Ciudad del Este without crossing through Brazil

[sllvn]

In 2025, is it possible to visit Ciudad del Este from Puertó Iguazu without a Brazilian visa?

I'm a US citizen visiting Puertó Iguazu next week, but neglected to apply for a Brazilian visa (a new requirement as of April 2025). I would like to visit/shop in Ciudad del Este, but it appears that I need to cross through Foz do Iguaçu to arrive. Is this trip possible without entering into Brazil?

 

[elhombresinnombre]

No scheduled flights as far as I can tell but I'm seeing charter flights between IGR and AGT for around $300 each way. Make your own negotiations with the companies at the airport. Bear in mind that the region is pretty notorious so expect to get the strip search and rubber glove treatment at the borders if you choose to travel that way.

 

[carride]

In 2025, is it possible to visit Ciudad del Este from Puertó Iguazu without a Brazilian visa?

I'm a US citizen visiting Puertó Iguazu next week, but neglected to apply for a Brazilian visa (a new requirement as of April 2025).

The new Brazil e-visa is quick, right? Or no?

https://brazil.vfsevisa.com/

 

[sllvn]

The new Brazil e-visa is quick, right? Or no?

https://brazil.vfsevisa.com/

"It will take a minimum of 10 working days to process your Brazil eVisa." (via the Apply now page) and "We strongly advise applying for your eVisa two months before your planned travel to Brazil." (via the FAQ)

On Reddit, it looks like that some people receive it within 24 hours, others it takes more than a week, others get random rejections. I'd rather not waste the $80 application fee on a gamble, I can go to casino de MDP for that.

I'll ask around in Iguazu in case I'm wrong, but it looks like I'll be skipping Paraguay/Brazil this trip.

Thanks all.

 

[dlish]

Unless something changed in the past year, you can drive straight past the border stop on the Brazil side. There’s a building you’re supposed to stop at, and one year I did, but others were just driving by and since then when visiting I just asked my taxi driver to cruise by and they do.

 

[francus211]

In 2025, is it possible to visit Ciudad del Este from Puertó Iguazu without a Brazilian visa?

Yes, I can attest to this because I have done it personally. There is a ferry that goes from Argentina to Paraguay without needing to cross into Brazil - it's located here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Xa7RgLFUsSNq7HmY8

There is a small migraciones office there that you will use to enter/leave Argentina. There is another one on the Paraguayan side. The ferry, if you can call it that, will drop you off close to the Hito Tres Fronteras on the Paraguayan side.

A word of caution - you will need to speak Spanish to sort this out. No one will speak English on either side. On the Paraguayan side, there is absolutely nothing around the area where you will be dropped and you'll need to get a taxi into town and back again (Uber/Cabify/etc. wasn't an option from memory), which probably means you'll need to ask the immigrations officer to call you one. When I was there, the immigrations officer handled everything and was super nice - he called me a cab and the driver, who was also very nice, then become my tour guide for the day. My Spanish was kind of meh back then but I can tell you with certainty that everything would've been significantly harder had I not spoken any.

 

[sllvn]

Thanks much, @francus211. That's exactly what I was hoping for.

 

[darksider415]

The new Brazil e-visa is quick, right? Or no?

https://brazil.vfsevisa.com/

When I got mine (the week they opened applications the first time, so the process was a disaster at the time), it took me a week start to finish, with no issues.

Fill in the form, have your documentation in place prior and for the love of God, hand someone else the phone to take your picture. Do those things and you should be fine.

 

[Silvie]

If you check the site Rome2Rio, you will se that there are a couple of bus services that get you to Ciudad del Este in 40 minutes from Puerto Iguazu, but they cross the Brazilian border. I suggest to check out the site and contact the companies first because if they are Express buses, chances are nobody gets off in Brazil and may be you don't need a visa either.