Travel and Visa

Brazilian Visa
 

Visa has been waived for citizens of the following countries if staying in Brazil for less than 90 days

(or at http://www.dpf.gov.br/web/servicos/tabvisto2110.htm):

American citizens, among many others, need a visa to enter Brazil.

The tourist visa provides coverage for attending scientific conferences, seminars, or meetings. It is valid for multiple entries for five years from the date it was first used (unless otherwise noted in ink in the visa). So, if you entered Brazil within ninety days from the date it was issued, it remains valid for other visits during the next five years. The only restriction is that you cannot stay in Brazil for more than 90 days each time. Note that tourist visa holders are not allowed to engage in any paid activity in Brazil. When requesting the tourist visa, it may happen that you were asked whether you will be paid by us or not. Please, recall that in this context, "payment" is understood as "work payment" rather than "financial support". Please be sure to answer "no" to this question otherwise they will require another kind of visa (see http://www.brazilsf.org/visa_faq_eng.htm)

The Tourist visa requirements can be found at:

http://www.brasilemb.org/consulado/consular_visa_tourism.shtml

The relevant Brazilian consulates and their respective jurisdictions are given below (a complete list can be found at http://www.brazilsf.org/other_consulates_eng.htm )

São Paulo (GRU) International Airport & GroundTransportation to the city

Please make your air ticket reservation to São Paulo Guarulhos (GRU) International Airport as soon as possible. Late reservations may be very expensive. Please check the price of the ticket with and without the stay during the weekend.

There is a bus line from the São Paulo Guarulhos (GRU) International Airport to the hotels in Sao Paulo. The  bus terminal downtown is at Hotel Maksoud Plaza and this line is known as the Hotel Circuit (Augusta-Paulista). For more information, see http://www.airportbusservice.com.br/, the Airport Bus Service (for information in English, click on the American flag at the bottom right corner of that page). This site provides the bus schedule and a map of the bus itinerary from GRU to the Hotel Maksoud Plaza, which is located three bocks away from the Paulista Wall Street Suites, where the workshop participants will be accommodated. The cost of the ticket is R$24,00 per person. Usually, it is not necessary to book the seat in advance. Counters of the Airport Bus Service can be found in both Terminals 1 and 2, at the ground level of the arrival. Signs can be found upon exiting the building.

Fixed price radio taxis serve the GRU to the terminals. If you decide to take a taxi to the Paulista Wall Street Suites upon your arrival, please give the hotel address to the taxi driver. The ride costs around US$ 30.00-35.00. Please mention that the Paulista Wall Street is located in the Bela Vista neighborhood. This reduces the taxi fare.

Banks with bureau de change facilities and ATM machines are located at the airport, in both Terminals 1 and 2. There is also a 24-hour post office in Terminal 1.
 

General Information
 

• São Paulo Coordinates:

  • Latitude: 23° 34' South 

  • Longitude: 46° 38' West 

• Time Zone: GMT -3. This is the local time in São Paulo

• São Paulo Maps:

  • Caelius

  • Icam

  • Metro Map

  • Yahoo!

• Currency and Credit Card: One American Dollar (US$ 1.00), as compared to the Brazilian currency (Real), is approximately equivalent to R$ 2.20, and is updated daily. All the major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Amex, Dinners) are accepted nationwide. Debit cards (Cirrus, Plus, Maestro) can be used to withdraw from ATM machines.

• Electrical Power: The voltage in Brazil is 110 V and the frequency 60 Hz. The electric outlets in general fits two types of plugs: 2 parallel flat prongs (American type) and 2 parallel round prongs (French type).

• Phone Calls:

  • To call US from Brazil dial: 00-21-1-number.

  • To call São Paulo from US dial: 011-55-11-number.

• Weather Forecast: The weather conditions in São Paulo can be found at:

  • AccuWeather

  • BBC Weather

  • CNN Weather

  • The Weather Channel

  

• Tourist Information: General tourist information about São Paulo can be found in the links below:

  • The city of São Paulo

  • Restaurants in São Paulo

  • Fodor's

  • Lonely Planet

  • The Economist

  • World Stay

  • The New York Times-Brazil

  • The New York Times-São Paulo

  • Traveler

  • Business & Leisure