According to Wholevehicles, Brazil is one of those countries friendly to Russian tourists that have long and successfully practiced a visa-free regime for our compatriots. Citizens of Russia do not need a visa to visit this Latin American country – at the same time, they can stay on its territory for as many as 90 days during each period of 180 (one hundred and eighty) days. At the border, it is enough to present a passport valid for the entire duration of the trip, return tickets and proof of financial solvency – in this case, a hotel reservation is quite suitable. Well, if the visit lasts longer than 3 months, getting a visa at the Embassy of Brazil is also not difficult.
Entry into the country
When crossing the border, you must present:
- passport valid for the entire stay in the country
- return tickets
- sufficient funds for the period of stay in the country, or confirmation of hotel reservation.
For children under 18 years of age traveling with a parent or third party, a power of attorney from the parent(s) must be notarized and translated into Portuguese.
Do not forget to take out medical insurance for the entire duration of the trip. Although the policy is not asked when entering the country, it is at least unreasonable to travel without it.
Brazil visa documents
Required documents for obtaining a visa for a period exceeding 90 days:
- international passport
With a validity period of at least 6 months from the end of the trip and at least one blank page for gluing the visa;
- Questionnaire
Questionnaire completed online in English or Portuguese;
- Photo
1 photo 3×4, color or black and white;
- Booking tickets
Round trip air ticket
- Voucher from a travel agency or an official invitation from a Brazilian tour operator
The invitation must contain the personal data of the invitee (name, surname, passport number and date of birth), the purpose of the trip, the name of the hotel, the duration of the trip;
Visa processing time
The term for issuing a visa is up to 10 calendar days.
Consular fee
The fee for issuing a visa for Russian citizens is 800 RUB.
Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte is a Brazilian “garden city” 330 km from Rio de Janeiro. Its name is translated from Portuguese as “beautiful horizon”, and it became the second city in the country, built according to the master plan on previously undeveloped lands. This is a very green city, on its territory there are 27 parks at once, with almost 2 million trees.
It is also a modern city with skyscrapers, which is famous for its futuristic architecture, gastronomy and other achievements of progress. The main attraction of Belo Horizonte is its Pampulha Ecological Park with avant-garde landscaping, laid out on an artificial island.
How to get to Belo Horizonte
Tancredo Neves International Airport is located 30 km from the center of Belo Horizonte, where flights arrive from all Latin American capitals and major cities, as well as from Lisbon. The flight from Rio de Janeiro takes about 25 minutes.
Another airport – Pampulha Airport – is located just 8 km from the city and serves only local flights. You can fly here from Rio or Sao Paulo.
Belo Horizonte is connected to major cities by high-speed highways. The road from Rio de Janeiro will take about 5 hours, from Sao Paulo – about 7 hours. Keep in mind that these roads have toll sections, and in some places there are potholes on the roads.
Rail transport in Brazil is poorly developed, the only train to Belo Horizonte comes from Vitoria, the journey takes about 13 hours.
Entertainment and attractions of Belo Horizonte
The main attraction of the city is its Pampulha Ecological Park. It is located on an artificial island and is known for the avant-garde works of the famous Brazilian experimenter in the field of reinforced concrete structures, Oscar Niemeyer.
It is worth visiting the Palace of Arts. This is not only an interesting building in the avant-garde style, but also a platform for contemporary artists, where exhibitions and concerts of contemporary music are often held.
From the Pope’s Square, named after the visit of Pope Juan Pablo II to 80s, the best views of the city.
As for museums, the Abilio Bareto Historical Museum, the Mineralogy Museum, and the Pampulha Art Museum, which is located in the building of the former casino, are worth attention. The exposition of this museum has almost a thousand works by Brazilian artists and sculptors.
