WFFM 2012
COUNCIL MEETING AND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
USEFUL INFORMATION
LANGUAGE
The Portuguese is the Brazilian national language but the accent and intonation may be very different from
what one hears in Portugal and other former Portuguese colonies.
Some people say that Brazilians speak “Brazilian” and not Portuguese, just like Americans can say they
speak “American” and not English. There are also many Brazilians who are descendants of immigrants who
speak Spanish, German or Italian, especially in the Southern. The large majority of population understands
Spanish; English is the language most commonly used in the tourism industry such as hotels and airports.
LANGUAGE TIPS – USEFUL WORDS
Yes = Sim
No = Não
Good morning = Bom dia
Good afternoon = Boa tarde
Good evening = Boa noite
Goodbye = Tchau
Straight ahead = sempre em frente
Left = esquerda
Right = direita
Turn left (right) = vire a esquerda (direita)
Please = Por favor
Thank you = Obrigado/a
Thank you very much = Muito obrigado/a
How are you? = Como vai?
Very well thank you, and you? = Muito bem obrigado/a, e você?
Bill, please = A conta, por favor
Sorry! = Desculpe!
Where to (taxi driver) = Para onde?
Where can I get a taxi? = Onde posso tomar um taxi?
Can you call me a taxi? = Pode me chamar um taxi?
How much is it? = Quanto é?
How long it takes? = Quanto tempo demora?
How far it is? = Qual é a distancia?
VISA & PASSAPORT
Tourists and visitors from countries of Mercosur are not required to present Passport and must simply submit
the identity card. Tourists and visitors of other nationalities are required to present a valid Passport for at
least the next six months.
Brazil does not require an Entry VISA for most countries, however, we advise you to check individual needs.
Americans, Mexicans and Canadians are supposed to bring an Entry Visa, for sure. Additional information
can be obtained at the Brazilian Consulate in your country.
TAXIS
Tourists may opt to flag to an regular taxi, easily found on the streets or ask for a radio-taxi service. It is
recommended to give priority to the licensed taxis at the airports or next to hotels. It is not usual in Brazil to
tip taxi drivers, but it is common to round off the total amount to be paid as a gratuity.
RENT A CAR
Good car rental agencies have branches in major airports in the Country and in major urban centers. Mello
Faro also provides rent a car anywhere in Brazil.
TIPPING
Most restaurants and bars include 10% in the check as service fee but it is not a mandatory fee. It is usual to
accept the inclusion of 10% or even leave a little extra if the service is satisfactory.
CURRENCY and CREDIT CARDS
The Brazilian currency (R$) is named “Real” or “Reais” in the plural.
Foreign currency may be exchanged in local banks, exchange bureau, airports and hotels.
There are 3 different exchange rates in Brazil:
Commercial: the lowest one, used between banks for financial or trade activities and taken as reference for
international air-tickets quoted in foreign currency for sale in Brazil;
Tourism: taken for tourism purposes and travel services.
Black Market: the highest one but illegal and not recommended.
We strongly suggest you to use the licensed bureaus to avoid problems and be aware about the security
around.
Major international credit cards are accepted everywhere in Brazil. Exchange machines are not so frequent
and can be found in the airports, deluxe hotels and shopping malls.
COMMUNICATION
Brazil’s country code is 55.
To make an international call from Brazil you must dial:
00 + operator code + country code + city code + number to call
For international calls payable to the recipient, call 0800 7032111.
To make a call for another city in Brazil you must dial:
0 + operator code + city code + number to call
There are many telephone operators in Brazil and the most used are 14 (Brazil Telecom) - 21 (Embratel) - 23
(Intelig) - 15 (Telefonica).
The city code for the most visit cities in Brazil are:
Sao Paulo: 11
Rio de Janeiro: 21
Salvador: 71
Manaus (Amazon gateway): 92
Foz do Iguaçu: 45
Belo Horizonte: 31
Brasília: 61
CLIMATE
The climate in Brazil is predominantly tropical with some variation according to region. The average annual
temperature is 28 ºC in the North and 22 ºC in the South. On April in São Paulo the temperature ranges from
15 ºC in the early mornings to 32 ºC in the afternoons.
TIME ZONES
Due to its continental dimensions, Brazil has 3 time zones.
The official time is Brasília and corresponds to 3 hours less than GMT. In summer, there is an advance of 1
hour in most Brazilian states.
ELECTRICITY
There are differences in the electrical power system according to the state where you are.
In São Paulo city, the electricity is provided at the voltage of 110V and frequency between 56 and 60 Hrz.
Find out about the voltage before connecting any electrical appliance.
VACCINATION
Travelers who were traveling through a period of three months, or coming from Republic of Angola, Benin,
Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Republic of Cameroon, Colombia, Ecuador, Gabon, Republic of The Gambia,
Republic of Ghana, Republic of Guinea-Bissau, French Guiana, Republic of Liberia, Federal Republic of
Nigeria, Peru, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of Sierra Leone, Sudan, Venezuela and Zaire
need vaccination against Yellow Fever – an International Certificate against Yellow Fever must be shown
upon arrival in Brazil.
Full and updated information can be found here at http://www.anvisa.gov.br/eng/pab/travelers/index.htm
Additional information at
Mello Faro Turismo e Viagens Ltda
Av São Luis, 165 1º andar cj 01A 01046-911 São Paulo SP
Tel: 55 11 3155.4040 - Fax: 55 11 3231.1343
[email protected]