D/L Translation Required for Brasil?
 

Last week I was stopped by the Brasilian Military Police just outside Ilheus. What I thought was just a routine document check turned into something different when the officer threatened to tow and impound my bike. He had a problem with both my driver´s permit and the documentation for my motorcycle.
According to the officer my Canadian drivers´s license and my International Driver Permit (IDP) were not valid. I was required to have an official translation (from a tradutor juramentado) in Portugese of my driver´s license. The IDP had a Portugese page but Brasil does not recognize IDPs (they are not amoungst the countries listed in the the IDP). Later I checked the website for DETRAN, the Brasilian highway/transito authority, and apparently the officer was technically correct.
The second issue was with my motorcycle import documentation I received at the border. The officer stated my Declaração Simplificada de Importação (DSI) allowed my motorcycle to be in Brasil but I needed permission from DETRAN to operate it on Brasilian roads.
After a long heated discussion with my Brasilian passenger, we were allowed to leave after promising to check in at the nearest DETRAN office for the permission. I elected to contiinue to my destination and make inquiries later. We saw no mention of this requirement on the DETRAN website.
The question remains what are the correct documents for the foreign motorcyclist to carry in Brasil or is this just a chance encounter with police bureaucrat?

Yes, You need to go to Detran. I did it in Sao Paulo when I lived there. You take your international license and passport. They stamp your license and you pick it up the nedt day or the day after. If I remeber correctly you don't need a translation. It is a pain but it's what you have to do. Good luck

D/L Translation Required for Brasil?
 

Well, I went to DETRAN in Vit.do Conquista and they confirmed with the boss in Salvador that an official translation was required and my International Driver Permit was not an official translation. There is no official translator in Conquista a city of about 350,000. They said they would not stamp or approve anything. I was given a copy of the regulation.
I decided to continue without it and take my chances at the next checkpoint if I´m asked to stop.

That doesn't surprise me. If you really feel you need to do it Sao Paulo is probably one of the few places to go. There is a special window on the 3rd or 4th floor of Detran with a very unhappy lady who will put the stamp on your International License. Both my wife and I have no recollection of having to get an official translation with an International License.
If you are coming to Mexico City drop me a PM and we can arrange to put you up and show you around.
Safe travels

I got me 2 IDP's
 

At the local Automobile Assoc. of America (AAA) office in the States, I obtained 2 intl. drivers permits - one for Latin America, one for Brazil (and 2 other countries I don't remember now - Paraguay is one I think). Almost identical docs, but the one says its valid for Brazil. Cost slightly less than the first one.
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Updated 12 de Mayo
I originally learned from this website a couple years ago that Brazil required a different IDL. Looking at the two I have, I now remember the explanation in maybe some of Grant's original trip paperwork info (or an old forum posting).

In 1943, there was an agreement signed be most of the Western Hemisphere nations (only) as to the IDL format.

In 1949, there was an international agreement made by essentially the rest of the world. Most of South America signed the 2nd agreement, only Brazil and Uruagay (not Paraguay as I stated above) failed to sign it. So, one IDL meets the 1949 requirement (good throughout the world), Brazil and Uruagay recognize the older 1943 format only.

Hi MonkeyButt,
I´ve been in Brasil for 3.5 months now and travelling with an expired california license and expired motorcycle registration. i´m not carrying the title because the bike is still owned by the bank in CA. I don´t have the importation documents of the bike bc when i crossed into Brasil they put the number of the license plate on the tourist card.
so far the only problem i had with the police in Brasil was in Rio when i was accused of trafficking drugs and spent 6 hours at the police station where that left me butt naked and searched all my stuff. i was scared as hell but thet let me go after they realized i didn´t have anything.
i´m off to Belem tomorrow. let me know where you are and if still in Brasil. I´m off to the 3 guyanas next.
Cheers

D/L Translation Required for Brasil?
 

Hi SalCar,

I flew back to Canada from Rio last week. Plan to return in December. Thanks for the info - good luck with your "documents" and travel. Btw I hope your healthcare mission is progressing - I have sent your web address to others working on the same issues. Come visit Canada as part of your research and contact me.

been to Canada before and loved it!!! i´m trying to sort out my finances and hopefully ride North America in the next couple of years. thank you for passing my site to other people :thumbup1: