{"id":31536,"date":"2026-04-26T18:36:31","date_gmt":"2026-04-26T16:36:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.anxhelaisaj.com\/?p=31536"},"modified":"2026-06-14T18:00:37","modified_gmt":"2026-06-14T16:00:37","slug":"trip-to-brazil-everything-you-need-to-know-before-you-leave-documents-safety-what-to-pack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.anxhelaisaj.com\/en\/trip-to-brazil-everything-you-need-to-know-before-you-leave-documents-safety-what-to-pack\/","title":{"rendered":"Trip to Brazil: everything you need to know before you leave (documents, safety, what to pack)"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Trip to Brazil: everything you need to know before you leave (documents, safety, what to pack)<\/span><\/h1><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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When we started planning our first trip to South America, and to Brazil in particular, we had so many questions.

Will we need a visa? What about the yellow fever vaccine? How safe is it really?<\/strong> Can we pay by card or do we need to exchange a lot of cash? And for the suitcase \u2014 what do you even pack for the Amazon? \ud83e\udd2f

In short, even though I love organising trips down to the last detail, faced with a country this vast and this different from our own, I found myself doing a bit of extra research to make sure we arrived prepared. And now that we are back, with all the hands-on experience behind us, I decided to put together in one single article everything I wished I had found ready before leaving.

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In this practical guide you will find:
\u2705 Documents<\/strong> required to enter Brazil
\u2705 Recommended vaccinations<\/strong> and preventive treatments (especially for the Amazon)
\u2705 International and domestic flights<\/strong>: which airlines we flew with and our tips for saving money
\u2705 Currency and payments<\/strong>: how we got on and how much cash you really need
\u2705 When to go<\/strong>: the best time depending on what you want to see
\u2705 Safety:<\/strong> the unfiltered truth about our experience
\u2705 Connectivity and eSIM<\/strong>: how to stay connected at all times
\u2705 What to pack<\/strong>, with a special section dedicated to the Amazon (because there you need specific things you would never expect!)<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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If you are looking for the actual account of our itinerary, with all the stops day by day, you can find it here \ud83d\udc49 [Complete Brazil Itinerary]<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Documents<\/h2>

To enter Brazil as tourists, all you need is a passport with at least 6 months of remaining validity. For us Italians, no visa is required for stays of up to 90 days. One less thing to worry about!

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Quick note for non-Italian readers:<\/strong> visa rules depend on your passport. Since 10 April 2025 (still in force in 2026), US, Canadian and Australian citizens need an e-Visa, to be applied for online in advance via the official VFS portal, before they fly. UK, French and other EU citizens do not need a visa for short tourist stays. Always check the rules for your own nationality before booking.<\/p>


Vaccinations<\/h2>

No vaccine is legally required to enter Brazil: there is no compulsory certificate at the border for travellers arriving from Europe. But “not required to enter” is not the same as “not recommended”, so here is what is actually worth knowing.

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Yellow fever is the one to pay attention to.<\/strong> Vaccination is recommended for most of the country \u2014 including all the areas on this itinerary: Rio de Janeiro (the city too), the Igua\u00e7u Falls, the Amazon and the Len\u00e7\u00f3is Maranhenses. To be effective it has to be given at least 10 days before departure, and it is only considered unnecessary for a few north-eastern cities such as Fortaleza and Recife. Nobody checks it at the airport, but health authorities strongly advise it for these regions, so do not leave it to the last minute: the vaccine is not available on demand everywhere, and you will usually need to book a slot at an authorised travel clinic.

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For the Amazon specifically: when we spoke to our doctor \u2014 who had already been to Brazil \u2014 he recommended, as a precaution for those days, a light preventive treatment in tablet form, to be started 10 days before the trip. I can confirm that neither I nor Fabio had a single symptom or side effect, everything went smoothly. \u26a0\ufe0f I am not naming any medication, because it is important that you speak to your own doctor before leaving: they will be able to advise you based on your personal situation and your exact route.<\/strong><\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

Travel insurance<\/h2>

I always say it and I will say it again: travel insurance, even if it might seem like an “extra” expense, is truly the last thing you should cut costs on.<\/strong> Especially when you are heading off on a long trip, to the other side of the world, to places like the Amazon where an unexpected health issue can turn into a headache \u2014 and financially, a disaster.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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International flights<\/h2>

We flew from Milan with Air France (with a stopover in Paris), and we were very happy with them. Another airline with really competitive prices is TAP Portugal, which stops in Lisbon \u2014 we had looked at it during the booking phase and the fares were excellent.
\ud83d\udccc Tip: book well in advance, ideally 6-7 months ahead<\/strong>. It is the surest way to secure the best deals, as prices go up considerably as the departure date approaches.<\/p>


Domestic flights<\/span><\/h2>

Brazil is enormous and to get from one area to another you need domestic flights.<\/strong> We took as many as 8 during this trip, always with LATAM <\/a>and I have to say: they were exceptional. Never a delay, never a lost suitcase, and the website and app are very easy to use, even in Italian. One detail worth mentioning: domestic flights usually include a 23 kg checked bag, but always check the fare you are purchasing.

