Transit time in São Paulo when changing terminals

[chatuga]

We are traveling back to US from Rio via São Paulo. It looks like we will need to go from terminal 2 to 3 and I am wondering how much time we need between flights. Will we need to go through customs?  Must we get our luggage first?  I have not been to São Paulo airport and am concerned that we might not make our connection.  Is there a shuttle between terminals or is it a short walk?

[Griff4AU]

This info may be slightly dated, but not that much. I am in Brasil no less than 6-8 times per year.

 

You need to make sure when flying from RIO (either airport) to GRU (you said the Sao Paulo airport - there are 3, but GRU is the primary international one) you leave yourself ample time. Terminal 3 handles all international flights at GRU. If I recall, you take a shuttle from 2 to 3 and it was 15ish minutes. It is NOT a short walk. No, no no. 

Yes, flying back to the US you will go through customs in Terminal 3. It's outbound customs and not incoming - but the line can be extensive as most outgoing international flights all leave late at night. I've been in line for as little as 5 minutes - and waited as much as an hour (only 1 time and very unusual). 

If the same airline Rio - GRU - wherever:  you won't have to grab your bags... at least not last year. You usually only have to grab bags when you are incoming to a different country - like you will in the US if your flight from GRU is not direct to your home.

[chatuga]

Thanks for responding to post. Now I understand that we will need to take shuttle between terminals 2 and 3 but could you please clarify customs issue. We are on Latam from sdu to gru and delta from gru to jfk.   Latam and delta are partners. Will luggage be tagged through to jfk and will we only go through customs at jfk?
 

I am concerned that we may not have enough time at gru and could miss flight back to the states.  

 

 

[Griff4AU]

I cannot speak for the airlines. Whether Latam will transfer to Delta is something I do not know, 

 

Customs is a different issue. Since you are on a cruise forum, I am going to assume that you are re-entering Brazil from a cruise. And when you get off that cruise ship, regardless of where you are, you are going to pass through customs. I have never sailed in to Brazil, but I will experience it next month. So I cannot pretend to answer that. But once you are in-country, you are in-country. Just like the US. 

 

When you step in to the Rio airport (SDU or GIG), you are taking a domestic flight - Rio (either airport) to GRU. No different than Atlanta to Chicago.

Once at GRU, the customs will be at terminal 3. Your bags will have already been checked before you speak with the immigration officer. I have no idea if Latam will transfer them. My guess (offered as such) is no. 

Depending your time of departure at GRU (probably at night), I would not leave myself less than 2 hours. As I stated, Terminal 3 customs can be really fast or painfully slow. 

 

Sorry I cannot offer more guidance. For your exact reasons I always make my first Brasil airport my airport of exit direct to the US.