Travel and Accommodations

Visa Information

According to the Brazilian Ministry of External Relations (September 2025):

https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/assuntos/portal-consular/vistos/qgrv-simples-ing-10sep25.pdf

Visa required: Citizens of the United States, Canada, and Australia must obtain a Visit Visa (VIVIS) prior to travel.

Effective April 10, 2025, travelers holding passports from the United States, Canada, and Australia are required to obtain a Brazilian e-Visa prior to travel to Brazil, including for conference attendance and business travel. (source: US Embassy in Brazil)

For detailed instructions on obtaining an e-Visa, please visit the official government-authorized Brazilian e-Visa portal: https://brazil.vfsevisa.com/.

How to apply:

Identify which documents will be required to complete your eVisa application. There is an e-Visa “document checklist” available on the government website: https://brazil.vfsevisa.com/checklist.
Apply online through the official Brazilian e-Visa portal (https://brazil.vfsevisa.com/), in order to submit your application you will be required to submit an e-Visa fee of approximately $80.90 USD.
Apply well in advance of travel; processing times may vary, but travelers are encouraged to apply several weeks before departure.

Approved e-Visas are issued electronically and should be printed and carried during travel. You will be asked to present your e-Visa at the airport upon departure to Brazil.

Visa exempt (up to 90 days): Citizens of the European Union, United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, and most Latin American countries (e.g., Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Uruguay).

Other regions: Requirements vary (30–90 day exemptions or visa required).

Brazil has streamlined the visa process: visit visas can be requested online through the official platform, with typical processing times of just a few days. Participants can check the requirements for their country here:

https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/assuntos/portal-consular/vistos/informacoes-sobre-vistos-para-estrangeiros-viajarem-ao-brasil#voceprecisa

Travel Information

Belo Horizonte is served by the Belo Horizonte/Confins–Tancredo Neves International Airport (CNF).

Taxis and ride-sharing services are available from the airport at all hours, and it should take roughly 30 minutes to get from the airport to the conference venue. As an alternative, attendees can take the Conexão Aeroporto (Unir) bus line followed by a city bus.

Mercure Belo Horizonte Lourdes

Quality Hotel Pampulha & Convention Center

Accommodations

Where to stay depends on how you would like to spend your time in Belo Horizonte: close to UFMG, the conference venue in Pampulha, or closer to the city’s restaurants, culture, and nightlife in Savassi or Similar neighborhoods.

Closer to downtown — Savassi and Similar Neighborhoods

Savassi is a good base if you would like to experience Belo Horizonte’s cultural life and spend your evenings exploring cafés, restaurants, bars, and live music. Its lively streets and proximity to the museums and cultural spaces around Praça da Liberdade make it an appealing choice for enjoying the city beyond the conference. Staying here means a longer trip to UFMG’s Pampulha campus. Allow extra time for the journey, especially during rush hour, in exchange for more dining and nightlife options around your hotel.

AIIDE has secured a discounted rate at the Mercure Belo Horizonte Lourdes, located approximately 11 km from the UFMG Campus, meaning it can be reached approximately 20-30 minutes by car or rideshare, depending on traffic.

Hotel: Mercure Belo Horizonte Lourdes

Booking: Reservations should be made directly with the hotel by email or phone. Please mention AIIDE-26 when making your reservation to receive the conference rate.

Reservation Contact:

Email: h3575-re@accor.com
Phone/WhatsApp: +55 (31) 3298-4100

A special 22% discount is available for AIIDE-26 attendees for stays between November 8-14, 2026. We encourage participants to book early, as availability is limited.

Other options include:

Royal Boutique Savassi / Royal Collection Savassi — one block from Praça da Liberdade, convenient for its museums and cultural spaces.
ibis Belo Horizonte Savassi — a base for exploring Savassi’s restaurants and bars.
Novotel BH Savassi — on Avenida do Contorno, in the Savassi area.
ibis budget BH Savassi — a budget-oriented option for staying in the Savassi area.
Radisson Blu Belo Horizonte, Savassi — an upscale option near Pátio Savassi shopping mall and the neighborhood’s restaurants.
Royal Golden Savassi — an option with a swimming pool, sauna, and gym for relaxing between workshop sessions.

Near the university — Pampulha

Stay in the Pampulha area for convenient access to UFMG’s Pampulha campus (the conference venue). This part of the city has a quieter evening atmosphere and fewer nightlife options than Savassi, making it a good choice if you prefer to stay closer to the university. Pampulha is also home to the lake and its surrounding architectural landmarks, offering a scenic setting to explore outside the workshop sessions. The area is spread out, so check each hotel’s location relative to both the campus and the lake when choosing your accommodation.

AIIDE has secured a discounted rate at the Quality Hotel Pampulha & Convention Center, located approximately 3.5 km from the conference venue (UFMG CAD3 auditorium) , meaning it can be reached approximately 10 minutes by car or rideshare, depending on traffic. This hotel is at a 30 minutes walk from the conference venue (UFMG CAD 3 auditorium).

Hotel: Quality Hotel Pampulha & Convention Center

Booking: Reservations should be made online (link above) or directly with the hotel by email or phone.

