Rio de Janeiro Travel Risk — Moderate Risk (49/100)
Is Rio de Janeiro safe right now? Checked 16 October 2026
Rio de Janeiro scores 49/100 on our travel risk index (Moderate). The US State Department rates Brazil Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution, updated 31 Aug 2026); the UK FCDO advises against all but essential travel to parts of the country (updated 29 Sep 2026); Canada says: exercise a high degree of caution (with regional advisories). No GDACS or USGS hazard events within 100 km in the last 14 days. No change in government advice in the last 7 days.
Natural disasters (score 25)
Crime (score 60)
September 29, 2026
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil has a current Travel Risk Calculator composite score of 49 out of 100 (moderate risk tier); the highest-rated risk category is crime at 60/100; the lowest-rated category is natural disasters at 25/100; last updated September 29, 2026. For official nationwide security advisories, entry requirements, and health notices, see the Brazil travel risk page. Real-time conditions below include live weather, official advisory levels, GDACS disaster alerts, and current news.
Get a personalized assessment for your tripHow safe is Rio de Janeiro to visit in 2026?
Rio de Janeiro currently sits at 49/100 on our composite travel-risk index, which puts it in the moderate-risk tier. Most travelers will be fine with normal precautions, but a few categories below score high enough that planning matters. The highest-rated risk category for Rio de Janeiro is crime (60/100), and the lowest is natural disasters (25/100). This page was last updated on September 29, 2026; the baseline category scores reflect analytical indicators, layered with live conditions throughout the day. Live conditions — weather and air quality every 30 minutes, US State Department advisory every 6 hours, GDACS disaster alerts every 30 minutes, CDC health notices every 12 hours, and news every hour — are cached at the source and refreshed automatically when stale.
Driven by: security (68/100) and crime and scams (43/100).
A score of 49 is higher than the scores of 65% of the 241 countries we cover.
AI safety snapshot · refreshed Oct 15, 2026
Rio de Janeiro currently maintains a moderate risk level with a baseline composite score of 49 out of 100 and a US State Department advisory level of 2. Travelers should also be aware of an active green forest fire notification in Brazil and a Level 1 global dengue health notice from the CDC.
AI-summarized strictly from the live public-source data below (US State Dept advisory, GDACS, CDC, Google News). Auto-refreshed at most once per day on the first visit. Not official advice.
Live conditions last refreshed: Oct 16, 2026 03:37 UTC
What should I do now?
- Run a real assessment. Open the calculator for live data (weather, advisory, news) layered onto this baseline.
- Crime (score 60/100): Use registered taxis or ride-share apps. Keep electronics out of sight in public transit. Read recent reviews for your specific neighborhood.
- Government advisory (score 55/100): Read your country's current official advisory within 7 days of travel. Register with your embassy on arrival if available.
- Check your country's advisory. The single most authoritative live signal. Linked at the bottom of every real assessment.
Day vs Night Safety in Rio de Janeiro
Guidance based on our scores and official advice — not a measured score.
Exercise heightened caution even during daylight hours. Stick to primary thoroughfares, travel in groups where possible, and avoid navigating quiet residential side-streets alone.
Nighttime movement carries significant risk. Strictly avoid solo walking after dark; rely exclusively on hotel-arranged transportation or registered radiotaxis, and confirm destination security before leaving your accommodation.
Safety by Traveler Type in Rio de Janeiro
Guidance based on our scores and official advice — not a measured score.
Solo travelers
Crime risk is elevated. Solo travelers should avoid quiet areas at night, keep a charged phone and offline map, and share a live location with someone.
Women traveling solo
General crime risk is elevated. Plan arrivals in daylight, avoid isolated areas, and prefer accommodation with 24h reception. We do not hold gender-specific incident data for Rio de Janeiro, so also check the live official advisory above and local women-traveler communities.
