Transiting Throught (GRU) Guarulhos Airport in Sao Paulo

Hello Arshad Ali,

I don't know what website you were looking at, but the site for the Consulado-Geral do Brasil in Islamabad makes no mention whatsoever of the VITRA Transit Visa. That is very different than saying it is NOT needed, make no mistake about it.

Brazil requires a VITRA Transit Visa for anyone who is transiting through Brazil that is not a citizen of one of the Visa Waiver Program - VWP countries or the Schengen Area Agreement countries. To my knowledge there are no other exceptions.

I would appreciate it greatly if you would post a link to the site where you found the information that a VITRA Transit Visa is not required, since to my knowledge and experience this information is completely incorrect.

Brazil has made it about 20 times more difficult for citizens of Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and numerous African nations to obtain any category of visa than for citizens of other countries. This includes the VITUR Tourist Visa and VITRA Transit Visa. Certainly the visa requirements here in Brazil are much more onerous than in the USA and Spain.

Unless I can see an official website that states otherwise, I would strongly recommend that you not try to transit through Brazil. Without the proper visa, given your nationality, I can assure you that you would most certainly be detained here and quite likely placed on the plane back to Pakistan. Our Federal Police at immigrations checkpoints at airports and ports are very unforgiving. That said, if the visa is required (which I'm sure it is) it is quite likely that the airline wouldn't even let you board the aircraft without a visa, since they are responsible for your transportation back to your origin.

Cheers,
James    Expat-blog Experts Team

Hi James,

Here is the link.

http://islamabade.itamaraty.gov.br/en-u … t_visa.xml

I apologize for confusing the visa thing, i meant to ask that according to this page of the embassy of Brazil in Islamabad i do not need a transit visa if i am connecting to another flight and will not leave the international transit area of the Brazilian airport.

I am living apart from my wife from like 17 months now all because of the visa and finally when i got the visa the USA and Spain didn't gave me the Transit visa so that I can go to my wife in Costa RIca.

please do let me know what i can do to reach San Jose, Costa Rica from Pakistan, I can transit through Countries in the Gulf like UAE, Qatar without visa.

Thank you,
Arshad Ali

Thanks for the link to the correct information, and I stand corrected. Certainly it is not what the government site describing the various types of visas says, but you are correct. This discrepancy in the information is nothing unusual for Brazil.

I would mention however that you should be prepared to remain under the very watchful eye of the Federal Police while you're in the International Area of GRU, they'll probably follow you around like hound dogs. It will likely annoy you greatly, please don't think that it is a sign of racism, it is because there have been so many false claims for refugee status, attempts to enter Brazil using false visas, etc., from citizens of ALL of the countries I mentioned in my earlier posting, that the Federal Police are extra vigilant now.

Cheers,
James    Expat-blog Experts Team

Thank you for explaining it to me.

but please do share according to your experience that if there is another country easy for me as i cannot transit through Europe or North America, i can only transit through Arabian countries and can you advise me to some other airport from which I can reach my destination?

Thank you,
Arshad