Consulate General of Brazil in New York

Maybe I was just unlucky but I found just miserable people that were extremely unhelpful and unwilling to make anyone’s life simple.

Had all my ducks in a row: passport, application form, 2×2 inch photo, proof of flight and accommodation, and special money order ($ 160!) from the USPS. Made an appointment for 10:30. After a quick stop/​bag check at security, I walked in at 10:20. Given ticket #58 by the security guard.
They were on #29 best I could tell… each of the 15 counters (8 in use) is on a separate counting system, so the numbers were 25, 29, 466, 468, 802, etc.
11am rolls around — I go back to check with the guard. «Doesn’t even matter,» he says to my feeble protests about having an appointment. «They’re getting rid of those anyway. Causes too much confusion.»
Oh okay.
I was finally seen at 11:15, 45 minutes later. Thank goodness I’d blocked off the time at work! The «appointment» itself was less than three minutes. I handed over my papers one at a time, explaining what they were. The counter lady accepted them, though I’m not sure she was really checking to make sure I included everything. Once she had everything, she stamped a small square of paper with the date 5 business days away.
On that date, I came back — and everyone was at lunch! Made the mistake of missing the «pickup only available 2:30p to 4:00p each day.» I work, luckily not to far away, and getting away during the day is a major inconvenience. The security guard suggested I come back at 2:30, which I couldn’t do, so I verified that the next week, EVERY DAY, MONDAY — FRIDAY, from 2:30 to 4, I could pick up my passport with the new visa. He agreed.
Next Monday, I come in — they’re closed. It’s MLK Jr. Day. Should I have known better, that they’d be closed on a holiday they don’t celebrate? At this point, yes.
Third time was the charm — a couple of days later, I was able to move some meetings around to go back again. I breezed in (they guards make you show your paper before letting you in though), and picked up my passport rather quickly. It was bent from being stored wide open, and also there was a random staple in the back cover. WHO DOES THAT? WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?
The best part is that starting this week, you don’t need an appointment anymore, and starting in a couple of months, you don’t even need a visa, because they’re trying to get as many people as possible in for the olympics. So I was one of the lucky last ones to go through this process… yay.
TL;DR: if you have your stuff together and are more laid back than I am, this will be a fine experience. But I found the process really inefficient and irritating.

It’s really a smooth process if you have everything prepared and are on time. I managed to get my passport photos, money order ($ 160), online application, bank statements, and travel itinerary completed, and snag an appointment for the next day (New Year’s Eve, I think I just got lucky.)
*PLEASE NOTE* All visa submission and pickup times are from 1:30PM to 4PM, NO APPOINTMENT NEEDED (starting from 1÷25÷16).
Visas not required for travel from June 1^st, 2016 — Sept 18, 2016 due to the Olympics. You lucky ducks.
My appointment was at 11:45AM, the last spot available as the visa submission times used to be 9AM-​12PM. I walked in at the exact time, dropped off my docs, and was in and out in 5 minutes. They give me a paper slip for pickup. Mine was dated 10 days after my appt, but you can go pick up anytime after that date.
The day of pickup I got there at 2:30, the earliest pickup time, and was maybe the 20^th person in line. Now that the time’s are different, this may not be of much help but I would have suggested getting there at 3PM to avoid the on-​time rush of people. Even so, I was out of there by 2:45PM.
Super excited! The Visa looks so cute in my passport. :D

Was very simple and fast. I was well organized with all my documents, i had a 12 noon appointment, I entered the building exactly 12 noon, and left exactly 12:11. Literally. Just be organized and prepared, follow all the steps exactly on their website! I have to pick up my passport in 5 days! The clerk was friendly and personable.

I can’t begin to express how frustrating the visa process is. It is filled with incompetance at every turn and the consulate does nothing to reduce that. It takes over a month to get an appointment (although this is going away) at which point you take a number in a DMV style line. The whole process at the window takes under 2 minutes as you just hand them your forms. I have no idea why it takes so long to get to the counter. My visa took 10 business days (contrary to the 5 business day wait posted on the website). I was given a 1.5 hour window to pick up my visa. Simply being handed my passport required a 15 minute wait. If I didn’t really want to go to Carnival I would just pick another vacation destination that actually makes it easy for me to visit.

