Brazil is enormous.

That's worth remembering when you're planning a trip, because reducing Brazil to Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo is a little like reducing the United States to New York and Los Angeles. They're important cities, absolutely. They're also a tiny piece of the country.

Before we get into where to go, though, let's handle the paperwork.

What Does a U.S. Citizen Need to Visit Brazil?

The big change happened April 10, 2025. U.S. citizens traveling to Brazil for tourism or business once again need a visa. For ordinary visitor travel, Americans can apply electronically for Brazil's e-Visa rather than visiting a Brazilian consulate.

For the e-Visa application, Brazil currently lists requirements including a valid, signed passport, an online application, a passport-style photograph, a visa fee, a flight reservation showing entry into and departure from Brazil, and a recent bank statement meeting the financial requirements established for the application. Brazil's current guidance says the passport must remain valid throughout the trip and have two blank visa pages for the e-Visa application.

The e-Visa can cover tourism and business visits of up to 90 days. Brazil's Ministry of Foreign Affairs currently lists the U.S. e-Visa fee as $80.90 and says the visa is valid for 10 years.

One important exception involves dual U.S.-Brazilian citizens. Brazilian citizens aren't eligible for a Brazilian visa, including the e-Visa. A dual U.S.-Brazilian citizen should make sure they have a valid Brazilian passport for travel to Brazil.

Once the documents are handled, things get considerably more fun.

Go Beyond Rio

Rio deserves its reputation. Seeing Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain, and Copacabana isn't somehow less worthwhile because they're famous.

But consider adding someplace unexpected.

Lençóis Maranhenses National Park in Maranhão is one of those places that hardly looks real: enormous white sand dunes interrupted by seasonal freshwater lagoons.

Then there's Ouro Preto in Minas Gerais. If colonial architecture, old churches, steep cobblestone streets, and Brazilian history are more your speed than beaches, it's an entirely different Brazilian experience.

For another change of scenery, look at Chapada Diamantina in Bahia. We're talking waterfalls, plateaus, caves, hiking, and landscapes that don't resemble the Brazil most first-time visitors picture.

And then there's Paraty, between Rio and São Paulo. The preserved colonial center, surrounding mountains, islands, and coastline make it a good choice if you'd rather slow down instead of bouncing from one major attraction to another.

Don't Forget How Big Brazil Really Is

This is the part of Brazil travel planning that catches people.

Distances are huge.

You aren't necessarily going to casually visit Rio, the Amazon, Salvador, and Iguaçu Falls in a few days. Pick a region, give yourself time to actually experience it, and remember that another trip to Brazil is a perfectly acceptable solution to the problem of not seeing everything.

Before booking, check your passport, get the appropriate Brazilian e-Visa, and verify the current entry requirements for your particular trip. Texas Tower can assist U.S. travelers with Brazilian e-Visas and other international travel documentation.

We also help Brazilian citizens in the United States with Brazilian passport renewals, which is particularly important now that dual Brazilian-U.S. citizens cannot simply obtain an e-Visa in their U.S. passport instead.

Get the paperwork out of the way first.

Then you can get back to the much better problem: deciding which part of Brazil you want to see first.