Do not lose the carbon copy of the entry card the police staple into your passport on arrival, as you may be fined when you leave if you don't present it. A sensible precaution is to photocopy it and also keep a record of your passport number in case it is lost or stolen. If you do lose your passport, report to the Polícia Federal and then obtain a replacement travel document from your nearest consulate. You'll then have to return to the Polícia Federal who will put an endorsement in your passport giving you 72 hours either to return to your original point of entry into Brazil for a replacement entry card or to leave the country altogether. So, for example, if you lose your documents in Rio and entered Brazil here, the formalities don't present too much of a problem. However, you may be hundreds of kilometres from your point of entry and far from a land border, in which case you'll have to decide whether to remain in Brazil illegally or leave the country earlier than planned.

A tourist visa can be extended for another ninety days if you apply at least fifteen days before it expires, but it will only be extended once; if you want to stay longer you'll have to leave the country and re-enter. There's nothing in the rule book to stop you re-entering immediately, but it's advisable to wait at least a day. For anything to do with visas you deal with the federal police, the Polícia Federal . Every state capital has a federal police station with a visa section: ask for the delegacia federal. A $10 charge, payable in local currency, is made on tourist visa extensions.