Preparation for getting a tourist visa was a huge pain in the ass, but the process of coming in was actually pretty painless. Made an appointment 6 weeks in advance. Came in early and went straight to a visa line, where I was 3^rd and got a number pretty quickly. 10 minutes later, I was called to the window, presented all my paperwork, and got a receipt for pickup 12 business days later. In and out in about 15 minutes.

I have a trip booked for Christmas, and upon discovering a week ago that there was a 6 week delay for getting an appointment, you could’ve imagined the stress. Two stars down for such a ridiculous delay — I’ve travelled extensively around the world and never had to wait this long to process a visa before. Brazil, get your act together.
I was fortunately able to get an appointment earlier for today via a connection, but here are other ways I’ve discovered you can get the visa quicker, below. Note, from January 19, appointments are no longer needed and you can walk-​in between 9−10am only (see notice on the consulate site in ALL CAPS. I can only imagine the delays and lines for this). Otherwise:
1. You can ‘walk in’ to the NY consulate and be processed, first-​in, first-​served at opening time. Problem is, they only take 20 people, so there is a line in the morning that starts around 4.30am. Fights have apparently started.
2. You can go to the consulate in Connecticut and get it processed on the same day by walking in. One day vs six weeks. Go figure.
** My appointment experience **
Reading reviews here, it didn’t seem to matter what time you turned up to the appointment, so I decided to get there at 11.30am when, I was told, that it’s the ‘quiet time’ (compared to the 9am rush hour). I arrived at 11.25 and had to wait in line for 20 minutes to get to the first window where my documents were checked.
Then I received a ticket number, and sat down in the waiting room, which was absolutely full, but it seemed that the numbers being called for tourist visas were moving much quicker than other consular matters. I waited approx 10 minutes, then was called to another window, my paperwork checked, and given a receipt to pick up my passport the next day. Total time at the consulate was just under 35 minutes.
**
For those American citizens who complain about the cost of the visa, or the paperwork, or the lines, or the delays, you should understand that being a foreign person coming to the US (I’m Australian) is one of the most costly and stressful experiences of all the consular experiences on the entire planet. The amount of paperwork, money spent, finger printing, security measures, is nothing compared to Brazil. So stop your complaining.

I had to work with the NY consulate gor a tourist visa for next month. No dates were available and the one that was could not be obtained since the site was messed up and wouldn’t allow selection for two days. Got in touch with an asshole when I called who yelled at me but then told me to visit the one in Hartford which accepted walk-​ins, enabling us to get our Visas In time for our trip since we are pressed for time. I went to Hartford on behalf of myself and my friend and had a completely different experience! If I could find the Hartford consulate on Unilocal,I’d give them five stars and a great review, my stars are intended for NY but this review mainly pertains to Hartford. Upon arrival at about 8:30 am, they were accepting walk ins. Once inside, a really hospitable attendant asked me the purpose of my trip and issued me a tourist number right away. There were about five others waiting. She gave me a new number to provide enough time for me to get a money order at the post office across the street for my best friend. As soon as I got back, my number was called immediately. The attendant was very helpful and the process was a breeze. I spent a little under an hour there from start to finish. If you can by all means, avoid the NY consulate and head straight to Hartford, you’ll see results quicker.

I’m heading down to Brazil in December and luckily made my appointment before the «rush» kicked in. With the upcoming Olympics, it’s a really good idea to make your appointment as soon as possible because it’s about 5 weeks until you can make an appointment.
Just make sure you print out the confirmation page, the email confirmation of your appointment, a copy of your itinerary, the page that you have to post your photo on, and your money order. You don’t have to show up at your designated appointment time, just show up before 12pm. When you enter the consulate, you have to stand in line for someone to double check everything and issue a ticket. Next, you wait to be seen. I went in at 10am and was out by almost 12pm. The waiting room does not get reception and there is no free wifi, so bring something to pass the time.
Overall, it was fine. It looked like there were only two windows out of 15 that issued visas, the other windows seemed to be deal with issues with Brazilian citizens. It seems like everyone’s waiting experiences differed, I would assume that it will only become busier as the Olympics approach.

