U.S. Suspends In‑Person Consular Services in Brazil

Overview

• The U.S. Embassy in Brasília and consulates in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Recife and Porto Alegre stopped in-person services on Friday, Oct. 2, and staff were instructed to work remotely.
• The embassy told U.S. citizens who need emergency help not to go to diplomatic facilities and to contact the designated duty officer by the posted phone or email.
• U.S. officials have not described the nature of the reported threat and provided no date for when normal consular operations will resume.
• The Australian Embassy in Brasília likewise closed on Oct. 2 and Brazil's Federal Police ordered reinforced patrols around embassy areas in Brasília.
• The suspension will delay visa interviews and other in-person consular services and comes after recent graffiti and protests at the U.S. embassy and a period of heightened U.S.–Brazil tensions since 2025.