Brazil Travel Guide: the e-Visa for Americans, Safety City by City, Rainy Seasons, and Where to Go

What changed for U.S. passport holders in 2025, the safety advice that matters in Rio, Salvador, and São Paulo, when the rainy season hits each coast, and our sixteen Brazil city guides.

• April 10, 2025 visa rule back for U.S. citizens
• 90 days maximum stay
• 3.3 million square miles
• 26 UNESCO World Heritage Sites

By The Advised Traveler Team. Last updated: October 20, 2026.

Brazil covers about 3.3 million square miles, spans four time zones, and had an estimated 213.4 million people in August 2025, according to its statistics agency, IBGE. The currency is the real (R$). Most first trips focus on two or three regions and connect them by plane.

This page links to every Brazil city guide on our site. Health guidance comes from the CDC; safety detail comes from the French foreign ministry’s advisory, updated September 15, 2026; visa rules from Agência Brasil, Brazil’s public news agency; country figures from IBGE and UNESCO. Everything was checked on October 16 and 20, 2026.

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• Visa for U.S. citizens
• Is Brazil safe?
• Regions and city guides
• Best time to visit
• Vaccines and insurance
• Getting around
• Money, Pix, and phone data
• Where to stay
• FAQ
• Sources

Do U.S. citizens need a visa for Brazil?

Yes. Since April 10, 2025, U.S. citizens need a visitor visa, applied for online as an e-visa, according to Agência Brasil. Canadians and Australians were affected by the same change. A stay may not exceed 90 days.

Before you pay for an e-visa: confirm the fee, processing time, and validity on Brazil’s official e-visa portal; figures circulating on third-party sites are not official. In March 2025, Brazil’s Senate also passed a bill to suspend the requirement; it was sent to the Chamber of Deputies, and we found no record that it became law. Check the official e-visa portal before you buy flights.

For comparison, France’s foreign ministry tells its own citizens that their passport must be valid for six months past the planned return date and that a return or onward ticket is mandatory. Those rules are written for French travelers; confirm what applies to a U.S. passport when you apply.

Is it safe to travel to Brazil? What to know in each big city

On France’s risk map, last revised March 4, 2026, Rio, São Paulo, Brasília, and the Northeast are in the “heightened vigilance” category. The only zone it advises against outright is the Venezuelan border; other border areas of Amazonas, Acre, Rondônia, Roraima, and southern Mato Grosso are to be avoided unless travel is essential.

• Rio: no neighborhood is free of assaults on tourists, and victims are told not to resist. About two thirds of thefts happen on Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, so bring only what you need. Lapa and Santa Teresa see more targeting from October through March.
• Corcovado: go up by the city-run minibuses or the funicular rather than hiking through the forest without a guide.
• Salvador: insecurity affects almost the entire city. Pelourinho and Santo Antônio are walkable by day on police-patrolled streets and should be avoided after dark.
• São Paulo: armed robberies of tourists have been recorded in nightlife-heavy Vila Madalena, mostly on weekend nights.
• Recife: Boa Viagem is the safest district. Swimming is banned on the city’s urban beaches because of sharks.

Favelas, now officially called “comunidades,” sit inside the cities, and the ministry strongly discourages visiting them; police operations there often turn into shootouts. It also warns that navigation apps may route drivers straight through them.

Nights out: travelers have been drugged in bars, robbed, and had their bank accounts drained. Keep your drink in sight and decline drinks from strangers.

Where to go in Brazil: five regions and our city guides

We cover sixteen Brazilian cities, grouped here by region. Our Salvador guide has already been rebuilt with dated sources; Natal is next in line.

Tours of Rio, boat trips, and guided walks in Salvador are listed by our partner GetYourGuide behind the button below. Given the safety advice above, favor tours with hotel pickup, and read what the price includes before you book.

See Brazil tours and activities on GetYourGuide

Best time to visit Brazil: each coast has its own rainy season

Brazil is too big for a single season. In Salvador, on the Northeast coast, the city’s civil defense agency runs its yearly rain operation from April through June, the months that bring the heaviest downpours. Inland, France’s foreign ministry notes that the May-to-October dry season brings frequent wildfires to the Amazon, the Cerrado, and the Pantanal, while heavy rain elsewhere can trigger floods and landslides. For month-by-month normals in Rio, Salvador, or Manaus, the reference is INMET, Brazil’s national weather institute, which publishes 1991-2020 normals for its stations.

Yellow fever, mosquitoes, and travel insurance for Brazil

Brazil does not require the yellow fever vaccine for entry, the CDC says. It recommends the shot for travelers 9 months and older heading to a list of states that includes Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and the Federal District, as well as Iguaçu Falls. France’s ministry goes further and recommends it for any trip to Brazil.

• Malaria: transmitted throughout Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Rondônia, and Roraima, and in parts of Maranhão, Mato Grosso, and Pará. None in the cities of Rio, São Paulo, or Brasília, or at Iguaçu Falls.
• Chikungunya: the CDC flags an elevated risk in Brazil. Dengue, also spread by mosquitoes, has no treatment; avoid anti-inflammatory painkillers if you develop a fever.
• Routine shots: the CDC asks all international travelers to be fully vaccinated against measles and recommends hepatitis A for unvaccinated travelers one year and older.

