I committed a blunder by buying airline tickets for Brazil, but without realizing, as US Citizens, we need tourist visas for Brazil. Our flights leave in two days! I've been reading how difficult it is to get visas for Brazil. We live not too far from NYC, and would be willing to go to the Brazilian embassy there, if I was sure of getting a visa the same day, or even the next. Philadelphia is closer, but I don't think there's a B. embassy there. I understand that it takes weeks to get a visa by mail, or through a visa procurement service. It may be best for us to just cancel the trip, and take the hit from the airlines. I'd appreciate any frank advice. Thanks.
We need 2 visas for Brazil, fast
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Look at the terms of your ticket, or call your airline and ask. There may be a cancellation fee. By cancelling the trip, you'd get the value of your tickets back to apply toward future travel within one year, minus the cancellation fee. You could apply that value to any ticket. It wouldn't have to be another trip to Brazil.
If you're going to cancel, just do it in advance of departure.
If you are by any chance going to be at Iguazú, the Argentine side of the falls, before going to Brazil, many have reported a very quick service at the consulate there if you have all the papers you need. However, if this is not the case then I would explore the cancellation Jeff suggests. You really have no guarantee that you will get the visas in time even though NYC is the fastest of the consulates for issuing them. It might just depend on how many applications they are dealing with at the time.
You could try going into the NYC Brazilian Consulate in person and throwing yourselves on their mercy to try to get a same day turnaround. It's probably not going to work, since they are all pretty sensitive to the shabby treatment (and I can vouch for this personally, having experienced both the US and Brazilian staff at the US Consulate in Rio in action) generally given to Brazilians applying for visas to come to the US. But it's worth a try before you cancel your flight.
Thanks Jeff, Huentetu, and Vida, I cancelled the trip. There were just too many uncertainties and too little time. It wouldn't be wise to re-book the flight until after we got our visas. Instead, we'll drive through New England and see the Fall colors. No visa needed for that. Thanks much for your concerns and suggestions, which helped my decision.