I’m travelling to South America in January, it includes a few days in Brazil. The tour agency I’m working with has a list of what I need, one of them is a visa, so I did a search for the Brazilian Consulate here in New York. I not only found their website, along with instructions for applying for a visa, I also saw there were Unilocal reviews for them.
Step one is filling out the online form. The Consulate’s instructions tells you not to leave any blank spaces on the form. This is counter intuitive when being asked a question that has the same answer as the previous question, i.e. «what’s your address» then the next question «what’s your previous address». For me the answer was the same, however, I left off the answer (by not answering, there were now blank spaces on the form). When I submitted the form on a Friday night, I didn’t get a receipt. When I still didn’t get it Saturday I emailed the Consulate (a fellow Unilocaler said they sent an email and got a quick response), however, I didn’t think there’d be anyone on staff over the weekend. But, late Monday morning I received an answer from them to fill out the form again. I read the Unilocal reviews again, and this time I did not leave any blank spaces, if needed I repeated the same answer.
This time when I submitted the form, I quickly got a receipt.
I went to their page to make an appointment. There weren’t any open slots for at least two weeks (not an issue for me, as I’m working with ample time), picked a day and time, and got a Visa Appointment Confirmation email.
After reading all the reviews many times, from one star to five stars, I felt very prepared for my visit to the Consulate. The documents I brought for my Visa application were: appointment confirmation email, form receipt (with 2X2 pic attached), passport, US Postal money order for $ 160.00, copy of my airline ticket, and trip itinerary.
If you’re not a US citizen, additional documents are required.
My appointment was Friday, October 30^th, time slot 11:45 — 12:00. The one thing I couldn’t do was get there any earlier than my appointed time, I was just too busy with work. I was prepared to be there awhile, so I brought reading material, and work.
I walked into the Consulate, and a nice security guard brings me into a large waiting room with a lot of people, many of the seats were taken. Very surprisingly instead of telling me to take a seat, he walks me to a free window with two chairs facing it, I was shocked. The clerk asked for my papers, and I asked if I can sit down. I gave her my papers, and she gave me ticket #48, and said wait till your # is called. I found a seat, took off my coat, looked up and they were on #46. Within a minute or two #48 was called. The clerk at this window took my papers, except my trip itinerary, and gave me another receipt to pick up my Visa, dated November 6^th (one week later), between 2:30 — 4:00pm.
I was barely there for ten minutes.
When I went back Friday, November 6^th at 2:25 (once again I couldn’t get there any earlier), there was a line with maybe ten people ahead of me into the that same waiting room. However, the line was moving quite fast. Within a few minutes I was at a window, the clerk looked at my pick up receipt from the previous week, and gave me another ticket with #107. I now had two tickets, and when I sat down I saw they were on #90, however, once again things moved along, within 25 mts my number was called, went to the window and was handed my Visa. This Visa is valid for 10 years.
My total time spent there was perhaps 40 mts (for both visits).
Thank you Brazilian Consulate for being so EFFICIENT!
And, thank you fellow Unilocaler’s, your reviews helped me a lot.

Came here to get my travel visa and the lady who helped me was really friendly and polite. Once I was called up, it took no more than 5 min.
When I first entered, I waited in the one long line. Then the guard asked the people in the line who was here for travel visa. He counts how many people need a travel visa and goes back to one of the counters and spits out waiting number tickets. He hands them out to you and then you can just sit in the large waiting area.
You have to make an appointment online and print out the email confirmation and bring in the other sheet of paper with your photo and signature on it. Once you have a time, I would just show up right when it opens. You do not have to come at the designated appointment time. The only thing I did not try was once I got my appointment, could I come on an earlier date. My suspicion is that it is fine.
I’ve been to other consulate offices and they seem to work a little faster, but not by much.
Overall, great experience and I hope I am greeted with such politeness and friendliness when in Brazil.

This is a review of my experience at the Consulate General of Brazil to get a tourist visa.
Appointment Time: You must make an appointment online for an interview, but having an appointment does not mean the time is reserved for you. Once you arrive there you have to queue to get a number ticked and wait to be called.
My appointment was from 9:45 — 10:00 and I arrived there at 9:30. At that point, their tourist visa windows were not open yet, but there were already 12 people ahead of me. So I suggest you get there before your appointment time.
Time: They opened their tourist visa windows and started calling numbers around 9:40. With 12 people ahead of me, my number was called around 10:10. The actual «interview» took less than 5 minutes. So I was done by 10:15. That means it took about 45 minutes from start to end. Just make sure you have all the documents ready, then you will be fine. My visa was ready in 7 business days.
Filling an application online: Below is the questions I asked by email and the Consulate’s answers.
Q: Must I upload all the documents on the website or can I just bring the originals on the day of the appointment?
A: You may come and bring your paperwork on your appointment day.
Q: Do I only need to print out the RECEIPT page of my online application?
A: You only need to print the application form RECEIPT (one single page) along with the money order, passport and the other support documentation.
Their response was quick (
).