France’s ministry calls insurance covering medical costs, hospital stays, and medical repatriation essential in Brazil, and warns that without proof of coverage, care may be refused even in a life-threatening emergency. Our partner SafetyWing Nomad Insurance lists a $250,000 maximum limit on its plan page and $100,000 lifetime for medical evacuation; check eligibility for your state on the quote page.

Reader perk: new SafetyWing customers on a Nomad Essential plan (28-day subscription or annual) can enter the code ADVISEDTRAVELER for 8 weeks of the Electronics Theft add-on. Click the pink camera icon on the Nomad Insurance page and enter the code before you create your account. After 8 weeks, the add-on renews as a paid option. Readers living in Europe can also look at Chapka Cap Assistance, which is not open to U.S. residents.

Getting around Brazil: fly the long legs

Distances are continental, and France’s ministry recommends flying for medium and long trips, rating air safety as satisfactory. Santos Dumont, Rio’s downtown airport, can shut in bad weather, so leave slack between connections.

• Driving: road deaths are high, unpaved roads turn dangerous in the rainy season, and fuel supply is uneven across the country. Avoid driving at night. After a crash, file a police report (boletim de ocorrência) within 48 hours.
• In the cities: Rio’s metro is considered safe; buses less so. Ride-hailing apps are preferred over street taxis because trips are tracked. Skip motorcycle taxis and, in Recife, the metro.
• River boats: common in the Amazon, but accidents happen; use licensed operators.

Money, Pix, and staying connected

Prices are in reais. Card cloning is common, so never let your card out of sight. Pix, Brazil’s instant person-to-person transfer app system, has given its name to “Pix express kidnappings”; in response, the central bank caps Pix transfers at 1,000 reais between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Before you fly: check what your U.S. carrier charges for roaming in Brazil. Our partner Yesim sells a Brazil eSIM you can install at home, so a ride-hailing app works as soon as you land.

Where to stay in Brazil

Each region card above links to hotels in its main city. The map below opens on Rio de Janeiro; type Salvador, Recife, or Manaus in its search box to move it. In Rio, France’s ministry notes a stronger police presence in Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon, and Barra da Tijuca.

Browse places to stay in Brazil with current prices and reviews

Things to know before visiting Brazil: FAQ

Do Americans need a visa to visit Brazil?

Yes, since April 10, 2025. U.S. citizens apply for an electronic visitor visa before the trip, and a stay may not exceed 90 days.

Is Brazil safe for American tourists?

The big cities call for heightened vigilance, especially at night and on Rio’s beaches. The zones to avoid entirely are along remote borders, far from the usual routes.

Do I need a yellow fever vaccine for Brazil?

It is not required to enter. The CDC recommends it for many states, including Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and the Federal District, but not for trips limited to places such as Fortaleza and Recife.

What is the best month to visit Rio de Janeiro?

Check INMET’s monthly normals for Rio before you pick dates; rainfall varies by coast and month. In Salvador, by contrast, the city’s civil defense agency marks April through June as the heaviest rain period.

What currency does Brazil use?

The Brazilian real (R$, code BRL). Overnight, from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., Pix transfers are capped at 1,000 reais.

How many regions can I see in two weeks?

Two is realistic: Rio and Paraty, for example, then Salvador or another Northeast city, linked by a domestic flight. Match the order to each coast’s rainy season.

Sources

Pages checked on October 16, 2026; Agência Brasil, IBGE, Brazilian government, UNESCO, Salvador civil defense, and INMET sources checked on October 20, 2026.

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Brazil, Traveler View (yellow fever, malaria, chikungunya, routine vaccines; last reviewed September 3, 2026).
• Agência Brasil, Brazil starts requiring visas for the U.S., Canada, and Australia (April 10, 2025; e-visa, 90-day stay, March 2025 Senate vote; in Portuguese).
• French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Brazil advisory (in French): Security, Health, Entry, and Practical information (updated September 15, 2026; risk map March 4, 2026).
• IBGE, Brazil’s statistics agency: population estimate for July 1, 2025 (published August 28, 2025; in Portuguese) and territorial area (March 30, 2026).
• Government of Brazil, Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Hora Falada ON (Law 12,876 of 2013: four time zones; in Portuguese).
• UNESCO, Brazil: World Heritage properties (26, including Paraty and Ilha Grande, a mixed site).
• Salvador Civil Defense (Codesal), 2025 rain operation report (July 1, 2025; in Portuguese).
• INMET, Brazil’s National Institute of Meteorology, Climate normals (1991-2020 by station; in Portuguese).

Maintained by the Advised Traveler team. Brazil’s entry rules for Americans changed in 2025, so confirm them on the official e-visa portal and the State Department page shortly before you travel. Spotted an error? Let us know.