Older travelers
Health/transport risk is elevated. Confirm medical-evacuation cover, plan rest between transfers, and locate English-capable medical care on arrival.
Business travelers
Digital/money risk is elevated. Avoid public Wi-Fi for sensitive work, use a VPN, watch for card-skimming at ATMs, and carry minimal cash.
LGBTQ+ travelers
Local laws and social attitudes toward LGBTQ+ travelers vary widely by country and are not captured in our category scores. The official advisory/political indicators are elevated. Read your government LGBTQ+ travel guidance carefully and weigh trip purpose against current conditions.
No group-specific warning is triggered in Rio de Janeiro for families with children (Health 40/100 · Natural disaster 25/100): these scores sit in the low-to-moderate range, so standard precautions apply. Local laws affecting LGBTQ+ travelers and gender-specific incident rates are not captured in our scores; check your government's travel guidance.
Score layers
Safety categories
Source: Grounded open data research & citations
Quick facts
| Hospital access | medium |
|---|---|
| Airport risk | medium |
| Road safety | medium |
| Public transport | medium |
| Tourist scam risk | medium |
| Night safety | medium |
| Last updated | September 29, 2026 |
Live conditions in Rio de Janeiro
Real-time data refreshed from public sources — weather and air quality from Open-Meteo, official advisory from the US State Department, disaster alerts from GDACS, health notices from the CDC, news from Google News. For an AI-synthesized briefing tailored to your specific trip, run a personalized assessment.
Today's weather
⛅ Partly cloudy
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| Today's high / low | 27.5°C / 21.2°C | Wind now / max | 3.5 km/h / 13.7 km/h |
|---|---|---|---|
| Humidity | 98% | Precipitation today | 18.8 mm · 91% chance |
| UV (max today) | 6.9 | Sunrise / Sunset | 05:19 / 17:57 |
- High precipitation chance
- Thunderstorm risk
Source: Open-Meteo (free public weather API) · fetched 2026-10-16 03:18:53 UTC · cached
Air quality
Air Quality
Moderate
| PM2.5 / PM10 | 21.9 / 22.1 µg/m³ | O₃ / NO₂ | 48 / 34.1 µg/m³ |
|---|
Source: Open-Meteo Air Quality · fetched 2026-10-16 03:18:54 UTC · cached
Official travel advisory
Level 2 · Exercise Increased Caution
Brazil - Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
Read full advisory → · US Department of State
Disaster alerts
Active Disaster Alerts
-
Green forest fire notification in Brazil GREEN · country-wide · 2026-10-16
On 07/10/2026, a forest fire started in Brazil, until 15/10/2026.
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Green forest fire notification in Brazil GREEN · country-wide · 2026-10-16
On 07/10/2026, a forest fire started in Brazil, until 15/10/2026.
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Green forest fire notification in Brazil GREEN · country-wide · 2026-10-16
On 01/10/2026, a forest fire started in Brazil, until 15/10/2026.
-
Green forest fire notification in Brazil GREEN · country-wide · 2026-10-15
On 12/10/2026, a forest fire started in Brazil, until 15/10/2026.
-
Green forest fire notification in Brazil GREEN · country-wide · 2026-10-15
On 09/10/2026, a forest fire started in Brazil, until 15/10/2026.
“~N km away” = event centroid within ~500 km of this location; “country-wide” = a national/regional alert that may not be near this specific city. Source: GDACS · fetched 2026-10-16 03:37:34 UTC
Natural hazard calendar & history
5-Year Hazard Calendar (100 km Radius)
| Hazard | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Most flood events within 100 km of Rio de Janeiro happened in March (2 of 3 in five years).
Source: GDACS, USGS; five years to October 2026.
For consular advice on women's safety, LGBT+ travel, and local laws, see the Brazil travel advice & laws.
Check the official entry requirements for your nationality before you travel. See the Brazil entry requirements.
