The Olympic Games are coming! For the first time in history, this great sporting event will be staged in Brazil.
If you are planning a trip to Brazil for the first time, there are number of tasks you have to prepare for in advance.
RocketRoute is here to help you with our Trip Planning Team and with all the details if you prefer to Do It Yourself.
Overview
There are 7 points to consider before flying to Brazil during the Olympic Games:
1. Airports of Entry and main Olympic Games airports
2. Check passport and visa requirements
3. Olympic Games 2016 - Rio De Janiero
4. Customs clearance and aircraft parking
5. Crew transport and hotel options
6. Ensure you have a valid airport slots
7. Overflight and landing permit requirements
1) Airport of Entry (AOE)
An airport of entry (AOE) is an airport that provides customs and immigration services for incoming flights. These services allow the airport to serve as an initial port of entry for foreign visitors arriving in a country.
These airports in Brazil are as follows:
To see the full list of the Airports of Entry visit the online Wikipedia page. Click on the "Visit" below:
2) Visa and Passport Requirements
| Passport required | Return ticket required | Visa required | |
| Australian | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| British | Yes | Yes | No |
| Canadian | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Other EU | Yes | Yes | No |
| USA | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Passports:
To enter Brazil, a passport valid for at least six months from the date of entry is required by all nationals referred to in the chart above.
Visas:
Visas for Brazil are not required by all nationals of EU countries for stays of up to 90 days.
Visas are required by nationals of Australia, Canada and the USA.
Nationals not referred to in the chart are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements for Brazil.
Types and cost:
Tourist visa: cost varies according to nationality and is in some cases based on reciprocity. .
Business and transit visas: cost varies according to nationality; contact the consulate for details.
Validity:
Up to 90 days.
Application to:
Consulate (or consular section at the embassy) by appointment only. You cannot obtain visas at the airport or port of entry.
Working days:
Allow at least seven working days for visa processing if applying in person and eight to 15 days if applying through a visa company.
Sufficient funds:
If you require a visa, you need to provide proof of sufficient funds to cover your stay in the form of recent bank or credit card statements or payslips. You are generally expected to have at least US$150 for each day of your trip.
Extension of stay:
You can extend your visit for a further 90 days, provided you make the application at least two weeks before the original period granted expires. You need to apply in Brazil to the federal police. The only eligible EU countries for the 90-day extension however are Croatia, Ireland, Latvia, Greece, Poland, Portugal and the UK. All other EU nationals may only stay for 90 days within a 180-day period.
Entry with children:
All children under 18 years of age, when not accompanied by both parents, must have a valid passport (passport must be valid for at least six months) and, if children are travelling alone or accompanied by a third party, both father and mother must give their children written travel authorisation so they can enter, leave and travel within Brazil.
Children between the ages of three months and six years must have proof of vaccination against polio.
To read more about visas and passport requirements, visit a useful link is provided below:
Embassies and tourist offices
Brazilian Consulate General in the UK
Brazilian Consulate General in the USA
Brazilian Embassy in the USA
3) Olympic Games 2016 - Rio De Janiero
The Olympic Games are coming! For the first time in history, this great sporting event will be staged in Brazil.
Rio de Janeiro will be hosting the event from 03-21 August 2016.The Paralympic Games will be held in Rio de Janeiro 07-19 September 2016. General Aviation (GA) movements to Brazil are expected to be high during the Summer Games period.
The majority of the games will take place in the Rio de Janeiro area. Soccer games, however, will also be held in Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Manaus, Salvador, and Sao Paulo.
If you plan on operating to Brazil during the Olympic Games, you should start planning well in advance!
Key Dates:
The opening ceremony of the 2016 Summer Olympic Games will take place on the evening of Friday 5 August in the Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro starting at 18:00 BRT (UTC−3).
The closing ceremony of the 2016 Summer Olympic Games will take place on the evening of Sunday 21 August in the Maracana Stadium, Rio de Janeiro starting at 18:00 BRT (UTC−3).
Airport options
The three primary airports in Rio de Janeiro for GA operators to consider are Galeao (SBGL), Cabo Frio (SBCB), and Santos Dumont (SBRJ). Both SBGL and SBCB are 24/7 Airports of Entry (AOEs). While they do not offer fixed-base operators or general aviation terminals, they do provide full ground handling facilities. Please note that Santos Dumont (SBRJ) is a domestic-only airfield and therefore does not provide Customs and Immigration facility.
For events such as Soccer which will be held outside of Rio de Janeiro, the airfields to consider are:
- Belo Horizonte: Confins (SBCF) and Pampulha (SBBH)
- Brasilia: Presidente Juscelino Kubitschek International (SBBR)
- Manaus: Eduardo Gomes International (SBEG)
- Sao Paulo: Guarulhos (SBGR), Campinas (SBKP), Congonhas (SBSP), and Soracaba (SDCO)
- Salvador: Dep. Luís Eduardo Magalhães (SBSV)
All of the above are Entry airports with the exception of SBBH, SDCO, and SBSP. Note that customs and immigration is not available at SBBH, SDCO, and SBSP, and they will not be re-designated as AOEs for the Rio games.
To read all details about Olympic games, visit official website
4) Customs clearance and Aircraft Parking
At all AOEs in Brazil, Customs clearance is through the main commercial terminal. While GA passengers will need to line up for clearance with scheduled commercial passengers, crew may use the dedicated crew clearance lines at all of the Entry airports.
Aircraft parking will be a key issue for consideration for GA operators traveling to the Summer Games. So please apply in good time through your handling agent who can advise alternate options.
5) Crew Hotel and transport options
Hotel availability during the Summer Games will be an issue in Rio de Janeiro. It is likely hotel chains will want full payment for the duration of your stay at the time of booking. Crew accommodations should be booked as soon as the schedule is confirmed. Secure transport should be arranged through the handling agent as they will use reputable companies.
6) Slot Coordinated Airports
Airport slots are required at Congonhas, Sao Paulo, Brazil (SBSP), Florianopolis, Brazil (SBFL) and Curitiba, Brazil (SBCT) and may be needed at Brasilia, Brazil (SBBR) and Porto Seguro, Brazil (SBPS) during high-traffic or event periods. Airport slots are only available 25 hours prior to your Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) and you will only be able to request slots within this period. In Brazil, airport slots are controlled by the Department of Airspace Control. Your handling agent will be able to advise and coordinate this for you.
7) Permissions
Applications for permission to land and stay in Brazilian territory (AVANAC)
If after first landing in Brazilian territory, the foreign private operator wants to land at another airport located in Brazil, it is then necessary to apply for a flight permit issued by AVANAC. Applications for such permit should be submitted at least 24 hours before the estimated time of arrival. A foreign private operator with an AVANAC permit does not need to notify overflight before filing a flight plan to Brazil.
To apply for a AVANAC permission visit link below
Closing Points:
- Plan at least 6 months in advance if you are going to the games;
- Ensure all aircraft and crew documents are valid in case of inspections;
- Please check control risks and FCO for security updates;
- Keep up communications to the handling agents to ensure there are no issues and always ensure all confirmations are emailed in case of queries.
Let Us Help You
If you are travelling to the Brazil and have questions regarding trip planning, call RocketRoute's operations support team 24/7:
USA: +1 321 473 7423
UK: +44 1273 782130
DE: +49 4161 2063 86
FR: +33 970 448 557
AT: +43 720 883 147
If you are not a RocketRoute User and wish to enjoy benefits of RocketRoute membership, please contact our Sales Team:
We wish you a safe and pleasant trip!