It was service excellence all the way. Security is very polite and courteous. Visa Officers greet you with a smile and they seem to have a lot of patience. Of course, you have to be patient, too and wait for your turn. Took an hour of waiting before being called because some applicants did not care to read instructions so some of their paperwork are missing. It is not the Consulate’s fault. Applicants should be responsible in ensuring the have complete documents. Make sure you get an appointment otherwise you will be wasting your time. If you follow their website instructions, it will be a breeze to get a visa from them.

I’ve been to this consulate a few times helping others get their visas. We can knock the Brazilians all we want, but it ultimately comes down to American citizens getting the same treatment that the Brazilians are subjected to when they try to get an American visa.
I created an appointment for two friends last year (right after the World Cup) and they got their visas in about a week (since their departure was coming up quickly).
I recently returned this week to drop off NINETEEN visa applications for friends. I had to create an appointment for each person, but I took the 19 applications and handed them over during the first appointment slot that I had created. Although they were a little overwhelmed with the volume, they processed them and told me I could pick them up in 2.5 weeks (two days before the group leaves). I’m not a travel agent, so I was leery that the Consulate would work with me, but everything turned out well. It probably doesn’t hurt that I try to be really friendly with everyone there — I’ve seen them respond pretty nasty if you’re rude.
Couple of pointers for those of you doing this for the first time:
1) Follow the instructions on their website to perfection (
). Although it says at the bottom of the page to NOT book your flight (which contradicts what they say earlier on the website), many countries want to see that you have a booked flight in and OUT of their country if they are going to grant you a visa.
2) Although you have to create an appointment online (
), your appointment time isn’t really called into question once you actually get to Consulate. You have to go to a Consulate computer and get a number and that is the appointment number. A major disconnect there, so although you should follow instructions, some people may be able to get away without making an online appointment if in an emergency. Don’t hold me to that though.
3) Anyone can drop off your visa application — it doesn’t have to be you.
4) Do not lose the pick up receipt that you’re given once you drop off the visa application. Anyone can use the receipt to pick up visas, so if you’re in a pinch, give the receipt to a friend and have them snag it for you when it’s available for pickup.
Above all, if you plan a trip to Brazil, give yourself PLENTY of time to finagle visa challenges. I realize many people have business trips that come up last minute, and you may find someone at the Consulate who can work with you — but don’t count on it. A last minute flight that you’ve booked doesn’t constitute an emergency on their part.

Trip cancelled because of the visa process. There are no appointment slots for 2+ weeks. So that would mean two weeks to get an appointment, then 10 – 15 business days if everything goes smoothly to pick up the visa.
I tried walking in but it didn’t work. I waited 2+ hours just to have the attendant tell me that she is «not authorized to help me without an appointment», then she looked past me. There was a good bit of screaming and crying in the visa center from others.
Bizarrely, I’m seeing now that there are available slots if you go through a 3^rd party travel agency (there are a few, just google it). The downside of going through a travel agency is that you pay $ 160 + travel agency fees. But the real kicker is that if I was to now gamble by going through a travel agency to get an earlier appointment, I would have to risk $ 232 ($ 160 + $ 72) at the hope of getting my visa in time. If I get my own appointment, I can at least have them tell me in person that they cannot process it in time and walk out with my $ 160 money order.
I get it: better planning and understanding of the rules would have prevented all this. But I’ve traveled a lot and never experienced such hassle and delays in getting a visa. Argentina does the reciprocity thing for $ 160 as well, but the process is not even close to this bad and lasts for 10 years instead of 90 days. So I want others to know what they’re getting into.
Backup advice: if you’re pressed for time put a lot of effort into finding a connection at the consulate. I could tell that the man I spoke with there was asking me if I knew anyone — that was the subtext. The long processing time is for show. It only takes 2 – 3 days if you know the right person. I found this out from 2 friends separately afterward. If I had posted my need for a connection to Facebook the week before, it probably would have worked out.

