Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade refreshed its Brazil travel advisory on 15 November, keeping the overall level at “Exercise a High Degree of Caution” but adding new warnings tied to the COP30 climate summit. The notice highlights the likelihood of demonstrations in Belém, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, plus knock-on transport delays around summit venues.
Officials remind Australians that Brazil requires a visa for entry and that travellers should secure the document before departure, as visas are not issued on arrival. The advice also calls attention to a recent spike in methanol poisoning cases from adulterated spirits – a concern for business travellers networking at COP-related receptions – and repeats long-standing guidance about violent crime in major cities.
![Australia Updates Brazil Travel Advice, Flags COP30-Related Disruptions]()
For mobility managers, the biggest change is the explicit recommendation to avoid protest areas and to follow local security instructions. With more than 40,000 accredited COP30 participants expected, hotel occupancy in Belém has reached 95 percent and ride-sharing prices have surged, underscoring the need for early ground-transport booking.
The update is significant because Australian companies still account for one of the largest foreign investor communities in Brazil’s mining, energy and agribusiness sectors. Many have sent sustainability teams to COP30. Employers should circulate the revised advisory, ensure that travellers register with the Smart Traveller program, and double-check duty-of-care protocols for staff venturing outside official venues.
DFAT will continue to monitor the situation; further revisions are possible if protests escalate or if adverse weather hampers Amazon flights during the summit’s closing week.
Officials remind Australians that Brazil requires a visa for entry and that travellers should secure the document before departure, as visas are not issued on arrival. The advice also calls attention to a recent spike in methanol poisoning cases from adulterated spirits – a concern for business travellers networking at COP-related receptions – and repeats long-standing guidance about violent crime in major cities.
For mobility managers, the biggest change is the explicit recommendation to avoid protest areas and to follow local security instructions. With more than 40,000 accredited COP30 participants expected, hotel occupancy in Belém has reached 95 percent and ride-sharing prices have surged, underscoring the need for early ground-transport booking.
The update is significant because Australian companies still account for one of the largest foreign investor communities in Brazil’s mining, energy and agribusiness sectors. Many have sent sustainability teams to COP30. Employers should circulate the revised advisory, ensure that travellers register with the Smart Traveller program, and double-check duty-of-care protocols for staff venturing outside official venues.
DFAT will continue to monitor the situation; further revisions are possible if protests escalate or if adverse weather hampers Amazon flights during the summit’s closing week.
