Brazil Visa Application process

[Sitfur]

Thank you, Kim & Keith, for your quick responses and feedback. We are sitting down this afternoon to get everything together for our visa application. We have everything gathered, including our yellow fever vacination stamps. I think we'll try it ourselves, but if we run into questions, we'll change to ZVS. It was encouraging to learn that your mother managed it herself, Kim, and also to hear what the time frame was, as otherwise we would be worried each day waiting for the mail! It was also good to learn that $83 is not a bad price for the service, Keith.

 

Wish us luck and speedy responses!

Marcia

[cookieartist]

Cookie - The website for the L.A. consulate says one only needs a personal appointment if one is submitting the application in person, rather than using a visa service. The site lists a lot of visa services. Will none of them take care of this issue for you?? We are using a visa service for the San Francisco office; and our visa application was put into process at the consulate the same day as it was received by the visa service. Maybe you should check with a few more visa services before you make the difficult decision to disembark in B.A., rather than in Rio. Cheers, Fred

freddie- Thanks for trying to help but LA is not accepting any visa services and that is why we were trying to get appointment for doing it ourselves.

[celle]

Reading all your posts, I am so glad I come from a country whose citizens do not have to get a visa for Brazil. :)

[brazilgirl]

Good luck to all of you with the process..

Cookieartist , did you check out the website I mentioned in my other post? They can´t help in L.A?

 

Sitfur-I hope all goes smoothly with Chicago-my whole family (aunts , uncles , cousins etc..) have gone through Chicago with no trouble. Hope you have the same experience.

 

Celle -where are you from? i assume from somewhere in Europe!

 

Kim

[cookieartist]

Good luck to all of you with the process..

Cookieartist , did you check out the website I mentioned in my other post? They can´t help in L.A?

 

Sitfur-I hope all goes smoothly with Chicago-my whole family (aunts , uncles , cousins etc..) have gone through Chicago with no trouble. Hope you have the same experience.

 

Celle -where are you from? i assume from somewhere in Europe!

 

Kim

Brazilgirl...thanks so much for the info but 123Brazilvisa also has posted limitations and says even they are having a difficult time ...one customer a day/ 3days a week with a 7 week wait time so we can't take the chance. We will be getting off the ship in BA.

[p010ne]

Reading all your posts, I am so glad I come from a country whose citizens do not have to get a visa for Brazil. :)

:p You will be all set?:p

[brazilgirl]

Cookieartist...

That is really bad. I hope your trip is wonderful anyway , and if you are ever in Brazil , give me a call and I´ll take you to have a lovely caipirinha to make you forget how silly the Brazilian visa process is!

 

My aunt lives in Tuscon ...great area.

 

Have a unforgettable trip.

Kim

[piper28]

Sitfur, for what it's worth, we're planning on doing the visa application ourself through the Chicago consulate. We'll be mailing it, since they do accept that, just means an extra $20/person. Cheaper than going to Chicago, and cheaper than a visa service. Didn't look like the process would be all that bad. Weird that the process can be so different for different consulates.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

You poor people, what a pain! I guess we are very lucky to have a consulate right down the street. I saw that they are very fussy about geographical areas--must apply to the correct consulate for your area. We also don't have to deal with appointments, we just walked in. Fingers crossed for all of you (and for me, until I have the visa in my hand.)

 

As for L.A., so someone in Arizona has to use that office, but is not allowed to use a visa service? Does that make any sense at all? Gheesh.

[Texas Tillie]

My appointment with the consul here in Houston is at 10:30 AM today. I THINK that I have everything in order. If there's a problem, I'm not going to be a very happy camper! Positive vibes..........

[travelinggrammy]

We're using TraVisa.com We're in Pa. so our Visa comes out of the New York Consulate. Sent my info to TraVisa Friday by UPS regular ground they had it Monday morning when they open. I over look something on the application that I caught after I sent it in,(was a nervous wreck all weekend)The Supervisor at TraVisa said no problem & did the editing for me. It will be delivered to the consulate today, and they estimate that I should have it back in around 5 business days. The cost the Visa is $130. Brazil is now charging additional $20. per visa if a 3rd party will be applying for it. TraVisa charges $50. per visa for their service, plus additional $5. for check writing fee. Total cost per visa is $205. well worth the price to have the peace of mind that someone else who is in the business is making sure everything is right. They also charge $22. to return it FedExpress overnight They will deliver up to 3 visa per envelope You can put it on your credit card or send them a check(that will just hold the process up, until check clears the bank.)

 

I would highly recommend TraVisa.com they appear to have offices in every "jurisdiction" Just the additional help they gave me went along way for peace of mind.

