6 months! However, if the inspector doesn't ask, and doesn't stamp anything into your passport, you can stay for 90 days.

Americans also may be asked to have their photos and fingerprints taken. This is no longer a regular practice, but if you're asked to do so it'll only take a couple of extra minutes.

Once you've cleared immigration you will head for baggage claim. You'll find zillions of free baggage carts, so get one (if you have more than one piece of rolling luggage) and pick up your bags from the belt. If you want to visit the duty-free shop, which is a great place for last-minute gifts, imported liquor and fragrances, etc. for your Brazilian friends or acquaintances-yet-unmade, just park your cart with one of the attendants at the entrance to the duty free shop, who'll give you a claim check for your stuff. At the duty-free shop you're allowed to buy up to US$500 worth of merchandise in addition to the US$500 allowance you're allowed on things you bring into Brazil from abroad. If you're buying liquor or cologne, avoid buying more than half-a-dozen of the same thing, because that may cause Customs to think you're planning to resell the stuff, which invalidates the exemption!

Once you've got your bag and duty-free purchases, look for the exit line, usually long if many flights have arrived at the same time. Look for the "nothing to declare" line ("Nada a Declarar") and wait for your turn. Have your passport and the completed Customs form you got on the plane in your hand. When you get to the inspector you will be asked to push a button on a post. If the light comes on green you're free to go. If it comes up red you'll have to open your bags for random screening.

After exiting Customs the first thing you'll see in Rio are booths selling pre-paid taxi vouchers for rides into the city. In São Paulo the booths are near the exit from Customs, where you'll also see a booth for the Airport Express bus into the city. First-timers, in particular, are urged to use the pre-paid taxi or bus services if airport transfers aren't included in their travel package. You can pre-pay your ticket into town using your credit card, so you don't have to worry about not having any local currency on you. The pre-paid taxis are usually larger, more comfortable air-conditioned cars. Because you've paid a flat rate, there's no incentive for the driver to take you on a roundabout route just to run up the meter. You also have a receipt, in case you need to track down the cab later (if you accidentally left something in the cab, for example). The pre-paid taxis aren't the cheapest way into town, but they're the safest and most convenient, particularly for newcomers. In São Paulo, the Airport Express bus is the least expensive way to get to town if you're travelling alone. (With two or more people travelling together, a taxi is more reasonable.) There are several routes, but the two of most interest to our travellers go to a terminus downtown on Praça da República (just a couple of blocks from the popular Hotel Bourbon) or make a circuit stopping at a number of big hotels in the Avenida Paulista area. Be sure you catch the right bus. On these routes there should be a bus every half hour. It's not necessary to tip the cab drivers; it's included in the pre-paid fare.

If you need Brazilian currency before leaving the airport, avoid the "câmbios" which may not give you a very good rate (you're a captive audience). Also, do NOT change money with anyone who walks up to you offering to exchange your dollars for you! Instead, look for an ATM. If you don't see any on the arrivals level, take the elevator (your cart will fit) up to the second level, where you'll find a mini-shopping mall with food courts, stores and banks, plus free-standing ATM machines. Look for your credit card's logo on the machine, but cards will usually work without problems at machines operated by HSBC, Bradesco and Citibank. Also multi-bank Banco 24 Horas machines.

You can also wait until you reach your hotel, because you won't need Brazilian currency to pay for transportation into the city. After you've checked in, you can look for HSBC, Bradesco and Citibank ATMs near your hotel. The desk can tell you where to find them. ATM in Portuguese is "Caixa Eletrônica." ATMs in Brazilian bank lobbies often perform different functions, like paying bills or issuing new checkbooks. Be sure you look for an ATM that's marked "Saques" ("withdrawals") to get money. Even though the instructions on the machine may only be in Portuguese, just dip or insert your card. If the machine is linked to the international network you should see a bilingual screen asking what language you want to proceed in. Then just follow the prompts on-screen. If you've brought cash, you can also go to a "câmbio" in town, where you'll usually get a slightly better rate than at an ATM. "Câmbio" rates in São Paulo are usually more favorable than those in Rio.

Now you've arrived! Have a wonderful time!!!

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