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1. A Visa is required to enter the United country

Not only do you need a passport to enter the country, but a tourist Visa is also required. During the Presidency of Jair Bolsonaro from 2019 to 2022, he changed the law which did not require a tourist Visa to enter Brazil. However, the new President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (Lula) changed the law which requires U.S., Canada and Australian residents to have a tourist Visa to enter Brazil. The reason for this is because these 3 countries do not offer reciprocity, meaning Brazilians are required to apply for a tourist Visa to enter these countries. This goes into affect April 10th of this year, so if you’re planning your trip to Brazil after April 10th make sure you have your tourist Visa ready to go!

2. The outlets are not the same as the Unites States

Brazil uses a different type of outlet than what the U.S. uses, which is a Type N socket. Sometimes they use a Type C socket, but it is not as common. The standard voltage in Brazil is 127 Volts, compared to the U.S. standard of 220 Volts. Traveling with a Type N adapter will allow you to still be able to use all your normal plugs like phone chargers, hair tools and etc.

Before traveling to Brazil, make sure you buy your adapters!

3. The currency is Real

The Brazilian currency is Real (ree-al) when singular and Reais (ree-ace) when plural. The pronunciation in the Portuguese language is hey-al and hey-eyes. To compare Reais to American Dollars, the exchange rate rounded up is about R$ 5 for every $1. For example, if I want to turn $100 to Real, I will get about R$ 500, and vice versa.

Real is very colorful currency compared to American money, which I think is a pretty good representation of the colorful country. They have similar dollar amounts as the U.S., except instead of $1 they have R$ 2, and they also have R$ 200.

You can exchange your money at airport kiosks if you have no other alternative, but these places usually incur some hefty fees. I have heard major banks like Wells Fargo and Bank of America will allow you to buy Reais through them, as long as you are already a customer. There is also the option to order Reais online and have it delivered to you, or apply for a travel debit card. Whatever your option is, just make sure to have your Reais with you before you enter the country to be prepared. Also remember, things may seem expensive when you first get there, but just remember what the exchange rate would be in American Dollars if you’re from the U.S.!

4. Lastly, the language is Portuguese, not Spanish!

Because it’s South America, I think a majority of people (including myself) assume the language is Spanish. I was very quickly corrected when I tried to show off my Spanish skills.

There are two different kinds of Portuguese; Brazilian Portuguese and Portugal Portuguese. It comes down to the dialect and pronunciation.

If you’re someone who speaks fluent Spanish, or learned in school as a required language class, then you may find it easy to grasp the language. There are a lot of similar words with the two languages.

Let me know what else you think is important to prepare for your next trip to Brazil!