Reciprocity fees

We were in Rio a few years ago (actually about 12 years ago). I don't plan to get off the ship in the two Brazil ports but my husband wants to do a couple of tours so he is getting the Visa. Not me. I will enjoy time on board instead. I don't like all the crime and certainly don't care for the Visa application process or the cost.

Like those before me said, please check your documentation carefully. I know for our cruise we MUST have our Argentina paperwork before we get on the ship in Brazil. We won't have the option to simply not get off the ship in Argentina. I agree with the others that you will likely be denied boarding without a Brazilian visa. And allow LOTS of time to get it too!!

ABC Toronto: I am confused by your post. We have paid the Reciprocity fee for Argentina. We are having trouble to submit the application for Brazil. We are boarding the ship in Venice and stop at two ports in Brazil. We plan to spend about 5 days in Buenos Aires at the end of the cruise.

I am writing this in hope that our experience of yesterday applying for a Brazilian visa at their consulate in New York might be of help to other people. I am merely reporting what happened and making suggestions based on that. Others' experiences may differ completely. "YMMV."

We (two couples) are cruising in February on a round trip cruise BA to Rio. Separately and together, we spent more than a few man-hours completing the online form and producing pictures that could be both uploaded for submission and fit the indicated space on the receipt. Once the forms were accepted, we followed the directions to glue our pictures to the receipts which we were to take to the consulate. Having read here on CC of the long line that forms before the 2:00 pm opening time, we got there extra early and were 4th in line. We then waited on the sidewalk in the wind and rain for over an hour, thinking it would all be worth it. However, when we presented our documents, my wife and I were told that our pictures were unacceptable. I protested that they were our actual passport pictures, but this only infuriated the counter girl. She insisted we get new pictures made at the CVS nearby and, most surprisingly, "Don't cut them or glue them to the page!" Our friends (who had produced their pictures from their passport photos as we did) also were told that they should not have cut and glued their fitted pictures to the form. They, fortunately, had their originals with them and were able to remove the glued ones and submit the originals.

With no alternative, we complied and brought back our forms along with the new pictures (which cost us another $30). A different clerk then cut our pictures and glued them to the form, pasting them so that they partially covered the bar coding on either side of the picture space. Finally, we got our visas about a half hour after our friends had left for home on an earlier train.

So, based on what happened to us, I would offer the following counter-intuitive suggestions:

(1) Do not arrive early to get near the head of the line. Get there around 2:45 or 3:00 when there will be no line at all. You won't save any time, but at least you can wait inside sitting on one of the many chairs.

(2) Do not drive yourself crazy trying to take an existing passport photo and resize it to fit the little box on the receipt. They do not seem to care if it goes outside of the lines. Just bring the originals.

(3) Ignore the direction to glue it to the receipt. They will cut and paste for you.

Of course, none of the above may work for you because, in the end, you are still dealing with third-world bureaucracy. Good luck.

Shorefolks: We, too, are on a BA-Rio roundtrip cruise in Feb. Are you going to Carnivale? Anyway, at least you got your visa the same day. The process here in San Francisco is very different. First, you do have to complete the online form and print out the receipt. Then, you have to make an appt at the SF consulate just to drop off the paperwork and passport in person (we are taking off of work to do that this Friday). Finally, you then have to go BACK to the consulate 5 days later to pick up the visa. I don't understand why they just can't do everything in one visit! So frustrating... Is it that hard the other way around (to get a tourist visa for the US)?

Shorefolks: We, too, are on a BA-Rio roundtrip cruise in Feb. Are you going to Carnivale? Anyway, at least you got your visa the same day. The process here in San Francisco is very different. First, you do have to complete the online form and print out the receipt. Then, you have to make an appt at the SF consulate just to drop off the paperwork and passport in person (we are taking off of work to do that this Friday). Finally, you then have to go BACK to the consulate 5 days later to pick up the visa. I don't understand why they just can't do everything in one visit! So frustrating... Is it that hard the other way around (to get a tourist visa for the US)?

That's a perfect example of how maddening this is. If the NY office (despite the petty delays) can do it in a day (really less than 1.5 hours), SF should be able to do it, too. NY refuses to give out appointments. I do not know what the reciprocal process is for Brazilians to visit here, but I will bet that it is a uniform process across U.S. government offices. This is all about the reciprocity fee anyway. Argentina waived it; Brazil should, too. Yesterday cost us over $400. That is enough of an add-on to keep some people from going.

We will not be there for Carnival but rather a couple of weeks after.

The process in SF is as stated above because we went through it a few years ago. But also don't forget to get your USPS money order because at that time that was the only way to pay for the Visa. Maybe it's changed since then but just wanted to mention that in case it's the same now.

The process in SF is as stated above because we went through it a few years ago. But also don't forget to get your USPS money order because at that time that was the only way to pay for the Visa. Maybe it's changed since then but just wanted to mention that in case it's the same now.

That is still the situation. No cash or credit cards.

Shorefolks: We, too, are on a BA-Rio roundtrip cruise in Feb. Are you going to Carnivale? Anyway, at least you got your visa the same day. The process here in San Francisco is very different. First, you do have to complete the online form and print out the receipt. Then, you have to make an appt at the SF consulate just to drop off the paperwork and passport in person (we are taking off of work to do that this Friday). Finally, you then have to go BACK to the consulate 5 days later to pick up the visa. I don't understand why they just can't do everything in one visit! So frustrating... Is it that hard the other way around (to get a tourist visa for the US)?

Getting a tourist visa for the US is more involved. It requires submission of a detailed form documenting the applicant’s personal and economic life and an interview with a member of the US Consulate who determines whether you are are likely to return or if there is a risk you will overstay your Visa. It is by no means assured that a visa will be granted.

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That's a perfect example of how maddening this is. If the NY office (despite the petty delays) can do it in a day (really less than 1.5 hours), SF should be able to do it, too. NY refuses to give out appointments. I do not know what the reciprocal process is for Brazilians to visit here, but I will bet that it is a uniform process across U.S. government offices. This is all about the reciprocity fee anyway. Argentina waived it; Brazil should, too. Yesterday cost us over $400. That is enough of an add-on to keep some people from going.

 

 

 

We will not be there for Carnival but rather a couple of weeks after.

I’m glad Argentina waived the reciprocity fee and think it would be great if Brazil did the same but I can’t blame them for requiring our citizens to go through a process similar to the one their citizens must go through to visit the US.

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