Brazil travel guide for New Zealanders

New Zealanders do not need a visa for tourist visits to Brazil of up to 90 days. You arrive on a tourist stamp and can extend once for another 90 days at the Federal Police if you want to stay longer. The rules are the same for US, UK, Canadian and Australian citizens, so if you hold one of those passports too, the answer does not change.

What changes the decision is timing: Brazil requires your passport to be valid for at least six months beyond your stay, and you need proof of onward travel. Check the latest entry rules with the Brazilian consulate before you book, because requirements can shift.

For tourism, New Zealand citizens get a 90-day stay on arrival. You need a passport valid for at least six months beyond your stay, a return or onward ticket, and proof of accommodation. The immigration officer may ask for evidence of funds, so have a bank statement or card handy.

If you want to stay longer, you can apply for a 90-day extension at the Federal Police (Polícia Federal) office in most major cities before your initial 90 days run out. Overstaying is fined and can affect future entries.

For work, study or any activity that is not tourism, you need a visa from a Brazilian embassy or consulate before you travel. The nearest consulate for New Zealanders is in Auckland (check).

New Zealand does not have an embassy in Brazil. The nearest accredited mission is the New Zealand Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, which covers Brazil. For consular help, you can also contact the New Zealand High Commission in Ottawa, Canada, but for practical matters, the Buenos Aires embassy is the one to call.

Before you travel, register your trip with SafeTravel (safetravel.govt.nz) so the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade can contact you in an emergency. For passport or consular emergencies, the Buenos Aires embassy is the point of contact.

Use the Embassy tool to find the current contact details and opening hours.

Brazil is cheaper than New Zealand for food, transport and accommodation, but flights are the big cost. A return ticket from Auckland to São Paulo or Rio usually costs NZ$1,800–2,500 in low season and NZ$2,500–3,500 in peak season (2026 estimate). Budget NZ$150–250 per day per person for mid-range travel: a decent hotel, meals out, and local transport. A week for one person, including flights, comes to roughly NZ$3,000–4,500.

Cash is rarely needed; cards and Pix (the local instant payment system) are accepted almost everywhere. Pix works with a Brazilian bank account, which you cannot open as a tourist, so rely on credit cards and some cash for small vendors. ATMs are common in cities; use ones inside banks or shopping malls.

For a detailed breakdown, see the cost of travel in Brazil page.

There are no direct flights from New Zealand to Brazil. The usual routes are Auckland to São Paulo (GRU) or Rio (GIG) with one stop in Santiago (LATAM), Buenos Aires (LATAM or Aerolíneas Argentinas), or Sydney/Melbourne then on to São Paulo. Total flight time is about 16–18 hours plus a layover of 2–6 hours.

From Auckland, the time difference to Brasília time (UTC−3) is about 16 hours behind in summer and 15 in winter, so you arrive the same day or the next day depending on the connection. Plan for jet lag: the first day is usually a write-off.

Use the flight-time planner to compare routes and times from your home city.

Brazil uses type N sockets (three round pins in a triangle) and, in older buildings, type C (two round pins). Voltage varies by city: 127V in Rio, São Paulo, and most of the coast; 220V in Brasília, Manaus, and parts of the northeast. Check your device's voltage range before plugging in; most phone and laptop chargers accept 100–240V, but hairdryers and kettles may not.

Bring a universal adapter that works with type N, and a voltage converter if your device is not dual-voltage. Power cuts are rare in big cities but possible in remote areas.

A 10% service charge is usually added to restaurant and bar bills, and it is optional. If the service was poor, you can ask to remove it. For taxis, rounding up is fine. Tour guides and porters: R$10–20 per day or per bag is a reasonable tip. In hotels, leave a small amount for housekeeping if you wish.

In cash-strapped situations, tipping by card is possible in most places, but cash is easier for small amounts.

Dial 190 for police, 192 for ambulance, and 193 for fire. These are national numbers and work from any phone. For tourist police in Rio, the number is (21) 2332-2924 (check). Save your embassy's after-hours number and the SafeTravel registration in your phone before you go.

In an emergency, speak slowly in English or use a translation app; English is not widely spoken, but police in tourist areas are used to foreigners.

Entry requirements are based on the Brazilian government's visa policy and New Zealand's SafeTravel advice. Flight times and costs are estimates for 2026 and should be checked with airlines and booking sites.