Health notices
Health Notices for this Destination
-
Level 1 - Global Dengue WATCH · 2026-10-02
Dengue is a year-round risk in many parts of the world, with outbreaks commonly occurring every 2–5 years. Travelers to risk areas should prevent mosquito bites. Country List : Colombia, Vietnam, Maldives, Bolivia, Cambodia, Kenya, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Mar
-
Level 2 - Global Polio ALERT · 2026-09-23
Some international destinations have circulating poliovirus. Before any international travel, make sure you are up to date on your polio vaccines. Country List : Afghanistan, Algeria, Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Niger, Nig
-
Level 1 - Global Measles WATCH · 2025-05-28
Measles cases are rising in many countries around the world. All international travelers should be fully vaccinated against measles with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, according to CDC's measles vaccination recommendations for international travel. Country List : Afghan
Source: CDC Travelers’ Health · fetched 2026-10-15 19:24:31 UTC
1991–2020 climate normals
Seasonal risk & best time to visit Rio de Janeiro
The most weather-stable two-month window for Rio de Janeiro is June–July, when typical daily temperatures run from about 17°C to 26°C and monthly rain averages 50 mm.
Seasonal planning flags include heavy rain season in December–February. These are climate patterns, not forecasts.
Climate normals are planning context, not a short-range forecast. Source: Open-Meteo Climate API. Refreshed Sep 6, 2026.
Calculate risk for these travel dates Compare seasonal windows →
Practical safety map
Safety infrastructure nearby in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro has 10 hospitals, 10 police stations, 5 embassies, 10 pharmacies and 5 fire stations within 7 km of the city center in the latest OpenStreetMap extract.
The interactive map loads when it approaches the viewport.
Facility list (works without JavaScript)
- Hospital: Unnamed hospital
- Hospital: Centro Municipal de Saúde José Messias do Carmo
- Hospital: Hospital Central da Aeronáutica
- Hospital: Hospital Central da Polícia Militar do Rio de Janeiro
- Hospital: Hospital Escola São Francisco de Assis
- Hospital: Hospital Frei Antônio
- Hospital: Hospital san Dominico
- Hospital: Hospital São Vicente de Paulo
- Hospital: Instituto Estadual de Diabetes e Endocrinologia Luiz Capriglione
- Hospital: Instituto Nacional de Câncer José Alencar Gomes da Silva
- Police: Unnamed police
- Police: Unnamed police
- Police: 18ª DP - Praça da Bandeira
- Police: 6º DP - Cidade Nova
- Police: Centro Integrado de Apuração Criminal
- Police: Centro Integrado de Comando e Controle
- Police: Depósito de Evidências Criminais
- Police: DGAF - Serviço de Transportes
- Police: Divisão de Transportes
- Police: Instituto Médico Legal Afrânio Peixoto
- Embassy: Unnamed embassy
- Embassy: Consulado Honorário da Índia
- Embassy: Consulado Honorário do Sri Lanka
- Embassy: Consulate General of Switzerland
- Embassy: Honorary Consulate of Denmark
- Pharmacy: Unnamed pharmacy
- Pharmacy: Unnamed pharmacy
- Pharmacy: DrogaLife
- Pharmacy: Drogaria Cristal
- Pharmacy: Drogaria Cristal
- Pharmacy: Drogarias Qualidade de Vida
- Pharmacy: FarMais
- Pharmacy: Farmavita
- Pharmacy: max
- Pharmacy: Rio Farmes
- Fire station: Unnamed fire station
- Fire station: Centro de Suprimento e Manutenção
- Fire station: Corpo de Bombeiros Santa Teresa
- Fire station: Grupamento Técnico de Suprimento de Água para Incêndios
- Fire station: Quartel do Comando Geral do Corpo de Bombeiros do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
Map and facility data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Locations can be incomplete or outdated; confirm before relying on them. See this destination’s numbers or browse emergency numbers by country.
