I'm posting this in both threads for now to make sure it is not overlooked by anyone traveling out of country. Justin, feel free to delete if necessary.

This is an important post for anyone traveling out of country for surgery, especially to Brazil. Thanks to someone else on another board, we found out at the last minute that we needed a VISA for our trip in March. We of course had our passports in order, but not this.

It was very tight, getting it on time. So few countries need one for Canadians that it didn't occur to us to check on it. (Although anyone in our government now needs one to go to Mexico, even for vacation) The boarding agent at the airport said that it happens quite often, ruining peoples' vacations, let alone surgeries.

While it was easy to get (just over ten days), and cost about $80, it was a vital piece of documentation that we almost overlooked. Ours needed to be applied for at least two weeks prior to departure. However, if you don't live in a city where there is an Embassy, the process could take much longer.