Is Brazil safe? A region-by-region answer

The US State Department rates Brazil Level 2, “Exercise increased caution,” in an advisory issued August 31, 2026, with some areas at Level 4. The UK FCDO advises against all but essential travel only on several river routes in Amazonas State. Risk differs sharply by state: in 2025 violent deaths ran from 7.6 per 100,000 people in Santa Catarina to 42.5 in Amapá.

Millions of visitors travel through Brazil each year without trouble. The risks are real but concentrated: street robbery in big cities, theft on beaches, drink spiking, and a few remote river and border zones. Most of the risk drops with a handful of habits. This guide covers what the US and UK advisories say, what the crime data shows, how risk varies by region, and the habits that matter most.

What the US advisory says

The overall level is Level 2, “Exercise increased caution,” due to crime and kidnapping. The advisory was issued August 31, 2026.

It names three areas to avoid:

• International land borders, due to crime and kidnapping
• Informal housing developments (favelas, vilas, comunidades or conglomerados), due to crime
• Brasília’s satellite cities, due to crime

Treat the satellite cities as places to avoid, especially at night. US government staff need special authorization for Ceilândia, Santa Maria, São Sebastião and Paranoá between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. Few visitors have a reason to go there; Brasília’s monuments and government buildings sit in the planned central area.

The border rule covers 160 km (100 mi) of the land borders. US staff may still visit Iguaçu National Park and Pantanal National Park, so those two remain open to normal visits.

The advisory also warns about:

• Violent crime in urban areas, day and night, including armed robbery and carjacking
• Drinks spiked with sedatives, especially in Rio de Janeiro
• Criminals who use dating apps or bars to drug and rob foreigners
• Express kidnapping, where victims are forced to withdraw cash or send money by banking app, most often by Pix
• Robbery and assault on municipal city buses, which US staff are told not to use

What the UK advice says

The FCDO advises against all but essential travel on these river routes in Amazonas State:

• The Amazon River and its tributaries west of Codajás and east of Belém do Solimões
• Any part of the Itaquaí River
• Any part of the Japurá River and its tributaries
• The Rio Negro and its tributaries north or west of Barcelos

These are remote border river areas with armed groups, including pirates and drug traffickers, and little police presence. Most Amazon trips from Manaus stay well east of these zones.

Elsewhere, the FCDO says robberies are common in many cities, especially on buses. Thieves target phones, especially between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. It also warns of express kidnapping, drink spiking, card cloning and methanol in spirit-based drinks.

Brazil holds general elections every four years in October, with any runoff on the last Sunday of the month, and the new president takes office in Brasília in early January. Avoid rallies and protests around those dates.

What the numbers show

Brazil recorded 40,775 intentional violent deaths in 2025, a rate of 19.1 per 100,000 people. That is the lowest total since the national series began in 2012.

The count covers homicides, femicides, robberies followed by death, fatal assaults and deaths caused by police. It measures risk to residents, much of it concentrated in specific neighborhoods and tied to organized crime. Visitors face a different, lower risk profile, dominated by theft and robbery. Read the numbers as a guide to how cautious to be, not as your personal odds.

Selected state rates per 100,000 people:

City rates can sit far from their state’s. The city of São Paulo recorded 7.2. Porto Seguro, a beach destination in Bahia, recorded 71.2. Within any big city, risk also varies block by block, so ask your host which streets to avoid after dark.

Region by region

State rates in 2025 ran from 7.6 per 100,000 in the South to 42.5 in the Amazon. The table pairs that data with the main risk and one habit.

Foz do Iguaçu city recorded 28.9 per 100,000 in 2025, well above Paraná’s 15.5. Most visitors see only the falls and the hotel strip, which are far calmer than the border districts.

In Recife, signs mark the stretches of beach where swimming is restricted because of sharks. Follow them.

Habits that cut your risk

Five habits match what both governments advise.

Keep your phone in your pocket on the street. Phone snatching is the most common crime visitors meet. Step into a shop or café to check a map. Some travelers carry a cheap second phone for the street and leave the main one at the hotel.

Book rides in the app. Do not hail cars on the street. Robberies and express kidnappings have involved unlicensed taxis and drivers posing as ride-hail drivers. Book in the official app, wait somewhere safe, and check that the plate and driver match. At airports, use the authorized taxi booths.

Stay off city beaches after dark. In an “arrastão,” a group runs through a beach grabbing belongings. Take only what you can lose: a towel, some cash, sunscreen.

Buy your own drinks and keep them in your hand. Spiked drinks are a known risk in bars and through dating-app meetups. Methanol in spirits has also killed people in Brazil. Stick to sealed beer or drinks from established bars.

Do not resist a robbery. Hand over valuables if threatened. Carry one card and a day’s cash, and leave your passport in the hotel safe with a copy on you.

Favelas and favela tours

The US advisory of August 31, 2026 and the FCDO both say to stay out of favelas, including on tours. The US says not to enter informal housing developments, even on guided tours, because tour companies and police cannot guarantee your safety. The FCDO says to avoid all favelas, including tours marketed to tourists and favela accommodation, restaurants or bars.

Off Route’s position: if you still choose to go, you go against both advisories. Pick an operator run by residents of that community, so the money stays there. That choice does not remove the risk the advisories describe. Check your travel insurance terms first, because some policies exclude areas under a government warning.

Set your GPS to avoid favelas. Tourists have been shot after entering favelas by accident while following navigation apps.

Who should take extra care

Solo travelers out at night face the most risk, especially after drinking. Plan your ride home before you go out. People meeting dates from apps should meet in busy public places and keep their own drinks.

Travelers heading to remote Amazon rivers should book with established lodges or operators and check routes against the FCDO list. Drivers should avoid night driving on rural highways, where road conditions and robbery risk both rise.

If something goes wrong

Call 190 for the police in Brazil. The US Embassy in Brasília takes emergency calls after hours on +55 61 3312-7400. British nationals can contact the nearest British embassy or consulate.

Report thefts to the police to get a boletim de ocorrência, which you need for insurance claims and, if your passport is stolen, for domestic flights. Many states let you file online.

For card and cash safety, read money in Brazil. Planning a longer stay? Start with Brazil visas and residency: every route.

Check before you go: advisories change. Read the latest US and UK advice for Brazil in the week before you travel.