🛫 Single-Terminal Layout

Domestic carriers: LATAM Brasil, GOL, Azul, plus regional Voepass — all the major Brazilian airlines.

International: KLM (FOR–AMS the flagship long-haul), Air France, TAP, Copa, GOL Smiles long-haul, Cabo Verde Airlines, plus seasonal European charters from Lisbon, Milan, Paris.

🌴 The Northeast Beach Hub

Why FOR matters: the cheapest international entry point into Brazil’s coastline. From here, the Beach Park resort, Jericoacoara, Praia do Futuro, Cumbuco all sit 30 min – 4 h by bus or car.

Domestic onward connections: hourly flights to GRU (Sao Paulo) + Recife, Salvador, Brasília, Rio. Azul also runs direct connections to remote Northeast destinations like Jericoacoara via Jijoca.

e-Visa for US, Canada, Australia (Since April 2025)

All US, Canadian, Australian, Mexican passport holders now need an e-Visa to enter Brazil — apply at brazil.vfsevisa.com, $80.90 USD, processing 48–72 hours. Validity: 10 years for US, 5 years for Canada/Australia, max 90 days per stay, 180 days within any 12-month period. Airlines will not issue a boarding pass without a validated e-Visa code.

EU + Most Asia = Visa-Free 90 Days

EU/EEA/Swiss, UK, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico (when reciprocal arrangements apply) and others can enter Brazil visa-free for up to 90 days per stay, max 180 days per 12 months. Just a passport with 6+ months validity. No e-Visa needed for these nationalities.

Yellow Fever Recommended

Brazil recommends yellow fever vaccination for all visitors but doesn’t require it from most arrival countries. Required if you’re coming from a yellow fever endemic country (most of sub-Saharan Africa, parts of South America). Vaccination is one shot, valid for life. Carry the yellow card if connecting via Lagos, Addis, Lima or similar.

⭐ Uber & 99 — The Default Pick

99 is the dominant Brazilian rideshare app (DiDi-owned, larger than Uber in Brazil). Uber is also widely available. Both are notably cheaper than taxis — typical fare R$ 25–55 to anywhere central. Pickup zone is signposted outside arrivals; drivers wait at the dedicated Uber/99 bay.

🚕 Official Taxi (Cooperativa Cooptaxi)

The official taxi rank is at the airport entrance. R$ 50–70 to the beach areas on a regulated meter; cash or card. The drivers speak limited English; show your hotel address on a phone screen. Slightly more expensive than Uber but the meter is honest.

🚌 City Bus — The R$ 4.50 Budget Option

Lines 404 and 027 connect FOR to Centro and the beachfront avenues. R$ 4.50 single fare (~$0.90), pay onboard, exact change preferred. Journey 30–45 minutes. Backpacker-friendly but tight if you have heavy luggage; not recommended after dark for foreign visitors.

✨ Plaza Premium Lounge (domestic + international airside)

Northeast Brazil has its own distinct cuisine. Tapioca (cassava-flour crepe with savoury or sweet fillings) is the regional breakfast — Tapiokes in the food court airside is the airport pick. Carne de sol (sun-dried beef with farofa) and açaí na tigela (frozen açaí bowl with banana, granola, condensed milk) are the must-try regional Brazilian airport foods.

The duty-free at FOR carries premium cachaças — Ypióca (Ceará-distilled, the regional brand), Sagatiba, Leblon, Avuá. Vacuum-sealed bottles travel fine; check your destination’s spirits import allowance. Cup noodles back home will be sad after a real caipirinha — pick up a 700 ml bottle of Ypióca Ouro for ~$25.

Ceará is Brazil’s hammock-making capital. The airport craft shops carry hand-woven redes (hammocks) at city-comparable prices — a quintessentially Northeast Brazilian souvenir that compresses into a hand-luggage stuff sack. Lace work (renda de bilro) from Aracati is also widely sold. Avoid generic “Brazil” t-shirts; pick the regional crafts that don’t exist anywhere else.

Fortaleza hosts Fortal, Brazil’s largest off-season Carnival, in late July with axé music, parade blocs, and a multi-day beachfront festival. Hotel rates triple; FOR sees 2× normal traffic. For flights between 25 July and 5 August, build a 90-minute buffer on inbound transport and book lounge access in advance.

Jericoacoara (the legendary kitesurfing paradise village) is 4 hours by 4×4 from FOR. There’s a small Aeroporto de Jijoca de Jericoacoara (JJD) with daily Azul and GOL flights from FOR (35 min), connecting via 4×4 to the village (40 min). The flight option saves 3 hours over the long bus route — book in advance, both small carriers fill up.

Northeast Brazilian tap water is not safe to drink for foreign visitors. Stick to água mineral (sealed bottled water — R$ 5–8 in the airport) or filtered dispensers airside. Brushing teeth with tap is generally fine; don’t swallow. Same rule applies in hotels.

Vivo, Claro, TIM have kiosks in arrivals. Tourist SIMs from R$ 30–60 for 30-day data + voice. PIX is Brazil’s instant payment system — works at most restaurants, including airport kiosks. Foreign visitors can use it via Wise, Nomad or Inter accounts; otherwise stick to cards (Visa/Mastercard work everywhere).

€1 ≈ R$ 6 (varies); $1 ≈ R$ 5.5. Cards (Visa/Mastercard) work everywhere airside and across Fortaleza. Avoid airport currency exchanges — rates are 5–10% worse than ATMs. Banco do Brasil and Caixa Econômica ATMs have dollar-fair rates with low fees; Itaú and Bradesco also work but charge slightly higher fees. Tipping not expected (10% gorjeta is sometimes added to restaurant bills).

Fortaleza is generally safer than Rio or Salvador, but Centro feels rough after dark; stick to Iracema, Meireles, Mucuripe, and Beira-Mar areas at night. The airport itself is well-policed at any hour. Use Uber or 99 — never accept a kerbside “executive transfer”. Both apps have in-app safety features and verified drivers.