Chicago is America’s third-most-populous city and its metropolitan area, known as Chicagoland, has a population approaching 10 million people. Chicago is a vibrant international city with a robust economy that is the corporate headquarters for 57 Fortune 1000 companies. While manufacturing and food processing provide a strong foundation for its economy, the city is also an important financial center and is home to the Chicago Stock Exchange, Chicago Board Options Exchange, and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. The Chicago metropolitan area covers 14 counties across three states—Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin—and includes cities like Aurora, Naperville, Joliet, Elgin, Waukegan, Cicero, Skokie, Gary (Indiana), and Kenosha (Wisconsin). Chicago has a large population of immigrants from Latin America, including several thousand Brazilians scattered throughout Chicagoland. United Airlines offers direct flights from Chicago O’Hare International Airport to São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport to support the strong business ties between Chicago and Brazil. The state of Illinois is one of the largest sources of foreign direct investment into Brazil due to the strength of Chicago-area companies in the fields of machine tool manufacturing, agriculture, and food products.
Brazil is a large Portuguese-speaking country of 215 million people with a land area of 3,287,956 square miles, making it the largest country in South America. Brazil is one of the largest economies in the world and is the largest democracy in the Western Hemisphere, after the United States. Although the country is well known for its abundance of natural resources, Brazil also has a robust manufacturing sector that is doing billions of dollars in trade each year with many famous Chicago-based companies. The country is a great escape for Chicago-area tourists that may be craving a warm weather destination during their harsh winter months. Chicagoans love Brazilian culture and are attracted to the country’s free-spirited people and their passion for music and dance. Brazil is famous for its many cultural events such as Festa Junina, Bauernfest, Boi-Bumba, Festival de Cachaça, and the legendary Carnival, which is known around the world for its elaborate parades in cities like Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, and Recife. First-time visitors from Chicago will likely have Christ the Redeemer or the beaches of Copacabana (both in Rio de Janeiro) on their to-do list, but others wanting to explore more parts of Brazil can experience the posh neighborhoods and high culture of São Paulo.
Obtaining a Brazil Visa from Chicago
Visas for Brazil are issued by the Brazilian government in the United States. The government of Brazil is represented by their embassy located in Washington, D.C. along with nine consulates located in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, New York, Boston, Hartford, Miami, Atlanta, and Chicago. To apply for a Brazil visa from Chicago, you will fill out the visa application and ship your original passport and supporting documents by mail to the consulate located in the Equitable Building on North Michigan Avenue. Here is their address:
Consulate General of Brazil
401 North Michigan Avenue
Suite 825
Chicago, IL 60611
It is important to review the requirements for visas on the Brazil consulate website and ensure your application and all supporting documents are accurate. Here is the link to the consulate website with detailed information: Consulado-Geral do Brasil em Chicago (itamaraty.gov.br).
Please note that you must initiate the visa process by completing the visa application through the E-consulate platform: e-consular (itamaraty.gov.br)). The visa request will be reviewed by the consulate’s staff and then you must wait for further instruction before mailing your documents to their office.
The government fee for the visa varies depending on the applicant’s country of origin and type of visa required. Please review the visa fees using the following link: Consulado-Geral do Brasil em Chicago (itamaraty.gov.br). The consulate only accepts payment by money order from the United States Postal Service and does not accept cash or non-USPS money orders.
Other things to consider:
Emergency Assistance for Brazil Citizens in Chicago
If you are a citizen of Brazil living in the Chicago area with an emergency or require urgent assistance, you can reach the consulate in Chicago by calling 312-213-0293 (this number is only for Brazilian citizens faced with emergency situations such as hospitalization, death, or imprisonment). For non-emergency situations and general inquiries, the consulate phone number is 312-464-0244. If you need to obtain a Brazil passport, you must ship the required documents by mail following the instructions on this link: Consulado-Geral do Brasil em Chicago (itamaraty.gov.br). And here is the link for the full list of contact information, including various email addresses: Consulado-Geral do Brasil em Chicago (itamaraty.gov.br)
We Can Help if You Need Assistance
If you live in the Chicago area or anywhere in the state of Illinois, Indiana, or Wisconsin and have difficulty applying for a Brazil visa, or require assistance with this process, please give our office a call at 404-682-5445 or schedule an appointment with our company. We are a private agency in Atlanta providing Brazil visa services for Americans and other U.S.-based residents. Our number one goal is to ensure your application documents for a visa are submitted accurately to the Brazilian government. Our services eliminate delays and give you the peace of mind to focus on your travel plans.
We provide the following Brazil visa services for our customers:
