Practical Information for visiting Brazil

Brazil uses the real (BRL). Card payment is near-universal, including for small purchases, and Pix — the instant bank transfer system — is used constantly by residents, though it requires a Brazilian account.

Carry modest cash for markets and small towns. ATMs inside banks or shopping centres are safer than street machines, and many stop dispensing at night.

Tipping is straightforward: restaurants usually add ten per cent to the bill, which is customary to pay and is the server’s share. Beyond that, tipping is not expected.

Coverage for mobile networks is good in cities and along the coast, limited in the Amazon and the interior. Brazil is outside European roaming arrangements; local SIMs require a CPF tax number, so travel eSIMs are usually the practical option.

Wi-fi is standard in accommodation. Distances mean flying between regions, and long-distance buses are comfortable and extensive for anything shorter.

Brazil's major tourist areas are visited safely by millions of travelers each year, but the country has a genuinely higher rate of urban crime than many other South American destinations, and specific precautions matter more here than in some neighboring countries.

• Robbery and theft, including at knifepoint, are a real risk in specific areas of major cities, particularly Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo -- avoid displaying phones, cameras, and jewelry openly, stick to well-touristed, well-lit areas at night, and take a registered taxi or rideshare rather than walking through unfamiliar neighborhoods after dark.
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• Favelas vary enormously -- some have community-run tourism and are visited safely with a local guide, while others are genuinely unsafe for an independent visitor; never enter one without a specific, vetted local arrangement.
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• Beach safety: keep valuables off the beach entirely (bring only what you need for swimming) since theft from towels and bags is a well-documented, common occurrence on Rio's and other major city beaches.
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• Carnival and other major events bring both huge crowds and elevated petty-crime risk -- extra caution with belongings and sticking to official, well-populated event areas matters even more during these specific windows.
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• Natural hazards: the Amazon and Pantanal both carry real wildlife and remote-travel risk -- always travel with a licensed local guide in these regions rather than independently.
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• Emergency number: 190 for police, 192 for ambulance, 193 for fire.

Yellow fever vaccination is recommended for much of the country and required by some neighbouring countries afterwards; hepatitis A and typhoid are commonly advised. Malaria prophylaxis applies in parts of the Amazon.

Dengue is endemic and outbreaks are frequent; mosquito precautions matter in cities as well as forest. Zika and chikungunya are also present.

Tap water is treated in cities but bottled is standard and advisable. Sun is strong at these latitudes.

Private healthcare is good in large cities. Comprehensive travel insurance is important, particularly for the Amazon and Pantanal where evacuation would be the cost.

Carry identification; a copy of your passport is usually accepted for everyday purposes.

Beach etiquette is specific: swimwear is for the beach and not the street, and Brazilians dress up rather than down when going out. Topless sunbathing is not done.

Drug offences are prosecuted seriously despite relaxed appearances. Do not photograph inside favelas without permission and preferably without a local guide.

Greetings are warm and physical — handshakes, and cheek kisses between women or a man and a woman — and standing at a distance reads as cold.

190 reaches the military police, 192 the ambulance service and 193 the fire brigade. 191 is the federal highway police.

English-speaking operators are not guaranteed. Larger tourist centres have a dedicated tourist police force, which is the better first contact for theft or lost documents.

If robbed, hand over what is asked for. Resistance is the main factor that turns a robbery into a violent incident, and this advice is given consistently by Brazilians themselves.