Visa needed for Brazil/South America cruise?

[JosieJeangirl]

Hello All!

We are hearing different answers to this question. We will call the Brazilian consulate

sometime today. Just thought someone might know on the boards. Thanks so much for any replies!

Joanne and Jul (Arizona)

[Essiesmom]

Yes, you will need a visa. They will not let you on the ship without it. On our 1999 cruise (Royal Princess) a woman was on board in Buenos Aires, where the cruise started (she might have been on from the previous cruise from Valparaiso) and was put off the next day in Montevideo, where she had to stay and get a Brazil visa from the consulate (at her own expense) and make her way to the next port (Rio) at her own expense. EM

[kitty9]

I have been to Brazil on three cruises and you DEFINITELY need a Brazilian visa. You can purchase one that's good for 6 months or one that's good for 5 years. The easiest way is to use a visa service such as Zierer. They handle everything, no muss no fuss.

[CruisenOne]

Do not forget to get Yellow Fever Shots:(

[mlbcruiser]

Unless something has changed within the last few wks. (I checked very recently), yellow fever shots are not REQUIRED to enter Brazil UNLESS you have recently traveled to certain yellow fever prone destinations (Europe, Canada and the US are not any of the destinations). It's true there was an increase of outbreaks within some areas of Brazil this yr. and that you may have to have had the shots if you want to return FROM CERTAIN AREAS of Brazil (perhaps the Amazon Basin area) in order to come back into CERTAIN other countries.

 

Last yr. we almost did a cruise on RCCL that visited various areas of Brazil. The cruise agency we booked with sent us information stating that RCCL required us to have yellow fever shots. To make a long story short, that information, though well-meaning, was NOT correct. RCCL did NOT require us to have ANY shots for that cruise. Nor did the Brazilian govt. My dh and I didn't take the intended cruise due to work conflicts. However we did do a land tour in SE in Nov. '08 and did NOT have to get nor need yellow fever shots. Hope this helps!

[PurpleCow]

While Brazil may not require the yellow fever innoculation, your cruise line might. We were required to get the innoculation for our upcoming cruise to the Amazon on Oceania's Regatta. We were told that anyone without the yellow international innoculation record card and a visa will be denied boarding. We visited a travel medicine clinic and also got a malaria preventitive and a couple of prescriptions for medications to carry along in case they are needed.

 

As far as obtaining the visa, if you live in a city that has a Brazilian Consulate, then the easiest and least expensive way would be to apply directly there. I sent to the consulate in Miami for ours and our passports were returned with the visa's affixed in about 10 days. It was nearly $200 less than Zierer was asking and the only difference between getting the visas from Zierer or getting them from the consulate was that Zierer would take a credit card and process both passports together while the consulate required postal money orders, stamped, self addressed USPS Express Mail envelopes and we had to send separate orders for our 2 visa. The savings was worth the short trip to the post office. I did worry until our passports were returned, but I would have worried no matter which place I would have sent them. I didn't see any option for a 6 month visa. You have to enter Brazil within 90 days of obtaining the visa, so don't get them too early. We applied about 6 weeks prior to leaving (next Tuesday, yea!). Those on our roll call who went directly to their local consulates received their passports back within 2 days or returned the next day to pick them up. The ones who picked them up avoided the expensive (around $16.) Express mail cost.

[FolksOfMeans - ByNoMeans]

While Brazil may not require the yellow fever innoculation, your cruise line might. We were required to get the innoculation for our upcoming cruise to the Amazon on Oceania's Regatta. We were told that anyone without the yellow international innoculation record card and a visa will be denied boarding.

 

We had to provide proof of Yellow Fever Shots when we cruised on the Royal Princess in 2006.

Prior to boarding, we had to show our Visas and Health Record, which showed that we had received Yellow Fever Shots. Boarding was to be denied if we could not produce the required documentation.

(Note) A letter from your Doctor, stating that a Yellow Fever Shot would be unhealthful for you, was accepted.

 

On the Brazil Web Site, it recommends Yellow Fever Shots IF visiting the State of Amazonas; where Manaus is located.

 

Suggest that you verify with your Cruise Line.

[greatam]

One thing that will impact quite a few cruises this year.

 

Uruguay is now REQUIRING YF vaccinations if you have been in a YF area (May 2008 regulation). So cruises that depart from Rio and port in Uruguay AFTER being in Brazil (even though Rio is NOT an endemic area) will now REQUIRE YF. This requirement is NEW.

[CruisenOne]

Go over to the Princess Board --

 

Discussion there, with a Link.

[JosieJeangirl]

Hello Again Everyone!

Thanks for all of your helpful information! We are drving to LA in the morning, to go to

the Brazilian consulate early on Monday....have all our paperwork ready to apply for the

visas. Fortunately, we live in Arizona....so don't have that far to travel to get this done.

We're hoping that we can return to the consulate in 10 days to pick up our visas. So many

people have advised us to go ourselves and do it....raher than bother with any agency.

Yes....we've gotten our yellow fever shots.

Jul and Joanne

[glgolfer]

Here's the chart for yellow fever vaccine requirements by country.

 

You don't "have" to have a shot to visit Uruguay unless you've been to an endemic zone.

 

Costa Rica requires the shot if you have been to certain countries 10 days prior to visiting CR. This includes anywhere in Peru.

 

http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/yellowBookCh5-MalariaYellowFeverTable.aspx

[greatam]

Here's the chart for yellow fever vaccine requirements by country.

 

You don't "have" to have a shot to visit Uruguay unless you've been to an endemic zone.

 

Costa Rica requires the shot if you have been to certain countries 10 days prior to visiting CR. This includes anywhere in Peru.

 

http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/yellowBookCh5-MalariaYellowFeverTable.aspx

 

Pray tell, who decides what is an "endemic area"???? I spend quite a bit of time in South America for business (international logistics). Since the outbreak late last Winter/early Spring primarily in Brazil, rules have changed and immigration officers are much more strict then they have been. And it is truly up to an individual immigration officer to decide who enters his/her country or not.

 

And why anyone would rely on the CDC for info about foreign country requirements is beyond me. CDC is an AMERICAN based enterprise. They have VERY LITTLE presence outside the USA. They merely reiterate what is told to them by other countries and often they get it WRONG. Remember the doctor with drug resistant TB flying all over the world???

 

Here is WHO info about YF REQUIRED for entry into Uruguay AFTER being in BRAZIL. NO place does it state ENDEMIC AREA. And the REQUIREMENT was enacted in MAY 2008, AFTER the YF outbreak in SA. http://www.who.int/ith/countries/ury/en/

 

The same warning has now made it's way to the CDC website- "Although yellow fever is not a disease risk in Uruguay, the government requires travelers arriving from countries where yellow fever is present to present proof of yellow fever vaccination. If you will be traveling to one of these countries where yellow fever is present before arriving in Uruguay, this requirement must be taken into consideration."

 

I wouldn't think about traveling to South America if you are going to Brazil, Peru, Columbia, Venezuela, Uruguay, etc. etc WITHOUT a YF vaccination certificate or waiver authorized by the local health dept. Just too many chances of being denied entry into a country. The only cruises where you ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY DO NOT NEED YF are those that travel between Argentina/Uruguay/Chile. All other cruises-you are taking a chance.