Emergency numbers (Brazil)
| Police | 190 |
|---|---|
| Ambulance | 192 |
| Fire | 193 |
| General | 190 |
See nearby hospitals, police, pharmacies, embassies, and fire stations on the safety map.
Essential local emergency phrases
Show this screen to first responders, hotel staff, or passersby if you cannot speak the local language during an emergency.
Medical access
| Hospital access | medium |
|---|---|
| Pharmacy access | medium |
| Emergency response | medium |
| English-speaking care | unknown |
| Evacuation complexity | medium |
The provided search results do not contain specific information regarding hospital access, emergency response, or medical care for travelers in Rio de Janeiro.
Common scam patterns
- Taxi and Credit Card Scams. Criminal networks operate fake taxis with frequently changing license plates and use tampered card payment machines to target passengers, particularly older travelers, during rides in the southern zone. Victims are deceived into handing over their bank cards or making payments on compromised terminals, leading to dozens of stolen cards being recovered by police. Tip: Always verify official transport and remain vigilant when paying by card, avoiding unverified taxis or hand-held terminals manipulated out of your sight.
- Pickpocketing and Fraudulent Schemes. A surge in sophisticated scams, pickpocketing, and credit card skimming has sparked safety concerns for visitors across Brazil. Fueled by viral videos of fraudulent schemes, these crimes target unwary tourists in public spaces and transit areas. Tip: Keep your valuables secure, monitor your credit cards closely, and stay aware of your surroundings in crowded tourist zones.
Area notes
- Vigário Geral. Located in the North Zone where local security incidents have been reported.
Nearest embassies & consulates
Find your home country's diplomatic mission in Brazil for consular support, lost passports, or citizen emergencies:
Run a personalized assessment for Rio de Janeiro
Get a tailored briefing in ~15 seconds, with live weather, advisories, and recent news.
Calculate my trip riskScore history
| When | Score change | Tier | Reason / source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 29, 2026 | 50 → 49 | elevated → moderate | Method change (scoring v2) scoring v2 |
| Sep 29, 2026 | 0 → 0 | unknown | Data update Grounded open data research & citations |
| Sep 27, 2026 | 52 → 50 | elevated | Data update scoring v2 |
| Sep 27, 2026 | 46 → 52 | moderate → elevated | Method change (scoring v2) scoring v2 |
| May 15, 2026 | — → 46 | moderate | Data update Editorial baseline 2026-05-14 (Numbeo + WHO + State Dept + Global Peace Index references) |
Every editorial change to Rio de Janeiro's composite score is logged here, with the source and reason for the change. Live data overlays (weather, advisories, disaster alerts, news) refresh continuously on their own cadences and are not recorded as score changes — see the Live conditions section above for current overlay state.
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Transparency & Sources
We document the baseline sources, coverage scope, and data inputs for this destination below.
Sources used
- SimpleMaps World Cities (CC BY 4.0): Coordinates, region, population for Rio de Janeiro
- Travel Risk Calculator score (method v2): Security, crime and scams, health, natural hazards and current alerts for Rio de Janeiro, from US, UK and Canadian advisories, INFORM, World Bank, UCDP, CDC, GDACS, USGS and OpenStreetMap
- Editorial baseline (Travel Risk Calculator): City-level threat scoring across 9 categories (crime, health, advisory, political, disaster, transport, environmental, digital security, money safety)
Live data overlays on this page refresh asynchronously on the source cadences shown above. Run an assessment to create a trip-specific briefing using your dates and traveler profile.
Baseline scope
- Category scores represent an analytical baseline, updated from official feeds and public records.
Coverage notes
- Transport-hub safety notes (airport, train stations).
Methodology · Full data-source registry · Report a correction
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Disclaimer
Travel Risk Calculator provides estimated travel-threat information for preparation purposes only. It does not replace official government advisories, medical advice, emergency alerts, immigration rules, insurance advice, police guidance, embassy information, or professional security consultation.