Venezuela Entry Requirements

Step off the plane at Simón Bolívar International Airport and the Caribbean slaps you awake: wet heat laced with jet exhaust and the waft of cornmeal arepas drifting from kiosks. Neon tubes buzz overhead while khaki-clad officers flick through passports, the click-clack of their keyboards keeping time with ceiling fans. Caracas' Maiquetía portal funnels most visitors into the country. Expect 30-60 minutes in the queue if you've dodged peak-hour banks. A yellow-fever certificate is mandatory if you're arriving from affected zones, and the entry form handed out on the aircraft must be filled in blue or black ink, no exceptions. Rules have swung sharply in recent years: some passports stroll straight through, others need embassy paperwork sorted long before touchdown.