Just one stamp could cost you $82. That was the unfortunate lesson I learned when I went to get my Brazilian visa for my four-country, three-month trip with my best friend Whitney. Our plan is to start in Colombia, move down to Ecuador, head to Brazil in plane, and finish the trip in Argentina. Out of all the countries, Brazil is the only one that requires a visa from US citizens, a requirement started out of spite of harsh US visa policies for incoming Brazilians.
The visa process was fairly easy since I am in Guatemala, and few Americans apply for Brazilian visas here. I did not make an appointment. I got to the consulate, and after a half hour I was out the door, thinking, that was way easier than I imagined. I thought too soon. While walking down the steps, the security guard called my name, "there is a problem with your passport!" Uh Oh.
My passport was full. I had a page available for them to stamp, but the Brazilian visa takes up two pages. Two adjacent pages would have been the perfect spot, if one single United States stamp didn't ruin it all. So rather than a quick 30-minute meeting, I next found myself running to the American Embassy to add pages to my passport. When I learned that adding pages cost $82, I was not a happy camper. I already was paying $140 in reciprocity fees to enter the country, the extra cost did not come as a happy surprise.
As a traveler who wants to go to countries that may not be huge US fans, American government, I beg you, please be kinder to incoming tourists. It would make my life that much easier, and my travels just a little cheaper!
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