<\/p>

Currency and payments<\/h2>

The official currency in Brazil is the Brazilian Real (BRL).<\/strong> What surprised me enormously is that you can pay by credit card absolutely everywhere: from restaurants to hotels, from shops to market stalls \u2014 even beach vendors all have a card reader. I did not exchange a single euro in Rio<\/strong>. I only changed a small amount of cash to tip the guides during excursions.<\/p>


When to go<\/span><\/h2>

We left at the beginning of April<\/strong> and I will tell you how it went, so you can get an idea. In Rio de Janeiro everything was perfect: their autumn had just begun<\/strong>, the temperatures were pleasant, it was not unbearably hot and it was genuinely lovely for getting around the city. In the northern part of the country \u2014 we did the Amazon and Len\u00e7\u00f3is Maranhenses \u2014 we were right in the middle of the rainy season.<\/strong> Let’s say it is not the ideal time, as more than a few storms rolled in, but the very positive side is that we found very few tourists anywhere. A real luxury, especially in places like the Len\u00e7\u00f3is, which in high season are absolutely packed.
To give you a complete picture, here is what the guides told us:
From June, the first tourists start to arrive. Between August and September the dry season begins and it is the busiest period<\/strong> (and also when the Len\u00e7\u00f3is lagoons are at their most spectacular). From December to March it is the Brazilian summer<\/strong>: very hot in Rio, perfect for the beaches, but frequent rain in the north. The “ideal” period on paper would be from June to September<\/strong>, but if like us you are not fond of crowds and are happy to accept the odd tropical downpour, April is also a very good option. \ud83c\udf27\ufe0f<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Connectivity and eSIM<\/h2>

For the SIM card in Brazil, I did not even consider getting a physical SIM. I had looked into it online more out of curiosity than anything else, and it turned out to be quite a hassle \u2014 apparently you even need a Brazilian document to activate one. So, no thanks. \ud83d\ude43
As on all my trips, this time too I used an eSIM Holafly (you can find it HERE)<\/a>, which is now my permanent travel companion on every departure.<\/strong> I got the eSIM with unlimited data and it was completely stress-free: zero worries, always connected, smooth browsing everywhere (even in Manaus and the Len\u00e7\u00f3is, where coverage is what it is).<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Getting around Brazil<\/h2>

Getting around the cities is nothing particularly complicated. We always used Google Maps to navigate on foot<\/strong> through the various neighbourhoods (in Rio it is essential so you don’t get lost between Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon). Uber for longer distances<\/strong>: very convenient, efficient and genuinely cheap. We took it constantly throughout the trip and every ride cost just a few euros. It became our main way of getting around.
In Rio there is also a metro, but several locals had advised us to just use Uber instead<\/strong>, for safety reasons \u2014 especially in the evening. We followed the advice and honestly did not miss the metro at all: with Uber so affordable and widespread, there is really no reason to make life harder.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Safety in Brazil: our experience<\/h2>

I have to be honest: before we left, people scared us half to death about Brazil.<\/strong> “Don’t wear your Apple Watch.” “Avoid wearing rings, even your wedding band.” “Always keep 30 reais in your wallet so that if you get robbed you at least have something to hand over and they’ll leave you alone.”

Even though I travel a lot, I don’t think I have ever been subjected to so much pre-departure scaremongering about any destination<\/strong>. And honestly, from the start it all seemed a bit over the top to me: could a place as touristy as Rio really be an open-air war zone?<\/strong> It seemed unlikely. So I left with my Apple Watch on my wrist and my wedding ring on my finger. And I was right.

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Here is what it is really like: in Rio there are indeed a lot of homeless people, more than I expected<\/strong> \u2014 I won’t lie to you about that. But there is just as much of a police presence<\/strong>. In the tourist areas you will find a police car parked every 300 metres, and precisely for this reason the atmosphere is super relaxed: everyone walks around with their Apple Watch on, phone in hand, without any particular anxiety.

That said, this does not mean you can be careless. There are some important precautions to take:<\/strong><\/p>