When is a mirage not really a mirage? When the water is real, as it is in Brazil’s Lençóis Maranhenses National Park. This park is mostly desert,an otherworldly landscape with vast, ivory-colored sand dunes as far as the eye can see. However, in Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, crystal-clear lakes and lagoons are scattered in between the dunes.

The New York Times’ Frugal Traveler recently visited the park, and was quite impressed:

The barely off-white silky sands and endless cool oases of the Lençóis are such a visual stunner that, with apologies to Rio de Janeiro, the Canadian Rockies and my ex-girlfriends, they may be the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.

You can get to Lençóis Maranhenses National Park by plane or by bus from São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro. Of course, first you have to get to Brazil, and that means you need a Brazilian visa. There are several things you need to know about Brazil’s visa system before you apply. First, you need to find out which Brazilian embassy processes visa requests for your city and state.  Brazil’s visa system, is “jurisdictional,” which means that each embassy serves a different region of the country and you must submit your application to the right location for it to be processed.

Once you know where to submit your application, check to be sure you have all of the following documents:

• Your passport. You need 2 or more blank pages to allow room for the visa, and your expiration date must be more than 6 months in the future. So, you may need to get a passport renewal or add pages before you apply.
• A Brazilian visa application
• 2 passport-sized photos
• A copy of your itinerary, which must have the dates you plan to enter and leave Brazil.
• A  clear, legible copy of your driver’s license or state-issued ID card.
• If you will be visiting friends or relatives, include an invitation letter from them as well.

If you travel frequently, you might also need a yellow fever vaccination. Vaccines are required of travelers who have been to any of the following countries in the past 3 months (90 days): Angola, Bolivia, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, French Guiana, Gabon, Ghana, Gambia, Republic of Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Peru, Sierra Leone, Sudan or Venezuela.

RushMyTravelVisa.com can make getting a Brazil visa much easier and faster. When you apply through us, you get helpful checklists and guidance from a trained visa specialist. Then, we expedite your application and submit it to the to appropriate embassy or consulate for super-fast processing.

Apply for your Brazilian visa today!

Rio de Janeiro may not be the capital of Brazil, but it is its most famous city. According to Wikipedia, Rio, or “The Marvelous City,” as it is often called, is the most-visited city in the Southern Hemisphere.

Visitors come to Rio for a variety of reasons. The vibrant nightlife is a huge draw, as are the gorgeous white-sand beaches that surround the city.  The colossal statue of Christ the Redeemer that looks over the city from the top of Corcovado is listed as one of the 7 new wonders of the world, and taking the glass cable-car to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain provides yet another amazing view of the city.

If you’re looking for fun activities in Rio that are little less obvious, check out this post on the 6 Best-Kept Secrets of Rio de Janeiro from the Matador Trips site.  You’ll learn how to get your fill of samba performances, even if it’s not Carnival season, how to find the best clubs, and all about Brazilian ice cream.

Of course, to visit Rio, you first have to negotiate Brazil’s rather complex tourist visa process.  Brazil has a “jurisdictional” visa system, in which each Brazilian embassy only handles visa applications from a specific region of the US. Step 1, then is figuring out which embassy you need to apply at. Once you know that, here’s a rundown of what you’ll need to get a Brazil visa for regular tourist travel:

• Your passport. Check the expiration date in the back, as your expiration date must be at least 6 months into the future for you to get a Brazil visa. You’ll also need 2 or more blank pages in the back.  Before applying for your visa, get a passport renewal or add pages as necessary.
• One Brazil visa application
• 2 passport-sized photos
• A copy of your itinerary, which must have the dates you plan to enter and leave Brazil.
• A  clean, readable copy of your driver’s license or state-issued ID card.
• If you will be visiting friends or relatives, you also need a letter from your hosts.

To enter Brazil, you may also need a yellow fever vaccination. Vaccines are required of travelers who have been to any of the following countries in the past 3 months (90 days): Angola, Bolivia, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, French Guiana, Gabon, Ghana, Gambia, Republic of Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Peru, Sierra Leone, Sudan or Venezuela.

RushmyTravelVisa can make getting a Brazil visa much simpler. Our trained visa specialists assist you with the application, so you don’t make common mistakes that could delay processing. Then, we personally deliver it to the appropriate embassy or consulate for expedited processing.

Apply for your Brazil visa today!

Have you ever seen a black-hooded antwren? How about a cock-tailed tyrant?

With 1,622 different known species of birds, Brazil is a birdwatchers’ paradise.  In fact, when it comes to sheer variety of birds, Brazil comes in third place among all the countries in the world, behind only Columbia and Peru.191 of those species are found nowhere else on earth, making Brazil a “must-visit” destination for birdwatchers with a taste for the exotic.

Brazil is home to over 70 different kinds of parrots, as well as countless other types of birds: flamingos, hummingbirds, hawks, eagles, toucans, penguins and many more.

Because Brazil is such a popular destination for bird-watchers, many companies offer “birding tours” to take you to the best places to view a variety of different species.  Or, you can hook up with local bird-watchers via sites like BirdingPal.Org.

To visit Brazil, you’ll need both your passport and a Brazilian visa.  Unfortunately, at times, navigating the Brazilian visa system can be like trying to get through a labyrinth.  To get started, you’ll need the following documents:

• Your passport. Check the date- to apply for a Brazilian visa, your passport needs to be good for at least 6 more months. Also, make sure there’s room in the back for the Brazilian visa, which will take up at least 2 blank pages.
• One Brazilian visa application.
• 2 passport-sized photos.
• A copy of your itinerary showing the dates you plan to enter and leave Brazil.
• A  clear, legible copy of your driver’s license or state-issued ID card.
• If you will be visiting friends or relatives, you also need a letter from your hosts.

To enter Brazil, you may also need a yellow fever vaccination. Vaccines are required of travelers who have been to any of the following countries in the past 3 months (90 days): Angola, Bolivia, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, French Guiana, Gabon, Ghana, Gambia, Republic of Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Peru, Sierra Leone, Sudan or Venezuela.

Once you have all of your paperwork together, you need to apply at the correct embassy or consulate.  Brazil’s visa system is jurisdictional-each embassy is assigned a specific region of the US, and will only process visa requests from people who live in that region.

After all of that,  catching a sighting of the elusive and rare black-hooded antwren probably sounds like a piece of cake. But, no worries, RushMyTravelVisa is here to help. We’ll review your itinerary to make sure you know exactly which travel documents you need for your trip, then we’ll walk you through the application process step-by-step.

Finally, we deliver your Brazilian visa paperwork to the appropriate embassy or consulate, saving you time and stress by providing the fastest possible processing.

Apply for your Brazilian visa today!