I applied for visa twice because my visa lasts 90 days each time. The first time was great. They processed the visa within 5 business days and were very accommodating with pick up time. They actually let me pick up in 4 days.
Second time was a sh*t show. In addition to the documents listed on line, they now require a 3-​month bank statement. Nothing wrong w it you might ask, but they should list ALL DOCUMENTS online instead of saying the requirement recently changed on the spot. Thanks god I bank w chase and there’s a chase on the corner.
Also, processing time is now 2 – 3 weeks. I’m sorry, even European visa doesn’t need one week. This bureaucracy needs to stop. You don’t know what to expect every time you come here. God knows what they require you to bring next time for a visa application and how long it would take. Essentially I missed my trip :(

These people are great.
Brazil makes US travelers get a visa because the US makes Brazilian travelers get a visa. Brazil’s price tracks the US price to their citizens. Stupid but fair, and the people in this office don’t make the rule.
I didn’t check before booking a flight a couple of years ago and got to the airport with no visa. I told my story politely and they got me done same day and on the next night’s flight.

This is a different location than a few years back. I mention this because the process and experience has changed as well. I went to Brazil back in 2007 and that was a complete nightmare (like any other government run institution). There was chaos, disorder, and confusion for everybody there. I was there for like 3 hours & I was expecting the same this time around. However, what a complete change.
This review is for dropping off my paperwork required to get a visa.
The first step in the process is to submit your application online. Once you submit your online app, you get a # that you will need to make your appointment. Appointment are made in 15 minute increments (all online). Once your appointment is made, you can drop off your paperwork to get your visa.
I arrived about 10 minutes before appointment. Now when you finally get to the consulate, you walk up to one of three computers where you select the reason of your visit. After you go through the selection process, you get a printed ticket (like the photo I uploaded). You then sit & wait like everybody else. My # was called in about 25 minutes. I walked up to the window and handed all my paperwork to the lady & she gave me a ticket with a date & time to return to pick up my visa. I will post another review with my pickup experience.

You need a visa to go to Brazil. Who knew? Not a traveller I know who was leaving the next day. Without said visa but with an American Passport in hand. To top it off, we were in Buffalo, not even NYC.
We looked up the info on the website, which clearly said, «we cant do it in a day». But we got pictures taken, filled out the forms (online), gathered the rest of the info clearly outlined on the website (like the plane ticket) and went to NYC. To get on line. Around 6 am. They open, according to the website at the time, at 10 for visa and other related things. This was in the late Winter/​early Spring though, they saw the ‘line” shivering and actually let the traveler in early. As in around 8:30 or something. Very nice of them. And they processed the visa in the day anyway. Off he went the next day to Brazil, on a long ago bought ticket. The service was super friendly.
The trip was saved! It had been planned months in advance, including lodging and related things, but no one (said traveller) had checked the visa question. Yep, lesson learned there. This was all Spring 2014, before the World Cup soccer had started.
Brazil is a country that determines visa needs by what countries require visas of their people. So since the US requires Brazilians to get a visa to come to the US, we have to get one to go to Brazil. If you are, say British, you don’t need a visa to go, you can just buy a ticket and fly away. Those lucky Brits!

My experience is based on my visit on a Wednesday in mid June. Note: I couldn’t go the day before because the consulate closes when Brazil is playing in the World Cup.
Step 1: I updated my passport and got extra copies of my 2×2 passport photo.
Step 2: I filled out the application for a tourist VISA online and printed the documents with bar codes provided.
Step 3: I printed my travel itinerary, gathered my passport, my government ID, and brought a recent proof of address as well, just in case.
Step 4: I arrived at the Brazilian Consulate at 11:11am and grabbed a numbered ticket from the electronic kiosk. Two officials were in the entrance and I asked about the approximate wait. They estimated 45minutes based on my ticket number 133.
Step 5: I walked to the Grand Central Postal Office outside between 44^th & 45^th St to get a US Official Money Order for $ 160.
Step 6: I walked back to the consulate to wait in the air conditioned waiting room, which didn’t have good cell signal, but did have good free wifi available, as well as a restroom. I forgot to past my photo to my application, so I used the glue stick in the back corner of the room where other people were also waiting to fill their application out online (I skipped the line to glue my photo to my already printed application.)
Step 7: My number and window were called 90 minutes later at 12:41pm. I had all my documents, was asked to add my name and address to the money order and leave the rest unfilled, and was told that anyone with my receipt could pick up my VISA by July 3^rd, 14 Days from application, between 2pm– 4pm. However, while leaving, I noticed that people were lining up in the lobby at 12:45am for the 2pm VISA pick-​up.