PassportSouth Africa

Brazil: do South Africans need a visa?

South Africans don't need a visa for Brazil. You can stay up to 90 days per visit, and you can apply to extend.

Visa-free. Itamaraty's visa table (updated 8 April 2025) gives South Africa ordinary passports code 4: 'Dispensa de visto, por até 90 dias' (visa exemption for up to 90 days).173

Before you travel

Purpose of visit

The exemption covers visits (VIVIS: tourism, business, transit, artistic or sporting activities). Paid work needs a visa.1

Confirmed on an official government source

Passport validity

FCDO advises at least 6 months' validity from arrival. Not confirmed on a Brazilian official page.23

Confirmed by other governments' official advice

How to apply

No visa needed. Present your passport at immigration.1

Confirmed on an official government source

Where South Africans apply

Not needed for visits. For other visa types: the Embassy of Brazil in Pretoria (gov.br/mre/embaixada-pretoria) and Consulate-General in Cape Town. The gov.br pages sit behind a CAPTCHA and could not be read.

Not yet confirmed by an official source

Travel insurance

Not published by official sources

Return or onward ticket

Not published by official sources

Proof of funds

Not published by official sources

Accommodation or invitation

Not published by official sources

Vaccinations, including yellow fever on return to South Africa

Brazil: no yellow fever certificate required on entry (WHO). WHO recommends vaccination for much of the country, including Amazonas and Distrito Federal. South Africa's own rule on return: South Africa requires a valid yellow fever certificate from all travellers over 1 year of age, South African citizens included, arriving from a yellow-fever-risk country or after more than 12 hours' airport transit in one; Brazil is on South Africa's risk list. Without it you can be refused entry or quarantined for up to 6 days. The certificate is valid for life and only counts 10 days after vaccination. This is the requirement South Africans most often miss.456

Confirmed by other governments' official advice

Arrival forms

Not published by official sources

Extending your stay and overstaying

Extensions are handled by the Polícia Federal. FCDO: overstays are fined per day, payable on departure or on your next entry.2

Confirmed by other governments' official advice

Transit

Visa-free status covers transit.1

Confirmed on an official government source

Travelling with children

FCDO advises children travelling without both parents to carry an original or notarised birth certificate and parental authorisation. Brazil applies strict rules to Brazilian (including dual-national) children. South Africa's own rules on minors apply on departure and return.2

Confirmed by other governments' official advice

Sources

Official

The destination's own government

  1. 1Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Itamaraty): Quadro Geral de Regime de Vistos, updated 8 April 2025 (hosted on the official COP30 government site) cop30.br

Other government

Official advice from other governments

  1. 2UK FCDO gov.uk
  2. 4DIRCO (South African High Commission, Canberra) dirco.gov.za
  3. 5South African National Department of Health health.gov.za
  4. 6World Health Organization, International Travel and Health country list cdn.who.int

Reference

Used to find official sources, never the final word

  1. 7Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org

Commercial

Visa agencies, law firms and travel companies

  1. 3The GSA (SA visa service), Brazil guide thegsa.co.za

Last researched 5 October 2026. Rules change; confirm with the embassy before you book.