Brazil

Money in Brazil

Currencie(s): Brazilian real

• 1 Brazilian real = 0.17 €
• 1 Brazilian real = 0.19 $
• 1 Brazilian real = 0.15 £

Should I exchange money before I travel? Although this depends on many factors, including which currencies you want to convert and which country you are travelling from, generally speaking exchanging your money AFTER you travel will provide you with a more favourable exchange rate.

The rule is simple: the more common the currency is, the cheaper it will be. So, for example, if you are travelling from the UK to Brazil and want to buy some Brazilian real here, you will pay less for it in Brazil, as this is the currency that you will find everywhere. At the same time your GBP will become rare and valuable, which means that you will get more money for them.

Looking for advice about exchanging Brazilian real? Discover our tips in our article about currency exchange.

Corruption: Brazil has a corruption score of 65/100.
If your itinerary runs through Brazil, watch out for muggers and beware of corrupt police officers. According to Transparency International, Brazil scores average on the list of corrupt nations around the world.

Brazil is concidered to be a relatively dangerous country, with a Global Peace Index of 2.27 out of 4.
This report is the only one of its kind that measures how dangerous or safe a nation is based on 23 different indicators, including political terror, deaths from internal conflict, murder rate, and ease of access to small arms and light weapons.

Language in Brazil

Language(s): Portuguese
You may find that there are some English speaking residents at your place of stay; especially if you are going to a highly populated tourist area. This doesn’t mean that you should speak English however; It's always appreciated when tourists know a few words or sentences in Portuguese. It just shows that you’re interested in the culture, that you’re willing to put effort into it and it will guarantee you a smile from the waiter/waitress when ordering food.

Here are a few basic lines to get you started:

• Yes = Sim
• No = Não
• Thank You = Obrigado
• Hello = Olá
• Do you speak English? = Você fala inglês?
• Please = Por favor
• Bye = Tchau
• Excuse Me = Com licença
• Where is the Bathroom? = Onde fica o banheiro?
• What is your Name? (My Name Is) = Qual é o seu nome? (Meu nome é)

TIP: You can use wordhippo.com to learn how to pronounce a sentence in Portuguese. Are you Interested to learn more phrases that might help you during your travel? Learn about them in our article with the most used phrases used while travelling.

Food & Drinks in Brazil

Experiencing the local culture is a huge part of travelling and trying traditional food is largely connected with that cultural experience. Visitors to the UK always want to eat fish and chips, Vietnamese pho is the big pull for travellers in Vietnam, and here in Belgium it’s all about fries. Supporting the local community is a really important aspect of travel. So please make sure you taste the national dish: Feijoada

Drinking age: The minimum age for drinking in Brazil is 18.

Religion in Brazil

Brazil is a religious country. According to the Gallup Poll in 2009 research, 87% of the population thinks religion is important in their daily life. More info about this study can be found here. The religous adherents are Roman Catholic (nominal) 73.6%, Protestant 15.4%, Spiritualist 1.3%, Bantu/voodoo 0.3%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.2%, none 7.4% (2000 census)

From beautiful cathedrals in Italy to majestic temples in India, the world is filled with holy places that are important to the religions of the world. Maybe you are not religious yourself, or maybe you are visiting places where people celebrate different religions. Learning to look without gawking, see without ogling can be the difference between being accepted as a visitor, and being resented as an intruder. That's why we've written an article about the impact of religion on your travel plans.

This article also mentions how tattoo's, some style of clothing and other religous simbols can be extremely taboo.

Sex & Relationships in Brazil

Age of Consent: 14 years.
At the age of 14, an individual is considered mature enough in Brazil to consent to sex. Sexual relations with someone under the Age of Consent are considered statutory rape.

Same-sex marriage (also known as gay marriage) is legalized in Brazil since 2013.

National Sports in Brazil

While travelling through Brazil you'll be experiencing a foreign culture, rather than looking in from the outside as a temporary visitor. You'll discover new places, come in contact with new religions, explore intriguing destinations and experience culinary delights. You'll be immersed in a totally new culture .. and one aspect we shouldn't forget about is sports!

A lot of countries and cultures have an obsession with sports, almost reaching religious proportions. In this case, Capoeira is Brazil their national sport.

Other practical tips for Brazil

Timezone: UTC-05:00 to UTC-02:00
TIP: Think about the time difference before planning your trip. Imagine you’re finally in Brazil – but all you want to do is sleep! Travelling into a different time zone can be a real burden. The only way to truly adjust in 24 hours or less is to prepare before you go, so check out our tips that outline how to quickly adjust to a new time zone.

Driving: Right-hand traffic.

Remember: this country uses the metric system. Depending where you're from - distances, speed, and liquid quantities might be differend from the system you're used to. Find out how you should convert this unit system.

Power adapters and converters: 127 V / 220 V (60 Hz), Plug C / N
When travelling to Brazil, electronic devices might be necessary to document the incredible sights or to stay in contact with friends and family members back home. Most electronics like Phones, laptop computers and hair tools do not come cheap, so it's incredibly important to make sure your device is compatible with this type of outlets - 127 V / 220 V (60 Hz), Plug C / N. You can read our guide about travel adapters and converters to determine which types you need for your next trip!

Weather: Currently scattered clouds, with a temperature between 20.6 and 26°C (69 and 78.8°F)

Pollution (PM2.5 fine dust particles): 12.71 µg/m3
PM2.5 Fine dust particulates can be carried deep into the lungs where they can cause inflammation and a worsening of the condition of people with heart and lung diseases. The smaller the particles the deeper they travel into the lungs, with more potential for harm. Note that the World Health Organisation's guideline value is 20 µg/m3. So you have nothing to worry about when travelling to Brazil.

Fly to Brazil

Planning a trip to Brazil? We have a list of 323 airports you can fly to. You can find the closest one to your destination by clicking on a city below!

List of cities in Brazil