Reservation Contact:

Email: reservas.qplu@ahi.com.br
Phone/WhatsApp: +55 (31) 3505-9200

A special 27% discount is available for AIIDE-26 attendees for stays between November 8-14, 2026. Please use the code AIIDE2026 when making your reservation to receive the conference rate. We encourage participants to book early, as availability is limited.

Other options close to UFMG’s main gate include:

Praça da Liberdade

Inhotim Museum

Pampulha Lake and Modernist Ensemble

Mercado Central

Notable Local Attractions

Belo Horizonte (BH, pronounced beh-ah-gah) is the capital city of Minas Gerais and is known for its rich cultural life, modernist architecture, and surrounding mountain landscapes. The city offers a vibrant arts and music scene, a strong culinary tradition recognized nationwide, and a lively urban atmosphere shaped by its public squares and markets. Notable attractions include:

Praça da Liberdade - Historic landscaped square framed by Versailles-inspired gardens, and a surrounding cluster of museums:
Inhotim Museum - One of the largest outdoor art centers in Latin America. Ranked #24 on The New York Times global list of "52 Places to Go in 2026," standing out as the only Brazilian destination featured on the list.
Pampulha Lake and Modern Ensemble - A UNESCO World Heritage Site built around the Pampulha Lake
Mercado Central - A historic farmers market started in the 1930s, housing over 400 stalls that sell traditional Minas Gerais cheeses, cachaças, regional food, and artisan goods.
Mercado Novo - A historic modernist commercial building built in the 1960s and recently repurposed into a vibrant cultural, gastronomy, and nightlife hub.
Parque Municipal Américo Renné Giannetti - The oldest and most traditional urban park in Belo Horizonte.
Palácio das Artes - the largest cultural center in Minas Gerais and a premier hub for art and performance in Belo Horizonte
Sala Minas Gerais - a modern, world-class concert hall designed as the permanent home and primary acoustic instrument for the Orquestra Filarmônica de Minas Gerais
Praça do Papa - A scenic public square in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, named in honor of Pope John Paul II after he celebrated a historic mass there in 1980

Culturally, BH made significant musical contributions. It is the birthplace of major artists and influential musical movements, such as Clube da Esquina, which fused traditional Brazilian sounds with jazz, classical, and psychedelic rock resulting in a distinctive style that resonated globally. It is also the birthplace of the influential extreme metal bands Sarcófago and Sepultura.

Parking and Transportation

The UFMG Pampulha campus has open parking areas next to most buildings, and parking is free for visitors. The main vehicle entrances are on Av. Presidente Antônio Carlos (main gate) and Av. Presidente Carlos Luz (Catalão gate). The conference venue at CAD 3 - Auditorium 106 has a parking lot next to it. A campus map is available here: https://www.ufmg.br/estacaoecologica/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/mapa_ufmg.pdf.

Local Transportation

Ride-sharing apps (Uber and 99) and taxis are widely available, and they are often the most practical way to reach campus, especially if you are staying near the campus or sharing a ride from the Savassi or downtown areas. Many hotels in the Pampulha region are within walking distance of campus, roughly 15 minutes on foot.

Several city bus lines serve the campus. The MOVE UFMG station is on Av. Antônio Carlos, right in front of the main entrance. Line 5106 stops there, and line 5102 (UFMG/Santo Antônio) has stops inside the campus. Once on campus, UFMG runs free internal shuttle buses that connect the main buildings and gates. Routes and schedules are listed at https://www.ufmg.br/transporte/. Bus routes and schedules for the whole city can be checked on the BHTrans website or in the PBH Ônibus app.

Most city bus lines cost R$ 6.25 per trip, and circular and feeder lines cost R$ 6.00. City buses are free on Sundays and national holidays.

Belo Horizonte also has shared e-bikes (Tembici), with stations in the city center and the Pampulha region. Shared JET e-scooters started operating in March 2026, but at launch they only covered the central and western parts of the city.

Praça de Serviços (UFMG)

Food and Dining

The closest dining option is the cafeteria located in the Escola de Engenharia yard. It offers coffee, snacks, and lunch options.

On-Campus Dining Options

The main dining option on the Pampulha campus are clustered around the Praça de Serviços, the campus services plaza near the main avenue. Many academic buildings also have their own small cafeterias. The main dining option on campus is the:

HR Restaurante e Lanchonete (Praça de Serviços): an affordable self-service buffet. It’s open weekdays from 7:30 to 20:00.

Nearby Restaurant Recommendations

The Pampulha region around campus has many options, from traditional Minas Gerais cuisine to Italian. Recommended options near the conference venue:

Sal e Brasa - Brazilian Steakhouse
Chopp da Fábrica - Traditional Mineira cuisine
Ibrahim Empório Árabe - Lebanese cuisine
Anella Ristorante - Italian cuisine
Restaurante Xapuri - Traditional Mineira cuisine (one of the most famous restaurants in the city)
The Rocks Café - Modern coffee shop
Meatz Burger Pampulha - Brazilian/American Burguer
Maria das Tranças - Traditional Mineira cuisine