What is the best and most efficient method of getting a visa to travel to Brazil?

I got a business visa from a passport/visa service. Very quick turnaround but it's expensive.

Same anwer as lonetraveller. I've done it a couple of times and all worked well.

Do you think you'll be returning to Brazil again within the next few years? Ask for a 5-year visa. Same cost.

Thanks for your help. We have selected a company called Passports Plus. Unfortunately, the Houston office for Brazlian passports had taken a holiday for about a week. As a result, we had the choice of spending more money to have our visa requests sent to the Brazilian Embassy in D.C. or waiting another about three weeks to get our visas for a discounted price. We chose the latter, but we haven't received our visas yet, so I can't report complete success. I'll update when I know more.

Bob, how did the Passports Plus work out? We are going to Brazil in January, 2010 and will need to get a visa also.
Lynn, which company did you use?

If you live in a city with a Brazilian consulate you can get the visa yourself with little trouble and no additional fees. We got ours in Chicago last week.

always DIY

www.brasilemb.org

find the address of nearest consulte

send in your papaerwork

$130 for a VITUR(tourist visa)

piece of cake quick turaround usually

Unfortunately, visa by mail is not an option for me.
This is the message posted on the Houston Consulate website:

"As of Saturday, Jun 27th 2009, VISA BY MAIL service has been suspended. This Consulate will accept visa requests posted up to June 27th (date of US Post Office stamp). Please be aware that all envelopes sent after this date will not be accepted. The Consulate cannot be held responsible for loss of passport and /or personal documents after that date."

Either I drive 5 hours to Houston or pay for a visa service.

DIY is not without its perils. I live in DC and couldn't bring myself to pay a visa service when I could drive to the Consulate myself. Had application, photo, postal money order -- and every other piece if paper I could think of. Turns out Iguassu International airport is on Argentine side, so we technically enter Brazil by land and therefore have to provide a bank statement, even though we are traveling as part of group tour. No time to get to a computer and print out a copy before "visiting hours" were over today. So I'll be going back tomorrow -- and then [hopefully] return in 4 days to pick up the visa

I live in Chicaago. So I was able to just mail in our visa applications with passports, photos and US postal money order for $150 per app.

I mailed it in the Tuesday, June 30 and got it back on Tuesday, July 7!

IF you are already in South America (Argentina) and have the option of getting your visa at Puerto Iguazu INSTEAD of Buenos Aires DO IT... it is a one day turn around and you get to see the most amazing waterfalls in the process!
Fill out the visa application form online and drop it off at the consulate with one passport photo between the hours of 8-11 am, it is two blocks away from the bus station on Cordoba on the right hand side, so my suggestion is to take a bus which arrives in Iguazu early (mine left BA at 1 arrived at 7am) so you can drop your paper work off and head to the falls straight away.. you only really need one day to see the falls, and one night accomodation, so you can pick up your visa the following day at 11 am. The cost was 588 Argentine pesos, 140us$.. which you pay when you drop it off. The visa I was issued is valid for 90 days at a time for ten years, it was virtually hassle free, I did not have to show any sort of return flight information, or bank information only the online form! It was the easiest visa experience ever! Everyone I have talked to recently has shared this experience, I was freaking out a bit because I did not want to be stuck in BA for too long as I arrived on a Friday, and this was just perfect!