Portuguese for the airport: check-in and immigration
The airport is the first place your Portuguese gets tested, usually while you are tired and holding a passport. These are the phrases for the counter, the immigration desk and the moment your suitcase does not appear.
Check-in and bags
Vou fazer o check-in para o voo para o Recife.
I'm checking in for the flight to Recife.
Aqui está meu passaporte.
Here's my passport.
Tenho uma mala para despachar.
I have one bag to check.
Despachar is the standard verb for checking a bag.
Esta é a minha bagagem de mão.
This one is carry-on.
Quanto custa o excesso de bagagem?
How much is the excess baggage?
Poderia me dar um assento na janela?
Could I have a window seat?
O voo está no horário?
Is the flight on time?
Security, immigration and the gate
Estou aqui a passeio por duas semanas.
I'm here on holiday for two weeks.
A passeio sounds more natural than de férias at the desk.
Vou ficar em um hotel em Copacabana.
I'm staying at a hotel in Copacabana.
Não tenho nada a declarar.
I have nothing to declare.
Preciso tirar o notebook da mochila?
Do I need to take my laptop out?
In Brazil a laptop is a notebook.
Qual é o portão de embarque?
Which gate is the flight leaving from?
Onde fica a área de conexões?
Where is the connecting flights area?
Acho que vou perder minha conexão.
I think I'm going to miss my connection.
When something goes wrong
Minha mala não chegou.
My suitcase didn't arrive.
Onde eu aviso que minha mala foi extraviada?
Where do I report a lost bag?
O voo foi cancelado. Quais são minhas opções?
The flight was cancelled. What are my options?
Pode me colocar no próximo voo?
Can you put me on the next flight?
Onde posso comprar um chip de celular?
Where can I buy a SIM card?
A SIM card is a chip in Brazil.
Tem um caixa eletrônico por perto?
Is there an ATM nearby?
False friend traps
embarque looks like embark, as in a ship, but means boarding, for any flight
Embarque is the ordinary word for boarding, and portão de embarque is the boarding gate. Nothing nautical about it.
assistir looks like assist, but means to watch
Assisti a um filme no voo means I watched a film on the flight; in everyday Brazilian speech you will also hear assisti um filme, without the a. To assist someone is ajudar.
pretender looks like pretend, but means to intend
Pretendo ficar duas semanas means I intend to stay two weeks, which is exactly what immigration wants to hear. To pretend is fingir.
esquisito looks like exquisite, but means strange, odd
Calling the food esquisita says it tasted strange, not exquisite. For exquisite, say requintado.
livraria looks like library, but means bookshop
The livraria in the terminal sells books. A library, the place you borrow from, is a biblioteca.
notebook looks like notebook, as in paper, but means laptop
At security, notebook means your laptop. A paper notebook is a caderno.
FAQ
Common questions
Short answers to what people ask most about this situation.
Do I need a visa to visit Brazil?
It depends on your passport, and Brazil has changed these rules more than once in recent years, including reintroducing an online e-visa for some nationalities. Treat any list you read as out of date and check the current requirement with the Brazilian consulate or the official government site before you book.
How much cash should I bring?
Very little. Cards work almost everywhere in Brazil, including street kiosks, and Pix has replaced cash for most locals. Withdraw reais from a bank ATM (Banco do Brasil, Bradesco, Santander) rather than the exchange desks in the terminal, where the rate is much worse.
What is the best way to get from the airport into the city?
Uber or 99 from the official pickup point, which is signposted as aplicativos. Airport taxi ranks charge a fixed rate that is usually higher, and unofficial drivers who approach you inside the terminal should be declined with não, obrigado.
Is my Portuguese enough to get through immigration?
The officer will usually ask three things: purpose of trip, length of stay and where you are staying. A passeio, duas semanas and the name of your hotel cover almost every case, and switching to English is normal at the main international airports.