Travel to Brazil
TSA Regulations
The Transportation Security Administration regulates what items may be carried aboard the aircraft and, as these regulations are subject to change frequently, you should consult their site close to your date of departure.
Airline Luggage Regulations
Generally you can bring up to 70lbs in each of two bags to Brazil; however, we recommend that you contact your airline to confirm exact luggage allowances. We strongly suggest you stick to these guidelines, or be prepared to pay excess baggage fees, which can be quite expensive. Those students continuing on a domestic flight within Brazil should be aware that domestic flights usually have more strict baggage requirements than international flights and you should check to see if excess charges will apply in country.
We also suggest that you consider insuring your luggage through a comprehensive travel insurance policy.
Travel Arrangements
Students are responsible for their own travel arrangements. We recommend using a student travel agency for flexibility and the best rates:
Consult the School in Brazil calendar when planning your travel dates. Please understand that the universities may change their dates even after they have published their calendars. You should not count on being able to travel much in advance of the program start date, as when you are booking your ticket, it is impossible to know when your visa will be ready and you will be able to leave. Student travel agencies often offer an inexpensive or free one-time change to the ticket, so they offer the most flexibility to students who aren’t sure of the dates when booking their travel.
It is especially important that you not plan your return to the United States or travel to another destination before the date of the last final exam and official Middlebury program end date. Exam dates will not be changed to accommodate students’ travel plans, even if individual professors agree. No exceptions will be made, so please don’t ask. The director in Brazil is adamant about this as students asking for exceptions cause her to lose credibility with Brazilian counterparts. Keep in mind that you cannot leave the country before you have completed all your academic duties; so, even if you’ve finished all university-related work you will most likely need time after final exams to complete work associated with Middlebury’s writing course and the final internship paper, so you should not plan to leave before the last day of the program.