 

One last thought: I would check out the Consulate web page, myself & call a Visa Service companies and get first hand correct information get their charges & compare them to other visa service companies & their time frame in getting things back to you, We all mean well but sometimes our info is not correct for all people....... We will have a great cruise and if done right We can out sail and disembark in Rio.......

[Texas Tillie]

Well, that was easy!:D After being totally paranoid about doing everything just so, it took me exactly 3 minutes with the consular official. Guess that was because I had everything in order. Must go back over to the consulate between noon and 1 PM this next Monday to pickup my passport with the visa.:)

[travelinggrammy]

;);):o;) happy to hear everything worked out find for you... I'll feel better once I have my visa in hand.......

[p010ne]

Wow, it will really be FUN to get Visa for USA passport holders!

[Captain Canuck]

maybe Obama can negotiate getting the US a waiver for the Olympics..

[beege1936]

I started this thread by describing my experience in San Francisco on September 18th. At that time I was told that my passports would be posted in the Express Mail envelope on September 29th or 30th.

 

I was told that I could check with the U.S P.S. tracking service. I guess that means I would see that the envelope was in transit...only one problem! I have checked on the post office web site three times a day since the 29th and as of 30 minutes ago....I receive a message telling me that no such tracking number is in their system! AND I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANYTHING!

 

Now I'm nervous as h..l....they have my passports, they have taken our payment....and I have nuttin!

 

I'm still hopeful that this will work out! But why, oh why go to this port in Brazil for 9 hours?

[cruiser1812]

Wow, it will really be FUN to get Visa for USA passport holders!

 

Maybe, it will soon be easier to get the Brazil Visa? I certainly hope so because I would love to see Rio.

[p010ne]

:D Just checked on our Houston consulate visa status and RELIEVED to see that our requests have been approved - and will soon be ready to be picked up!

[owl61]

Brazilgirl...thanks so much for the info but 123Brazilvisa also has posted limitations and says even they are having a difficult time ...one customer a day/ 3days a week with a 7 week wait time so we can't take the chance. We will be getting off the ship in BA.

Presumably you have cleared this with the cruiseline and obtained its permission to board without a Brasilian visa and disembark in Bs As. If not, I recommend that you do so without delay.

[Sitfur]

I started this thread by describing my experience in San Francisco on September 18th. At that time I was told that my passports would be posted in the Express Mail envelope on September 29th or 30th.

 

I was told that I could check with the U.S P.S. tracking service. I guess that means I would see that the envelope was in transit...only one problem! I have checked on the post office web site three times a day since the 29th and as of 30 minutes ago....I receive a message telling me that no such tracking number is in their system! AND I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANYTHING!

 

Now I'm nervous as h..l....they have my passports, they have taken our payment....and I have nuttin!

 

I'm still hopeful that this will work out! But why, oh why go to this port in Brazil for 9 hours?

 

This happened to us when we checked on-line last night, and our visa's arrived this morning! It actually was processed much earlier than we expected. We sent off our packets off to the Chicago consulate this past Monday afternoon, and they were processed on Oct 1st!

 

Good luck with yours, too!

 

and thank you, Brazilgirl & Keith, for your encouragement, too, with my nervousness about the visa process with my earlier postings!

 

Marcia

[brazilgirl]

So glad everything worked out well!I hope all the others waiting have the same result!

 

Let´s hope by 2016 there will be no visas and we can all meet up in Rio!

 

Kim

[Captain Canuck]

by then I will be fatter and older...the women will LOVE me............right

[Sitfur]

So glad everything worked out well!I hope all the others waiting have the same result!

 

Let´s hope by 2016 there will be no visas and we can all meet up in Rio!

 

Kim

 

I agree! We finally realized that our current visa will be expired by then --

and I think we'll be hooked on Rio and want to go back by then to enjoy the party!

 

Marcia

[MightyQuinn]

Let's hope by 2016 there will be no visas and we can all meet up in Rio!

Yes let's hope....

 

No doubt Brazil is on the losing side of this reciprocity deal. I'd say that Brazilian citizens & businesses would welcome a change. And I'd hazard a guess that the visa situation (especially as it pertains to the US) will change in advance of 2016. After all, they want the world to come to Rio. We'd love to return for the 2016 games. I've already e-mailed our fantastic Rio guide to offer congrats & to say we may be back. Rio rocks! ;);)

[ilovhywd]

We sent our passports and visa applications to an agency in Virginia on 9/11/09 and received them back today. Great turnaround time! (3 weeks). Now it really feels like we're actually going on this trip. I hope our half day in Brazil at Iguazu Falls will be worth it! Hoping to have time to visit the bird park, as well!