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For my trip to the World Cup in Brazil, I needed to get a Brazilian tourist visa.
UPDATE: AS OF JUNE 17, 2019, HOLDERS OF US PASSPORTS CAN TRAVEL TO BRAZIL VISA-FREE! EVERYTHING IN THIS POST IS NOW OBSOLETE. (You can still read it for fun, of course.)
This seemed like it was going to be a difficult task to complete in Santiago, but thanks to this blog entry that I found, it was a piece of cake:
http://mnlydia.blogspot.com/2012/02/how-to-get-brazilian-tourist-visa.html
Please give this blog a look because the author’s experience was slightly different than mine, and the instructions are very well written and straightforward. Unless you’re going to the World Cup or Olympics in 2016, her experience is more likely to be similar to yours.
Applying for a Brazilian Tourist Visa
Before anything, you need to fill out the visa request form online. Print out the confirmation page and take it with you to the appointment.
What else did I take with me?
- 1 passport photo (2″x2″ or 5cm x 5cm)
- Your passport
- Copy of your passport ID page
- Copy of your tourist card in Chile (that paper given to you at the airport upon arrival that you aren’t supposed to lose under any circumstances)
- Printout of your travel itinerary showing flights in and out of Brazil
- Copy of both sides of your credit card
- Copy of the credit card statement showing credit limit
- A copy of your bank statement showing funds available
- Copy of my World Cup ticket application showing successful (This was a special condition necessary to get a free visa. Otherwise, you will have to bring CLP $112,000 to pay the visa fee.)
Appearing at the Consulate
According to the blog above, visas are only processed between the hours of 10 and 11:30, and are limited to only 15 a day. For this reason, it’s important to go early, well before the consulate opens.
I went to the consulate at 8:45am on a Wednesday morning. The consulate is located on the first floor of an unmarked building about five minutes walk from Manquehue metro station. The street address is Los Militares 6191. You have to check in with security. I was the first to arrive and was asked to wait outside until 10am. Five others had gathered by then. When the office opened, we were each given a number in order of our arrival and asked to wait.
At 10:30, my number was called. I sat with the agent, answered a few questions, and was out the door ten minutes later. He gave me a slip of paper and told me to come back the next week between the hours of 11am and 1pm to pick up my passport with the visa.
Picking Up the Visa
I came back a week later, took a number, and a half hour later I was given my passport with a shiny, brand new Brazilian visa. My visa is only good for 90 days, but paid visas are good for ten years.
