2014 FIFA World Cup Visa Questions

Essentially it voids your visa unless you also have tickets to other World Cup games, which was a Temporary Special Visa issued specifically for the purpose of attending the sporting event.

As a result of the flight cancellation you do have the right to be compensated for monetary damages by the airline and should consult a lawyer as soon as possible. The airline should be held liable not only for the financial losses regarding the airfare, but also all out-of-pocket expenses for your visa, passport (if you obtained on just for this purpose), and cancellation fees for accommodations in Brazil. You may even be entitled to punitive damages as well, but a lawyer would be better able to advise you on that issue.

Cheers,
William James Woodward, EB Experts Team

This is my first world cup game and the first time I am visiting Brazil. So, I am not sure how the process goes when you leave from the US and arrive in Brazil for VITUR - TE visas.

When leaving the states or arriving in Brazil (going through customs as well), do they ask to see your FIFA ticket purchase to validate the visa? I feel like once you have the visa, then additional confirmation is not needed in the airport. Is this correct?

The VITUR-TE visa is different from all other VITUR visas and it is a one time only visa based on attendance of some special event, such as the World Cup. The Federal Police will almost certainly want to see tickets to the World Cup to verify the visa is valid. Since you've missed the game, unless you have tickets to other games then the underlying reason for issuance of the visa no longer exists and it would most probably be considered null and void.

If you do have the time, I'd contact the Consulado-Geral do Brasil that issued the visa and find out if you can get some kind of emergency VITUR visa that would still permit you to at least visit Brazil for a vacation under the circumstances.

If you were simply to arrive here, hoping to get by the Federal Police, although you've missed the game you are running the risk of being put right back on the plane you came in. I would advise against it. Since this involves a cancelled flight I'd cut my losses, contact a lawyer and bring on a civil action against the airline for compensation for all your financial losses and if possible punitive damages as well.

Sorry to say, it looks like you're in between a real rock and a hard place.

Cheers,
William James Woodward, EB Experts Team