Brazil Business Etiquette

  • Be prepared to commit long term resources (both in time and money) toward establishing strong relationships in Brazil. This is the key to business success
  • When planning your trip, check for local vacations and holidays. The greatest official holiday in Brazil is the Carnaval, and it lasts five days
  • Business hours normally begin between 8:30 and 9 in the morning, and end around 5pm. Lunch breaks are usually for one hour, midday but they sometimes last longer. It is not unusual to discuss business during lunch or dinner
  • Business meetings should be set up about 2 weeks in advance. Call or e-mail to confirm a day before the meeting
  • Try to set up appointments between 10 a.m. to noon, or 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Never show up a company or office without an appointment
  • It’s normal for Brazilian to be 10-15 minutes late for a meeting. Be on time, but bring something to read while you wait
  • Business appointments may occasionally be delayed or canceled without prior warning
  • In formal situations handshakes are the most common form of greeting. When leaving a small group, be sure to shake hands with everyone
  • In more informal situations women sometimes exchange kisses on either cheek, and men may briefly embrace.
  • It is customary to exchange business cards at the first business meeting. Cards should be double sided printed in both Portuguese and English.
  • If you are offered tea or coffee, don’t refuse, as this may be perceived as impolite
  • Brazilians are as informal as they are hierarchical. First names are used often, but titles are also important. In formal situations, for superiors, use titles like (Mr./Mrs)In social situations it is customary to use first names
  • Doctors and lawyers are always called Doctor
  • The terms “Seu” (for men) and “Dona” (for women) are used with certain regularity
  • Bags should not be placed on the floor. It’s considered a sign of bad luck about money.
  • If you are invited to a Brazilian home, it is considered polite to send flowers to the hostess the next day, along with a thank-you note.
  • Don’t bring purple flowers, they are normally used at funerals. Violets, however, are OK.