Brazil is safe to visit with focused care, provided you avoid specific no-go areas and take strict precautions against city street crime. At Safe to Go, we track official advisories daily to separate broad national cautions from the specific neighborhood risks travelers encounter.
The panel above shows today’s level across three governments. The US State Department says violent crime occurs in urban areas day and night, and the UK FCDO advises against all but essential travel along river areas in western Amazonas State.
Where the Travel Warnings Concentrate by Region
Government warnings do not treat Brazil as a uniform risk, concentrating instead on specific border strips, river systems, informal settlements, and designated suburban areas.
The US State Department advisory tells travelers not to visit international land borders due to crime and kidnapping, while US government personnel require authorization within 100 miles (160 km), except for travel to Foz do Iguacu and the Pantanal. The United States also tells travelers not to enter informal housing developments, which are known locally as favelas, vilas, comunidades, or conglomerados. In Brasilia, United States government personnel require special authorization between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. in the administrative regions of Ceilandia, Santa Maria, Sao Sebastiao, and Paranoa.
The UK FCDO travel advice advises against all but essential travel to specific western river corridors in Amazonas State. These exclusion zones include the Amazon River and its tributaries west of Codajás and east of Belém do Solimões, any part of the Itaquaí River, any part of the Japurá River and its tributaries, and the Rio Negro (Black River) north or west of Barcelos. The United Kingdom warns that armed groups, including pirates and drug traffickers, operate on these remote rivers near the borders with Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela where police presence is minimal.
- Favelas: The US State Department says do not travel to informal housing developments, and the UK FCDO says to avoid all favelas, including favela tours and any accommodation, restaurants or bars advertised as being within a favela.
- Brasilia’s satellite cities: The US State Department says do not travel there due to crime, and its own staff need special authorization to visit Ceilandia, Santa Maria, Sao Sebastiao and Paranoa between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
Street Crime and Express Kidnapping in Brazilian Cities
Violent crime occurs in urban areas day and night, involving armed robbery, murder, and carjacking. Organized crime groups and militias operate in major cities, where armed confrontations and police operations can erupt with little warning.
Thieves target mobile phones heavily between 4:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., frequently confronting victims on public streets or municipal buses. Attackers may carry weapons or be under the influence of drugs, so official guidance instructs victims never to resist and to hand over valuables immediately. On public beaches, large groups of thieves conduct arrastões, running through an area of the beach grabbing possessions. The UK FCDO says not to go on to city beaches after dark.
Express kidnapping presents a continuing danger to both residents and visitors. In these incidents, criminals abduct victims for short intervals, forcing them at gunpoint to withdraw cash from ATMs or transfer funds using mobile banking apps like Pix before abandoning them. The United States notes that U.S. businesses frequently arrange enhanced security for senior executives in São Paulo and other major cities.
- Public transport robbery: United States officials advise personnel against using municipal buses due to serious risks of robbery and assault, especially at night.
- Corcovado walking trail: The UK FCDO notes that armed robberies have occurred along the foot trail leading to the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro.
- Carjacking: Carjackings can happen, particularly on major roads, in tunnels, and at traffic lights. Drivers should keep doors locked, windows up, and approach their cars with keys ready in hand.
- Dating app drugging: Criminals use dating apps to meet foreign travelers at bars, drugging their drinks with sedatives to carry out robbery or account theft.
Card Scams and Spiked or Methanol-Laced Drinks
Financial scams target travelers across retail shops, automated teller machines, and coastal stalls. Card cloning occurs regularly, while handheld payment terminals and beach vendors may display manipulated totals to overcharge customers. The UK FCDO says to keep your card in sight, check the amount on the payment terminal before paying, and ask for a receipt. If ATM cash has pink marks on it, ask the bank or police to change it, because it may have been marked as damaged or counterfeit.
Drink tampering and unregulated alcohol present severe medical dangers. Assailants use sedatives or date rape drugs in bars and nightlife districts, particularly in Rio de Janeiro, targeting both men and women before robbing or assaulting them. Travelers should buy their own drinks, monitor them continuously, and seek immediate help if they feel sick after a couple of servings.
Methanol poisoning from adulterated spirits has caused deaths and critical illness in Brazil. Spirit-based drinks, including vodka, gin, and whisky, can contain lethal amounts of methanol that cannot be detected through taste or smell. Anyone displaying signs of methanol poisoning after consuming spirits must get emergency medical attention.
Where Government Travel Advisories Agree and Differ
The United States and the United Kingdom align on major threats facing tourists: violent urban crime, rapid street muggings, express kidnapping, and the danger of entering favelas. The UK FCDO also says to avoid political rallies and protests, which can turn confrontational, and notes that police have used rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse protesters.
Canada travel advisory asks for a high degree of caution with regional advisories, and its latest change updated its information on Brazil general elections. The US and UK draw their warning zones differently. The UK FCDO defines exact river boundaries in Amazonas State where it advises against all but essential travel, warning that standard travel insurance may be invalidated if visitors enter those zones. The United States lists international land borders under Do Not Travel, while restricting government personnel within 100 miles of borders and in specific Brasilia administrative regions.
The UK FCDO says terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Brazil, and notes that two explosions occurred at the Praça dos Três Poderes in central Brasilia on 13 November 2024. It advises caution around major sites in large Brazilian cities. If you are comparing regional plans, consult our guide on whether Argentina is safe.
Where Theft Is Most Common in Brazil’s Big Cities
In Rio de Janeiro, the UK FCDO says thefts and pickpocketing are most common around Copacabana beach, Ipanema beach, Lapa and Santa Teresa. See Is Rio de Janeiro safe? for more.
In São Paulo, the UK FCDO notes that street thefts cluster along Avenida Paulista, within the historical downtown area, around Praça da República, near Catedral da Sé, in Pinheiros, and across the Estacao de Luz metro area where Cracolandia is located.
In Brasilia, theft clusters heavily around the central bus station and within central and southern commercial centers. In North-east Brazil, common incidents include theft from hotel and motel rooms and muggings, which travelers can counter by avoiding deserted streets and using taxis after sunset instead of walking.
Money and Insurance Precautions for Brazil
The US State Department says to vary your routes and travel times, and to park in well-lit, guarded garages. Use bank machines located in secure locations such as shopping malls or major hotels. Limit the number of bank and credit cards you carry, leaving your passport and valuables inside a safe place while carrying a copy of your passport.
United States citizens should enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). Travelers should secure appropriate travel insurance covering their itinerary, planned activities, and emergency expenses, ensuring the policy is not invalidated by travel against official advice.
When traveling between destinations or comparing safety across the continent, review the safest countries in South America or check whether Colombia is safe to match your regional itinerary against current advisories. For general preparation, download our free travel safety checklist before packing.
Who Should Reconsider and What Would Change This Verdict
If your plans include a favela tour, river travel in western Amazonas State, or an overland crossing at a land border, change them: those are the places the US or UK warns against.
Our verdict on Brazil would change if the US, UK or Canada changed its advice, for example if the UK FCDO added areas beyond western Amazonas State or the US lifted its do-not-travel warning for land borders.
Before setting off on any flight, check the latest advisory changes and look at the live status panel above to verify current warnings.