Brazil

This guide covers visitors entering Brazil aboard private pleasure craft solely for tourism. Entry involves the Federal Police (immigration), Federal Revenue Service (customs) and Navy (navigation permission and safety). ANVISA handles port health; the Ministry of Agriculture/Vigiagro regulates animals, plants and related products. Normally, complete immigration first, temporary admission of the vessel and onboard goods second, then report to the Navy port authority. If first arriving at a customs-controlled port, contact customs first as instructed. Charter vessels, commercial use, extended stays or special personal immigration circumstances may be subject to different rules; confirm with the competent authorities before departure.

The Federal Revenue Service's directory of customs-controlled maritime, river and lake facilities includes Manaus, Belém, Fortaleza, Salvador, Vitória, Rio de Janeiro, Santos, Paranaguá, Itajaí, São Francisco do Sul and Rio Grande. This is a customs facilities directory and does not guarantee that each location can provide immigration, customs, health and Navy formalities for foreign private yachts. Confirm the available local formalities, appointments and opening hours individually before arrival, and proceed as directed to the first location authorised to handle entry.

Before sailing, contact customs, the Federal Police, the Navy port authority and health authorities at the intended entry port to confirm arrival-reporting channels, appointment requirements, forms and documents. Prepare the vessel registration certificate, travel documents for the master and everyone aboard, crew/passenger lists, previous-port and voyage details, estimated arrival time, the owner's authorisation if the master is not the owner, and the Maritime Declaration of Health and ship sanitation certificate required by ANVISA. Navy NORMAM-211 normally requires submission of an entry/departure declaration to the local port authority within 24 hours of entering Brazilian jurisdictional waters. Separately, the Federal Revenue Service normally requires reporting to customs within 24 hours after completing Federal Police entry checks following arrival at a location authorised for customs formalities. These deadlines run from different events and must not be conflated. If first arriving at a customs-controlled port, follow local customs procedures for reporting to customs first.

Everyone aboard must satisfy Brazilian immigration rules according to nationality, purpose and length of stay, and complete entry and departure formalities with the Federal Police. A valid passport or applicable travel document is normally required. Check visa requirements and permitted stay individually against each nationality and current policy; vessel entry permission alone does not establish personal admission rights. The pleasure-craft tourism guide requires visitor immigration with the Federal Police first, followed by customs temporary admission and Navy formalities. If the vessel first reaches a customs-controlled port, report to customs first under local procedures. Complete departure checks when leaving and ensure vessel formalities are closed out alongside them.

Vessel customs

For foreign pleasure craft used solely for tourism, Brazil's Federal Revenue Service sets out this sequence: complete visitor entry with the Federal Police, arrange temporary admission of the vessel and onboard goods with customs, then obtain entry clearance and navigation permission from the Navy harbourmaster's office. If entering at a customs-authorised location, notify customs within 24 hours of the vessel's entry. Temporary admission lasts for the visitor stay authorised by the Federal Police for the owner or responsible person. At the end of the Brazilian tourism voyage, complete export formalities to terminate temporary admission. This guidance applies only to pleasure craft used purely for tourism; actual requirements depend on the entry location and competent authorities' instructions.

Arriving vessels may need to submit a Maritime Declaration of Health and a list of persons aboard to ANVISA and hold a valid international Ship Sanitation Control Certificate or Ship Sanitation Control Exemption Certificate. Vessels arriving from foreign ports should apply for Livre Prática (free pratique/health clearance) as required. Until granted, do not undertake regulated embarkation/disembarkation or loading/unloading of people, cargo or supplies without authorisation. Food, plants, seeds, meat, dairy and other animal-origin products are subject to Ministry of Agriculture/Vigiagro quarantine rules. Permitted product categories and conditions differ, and items may be inspected, detained or destroyed. Dogs and cats normally require an International Veterinary Certificate (CVI) issued by an official veterinarian or a qualifying official pet passport; other pets may require advance import permission. Rules for ship's stores may differ from those for passenger baggage. Confirm with ANVISA and Vigiagro before arrival.

Firearms, ammunition, airguns and their parts and accessories may be Brazilian Army-controlled products. Confirm Army/DFPC permission and customs declaration requirements in advance. Missing documents may result in detention of the items and administrative or criminal consequences. The Federal Revenue Service also expressly prohibits importing toy guns, replica guns or imitation weapons that could be mistaken for real weapons. Animals, plants and their products, medicines and other goods may also require approval from other federal authorities. Do not assume onboard self-defence equipment or personal belongings are automatically exempt. Check with the Brazilian Army, Federal Revenue Service and relevant authorities before departure.

At the first port, undergo health, immigration, customs and Navy port authority checks as locally arranged. Do not allow people or goods to board or leave without authorisation before release by the competent authorities. Normally, complete immigration with the Federal Police, temporary admission of the vessel and relevant goods with customs, then submit the vessel entry/departure declaration and obtain navigation permission from the local Navy port authority (Capitania dos Portos), port delegation (Delegacia) or agency (Agência). Navy NORMAM-211 normally requires reporting within 24 hours of entering Brazilian jurisdictional waters, with relevant authorities' clearance documents and the owner's/crew members' passport identity pages attached. Subsequent voyages, calls or itinerary changes may require further declarations. ANVISA health-clearance documents, processing locations, appointments and office hours vary by port; confirm locally.

The Federal Revenue Service states that customs temporary admission of private pleasure craft used solely for tourism incurs no fee or tax in itself. This does not make ports, marinas, agents, pilotage, health inspections or other services free; obtain charges from the particular port and providers. At the end of the Brazilian tourism voyage, the owner/responsible person must complete personal departure with the Federal Police, submit an export declaration to customs to terminate vessel temporary admission, and file the Navy departure declaration and obtain departure clearance as required. Navy rules normally require reporting at least 24 hours before leaving Brazilian waters. If the responsible person must leave Brazil while the vessel remains, obtain customs permission in advance. An extension of temporary admission normally requires an express extension of the permitted stay from the Federal Police first and an application before the original period expires.