Brazil

Capital: Brasília

Language: Portuguese (the sole official language)

Currency: Brazilian real (BRL)

Time zone: UTC-03:00 / UTC-04:00

Visa required — 90 days

Status genuinely differs across the Gulf: UAE and Qatari nationals enter visa-free for 90 days (reciprocal exemptions since June 2018 and December 2019 respectively). Saudi, Kuwaiti, Bahraini and Omani nationals need an actual visa, obtainable only from the Brazilian embassy in their home country before travel — there is no e-visa or visa-on-arrival for these four nationalities. For Saudis specifically: a multiple-entry visa valid 5 years, capped at 90 days per visit. Brazilian visas are never issued at the border or airport — pre-arrival application is mandatory.

Official source ↗

⚠️ Guidance only — always verify with the official source before traveling.

🕓 Last officially verified: 14/07/2026

June–September (Brazilian winter) is best for dry, milder weather in Rio and São Paulo with less humidity — and it coincides with the Gulf summer. February–March brings vibrant Carnival but heavy crowds and high prices. The Amazon stays hot and humid nearly year-round.

Halal food: Very limited outside São Paulo and Foz do Iguaçu. São Paulo has Brazil's oldest mosque (Mesquita Brasil, Brás, 1929) and the Centro Islâmico do Brasil in Aclimação (South America's largest mosque), ringed by halal butchers. Foz do Iguaçu has roughly 20,000 Arab residents (~7% of the city) and an official halal tourism guide. Other major cities (Rio, Brasília, Salvador) have very few declared halal spots — advance research or apps like HalalTrip are needed.

Prayer places: Mesquita Brasil (the oldest, São Paulo), the Centro Islâmico do Brasil in Aclimação (South America's largest), and the Omar Ibn Al-Khattab Mosque in Foz do Iguaçu (Latin America's largest). Outside these two cities, prayer spaces are very rare — carry a travel mat and a qibla app.

Friday is an official holiday: No

The Muslim community is relatively small (about 1.5 million, 0.7% of 215 million) and concentrated in São Paulo and Foz do Iguaçu, of Arab descent (Syrian, Lebanese, Palestinian) dating back to the late 1800s. Public life is entirely unaffected by Ramadan, and communal iftars are limited to the vicinity of the major mosques in these two cities.

Social warmth, hugs and cheek kisses are common norms even among relative strangers — not intended to embarrass. Time is very flexible ('Brazilian time' — a 15-30 minute delay is normal). Football is a near-sacred topic that opens any conversation. Portuguese is almost the only language spoken — English is limited even in mid-range hotels, so a translation app is essential.

Cards and Apple Pay are accepted in major cities, and the instant 'Pix' payment system has become near-mandatory even for small vendors — hard to use as a tourist since it usually needs a local bank account. Cash remains necessary at street markets and rural areas.

Uber and 99 (the local app) for transit, iFood for food delivery, Google Maps generally reliable but check safety alerts before walking unfamiliar neighborhoods at night.

Right-hand-side driving. An International Driving Permit (IDP) is practically required alongside the original license. Renting a car is useful for the Amazon and Iguazu but not advised inside Rio or São Paulo due to congestion and traffic-related crime.

A 10% service charge is added automatically at most restaurants — considered sufficient, with nothing more expected.

Vivo, Claro and TIM — tourist SIMs available at the airport, and eSIM works well in major cities but coverage weakens in the remote Amazon.

There's no metro or train linking the major cities — domestic flights (LATAM, Gol, Azul) are the only practical way between Rio, São Paulo, the Amazon and Iguazu. Within cities, São Paulo and Rio have modern metros, and Uber is widespread and much cheaper than traditional taxis.

Cheaper than the Gulf and Europe generally: street food $5-10, a good restaurant $15-30 pp, mid-range hotel $50-120/night. Rio's tourist zones (Copacabana, Ipanema) run relatively pricier. The Brazilian real is volatile — check the exchange rate before travel.

ℹ️ Prices are approximate and subject to change

The main tourist circuit (Rio, São Paulo, the Amazon, Iguazu Falls) is open and reasonably safe with ordinary caution, but organized crime and drug gangs are widespread, and petty theft (pickpocketing, phone snatching) is common in Rio and São Paulo's tourist zones. Drink-spiking incidents are reported, notably in Rio. Avoid entering informal settlements (favelas) even on a guided tour — this is an official recommendation, not exaggeration. Since May 2026, policing has been significantly increased across Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon.

• Christ the Redeemer, Rio
• Iguazu Falls
• Oscar Niemeyer's Brasília architecture
• The Amazon rainforest
• Historic Pelourinho, Salvador