Transit visa information needed

I'm not even sure if there is an International Transit Area at GRU, most Brazilian airports do not have them just like the United States Airports. Even if they do the area would be too confined an area airside for a 5-8 hour delay between flights.

I would recommend applying for a VITRAN Transit Visa for Brazil in any case, that way you can leave the secured area to eat, use restroom facilities, etc. Also, flight cancellations are notorious at all Brazilian airports and you'd certainly be in dire troubles should that happen and you don't have a VITRAN.

Check with your airlines, but they may not even have accurate information for you. They're generally a poor source of information here in Brazil.

Cheers,
William James Woodward, Expat-blog Experts Team

wjwoodward wrote:

I'm not even sure if there is an International Transit Area at GRU, most Brazilian airports do not have them just like the United States Airports. Even if they do the area would be too confined an area airside for a 5-8 hour delay between flights.

I would recommend applying for a VITRAN Transit Visa for Brazil in any case, that way you can leave the secured area to eat, use restroom facilities, etc. Also, flight cancellations are notorious at all Brazilian airports and you'd certainly be in dire troubles should that happen and you don't have a VITRAN.

Check with your airlines, but they may not even have accurate information for you. They're generally a poor source of information here in Brazil.

Cheers,
William James Woodward, Expat-blog Experts Team

All International flights into Brazil require clearance through Brazilian Immigration (DPF) and Customs (RF). There is no holding "tank." Once you clear, unless your flight is domestic (and even that depends on how long between flights), you check in for you flight all over again as if you never checked in in the first place.

And when you leave, you go through Brazilian Migration. Therefore if you require a visa to enter Brazil, you will require a Brazilian Visa to transit Brazil.

Also, I forgot -- In the US, there are no transit areas. There is a special visa for visitors transiting airports. All passengers, including crew members are required to clear US Customs regardless of their final destination.

Thanks for that Matt, I kind of thought that was what you told me while you were here. You're a lifesaver for sure!

James

Thanks for your replies. What I have found on Brazilian Embassy of website states this:

Transit visa

Passengers en-route to a third country and holding onward tickets do not need transit visas if they stay in the international transit area of the airport in Brazil. Those passengers are authorized to stay in the international transit area of Brazilian airports as long as necessary to board the next flight.

In case the passenger wishes to leave the international transit area of the airport, a tourist visa will be necessary. Passengers should apply for visas before traveling. Brazil does not issue visa on arrival. (source: http://islamabade.itamaraty.gov.br/en-u … t_visa.xml)

Now this means that they do have some International Transit Area. I am trying to contact embassy people but I guess they dont entertain on phone or email.