Brazil
Last verified August 7, 2026
Written for U.S. passport holders
License Requirements
- As a foreign visitor, you can drive in Brazil for up to 180 days on a valid foreign license, but it must be accompanied by an International Permission to Drive recognized under an international convention Brazil has ratified.
- Brazil's official guidance references the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic — but the U.S. never ratified that convention; the U.S. is party to the 1949 Geneva Convention (and, separately, the 1943 Inter-American Convention). This mismatch is why some sources specifically recommend U.S. drivers get an Inter-American Driving Permit (IADP) rather than the standard Geneva-convention IDP, or carry a certified Portuguese translation of their license as an alternative.
If You Stay Longer
- Past 180 days, you're expected to exchange your foreign license for a Brazilian CNH (Carteira Nacional de Habilitação) at your state's DETRAN office.
The Gotcha
Brazil is the one country here where the 'standard' AAA International Driving Permit most Americans get for Europe genuinely might not be the right document — Brazil's framework is built around the 1968 Vienna Convention, which the U.S. never joined, unlike most of the countries on this list. A certified Portuguese translation of your U.S. license, or specifically an Inter-American Driving Permit, is the safer bet.
Sources
This page was drafted from the primary sources below. Rules change — check the linked page directly before relying on any of this.
- Carteira Internacional — Ministério dos Transportes (SENATRAN), Brazil